Mio yodomu ama no kawagishi nami tatade tsuki oba miru ya saesami no kami

水脈淀む天の川岸波立たで
月をば見るやさへさみの神

Roma-ji: Mio yodomu ama no kawagishi nami tatade tsuki oba miru ya saesami no kami
English Translation: Where the current stills
on the River of Heaven's banks
and no waves arise,
does it gaze upon the moon,
the god of Saesami?
Meaning: By the banks of the River of Heaven, where the current lies still and no waves rise, does the god Saesami gaze upon the moon?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 968

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
On the banks of the River of Heaven, where the current lies still and no waves rise, does the god Saesami gaze upon the moon? the poet asks. What 'the god of Saesami' refers to is uncertain, but the poem pictures a god watching the moon from the banks of the River of Heaven.

First line, “mio yodomu”: mio is the channel of a current; where it lies still.
Second line, “ama no kawagishi”: the banks of the River of Heaven.
Third line, “nami tatade”: de is negative, without waves rising.
Fourth line, “tsuki oba miru ya”: ya asks, does it gaze on the moon?
Fifth line, “saesami no kami”: the name of a god whose meaning is uncertain; ending on a noun.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Haru asaki suzu no magaki ni kaze saete mada yuki kienu Shigaraki no sato
Next Poem: Hikari oba kumoranu tsuki zo migakikeru inaba ni kakaru asahiko no tama