Tsuzura hau hayama wa shita mo shigekereba sumu hito ika ni kogurakaruran

つづら這ふ端山は下も茂ければ
住む人いかに木暗かるらん

Roma-ji: Tsuzura hau hayama wa shita mo shigekereba sumu hito ika ni kogurakaruran
English Translation: On the foothills where
the creeping vines spread, even
below it grows thick;
for those who dwell there, how dark
beneath the trees it must be.
Meaning: The foothills where the vines creep are so thick even beneath the trees; how dark among the trees it must be for those who live there.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 961

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The foothills where vines creep are thick even beneath the trees; how dark it must be for those who live there, the poet says, imagining a mountain dwelling shut in by growth.

First line, “tsuzura hau”: tsuzura are climbing vines; where they creep.
Second line, “hayama wa shita mo”: hayama are low hills near villages; shita is beneath the trees.
Third line, “shigekereba”: since it is thick.
Fourth line, “sumu hito ika ni”: how, for those who live there.
Fifth line, “kogurakaruran”: kogurashi is dark under thick trees; ran is conjecture about the present.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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