Saritomo to nao au koto o tanomu kana shide no yamaji o koenu wakare wa

さりともとなほ逢ふことを頼むかな
死出の山路を越えぬ別れは

Roma-ji: Saritomo to nao au koto o tanomu kana shide no yamaji o koenu wakare wa
English Translation: Even so, I trust
that we shall meet once again,
holding on to hope—
for this is not a parting
over Death's mountain pass.
Meaning: Even so, I still trust that we will meet again, for this is not a parting that crosses the mountain path of death.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1142

Headnote: "When I was to go on a distant pilgrimage and visited the former Ise Priestess at Bodaiin, the company composed parting poems"
About to leave on a distant pilgrimage, Saigyō called on the former Ise Priestess at Bodaiin, and the company composed parting poems. Even so, he says, I still trust we will meet again, since this is not a parting across the mountain path of death.
He pins his hope on this being a parting in life rather than death, seeking to soften its sorrow. An ascetic journey offered no guarantee of survival, and for that very reason he invokes the "mountain of death," telling himself and the others that this is not it.

First line, “saritomo to”: even so, someday.
Second line, “nao au koto o”: meeting again, still.
Third line, “tanomu kana”: kana is exclamatory; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “shide no yamaji o”: the mountain of death, said to be crossed on the way to the underworld.
Fifth line, “koenu wakare wa”: since this is a parting that does not cross it, the inversion giving the reason for his hope.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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