Kimi ga yo wa amatsu sora naru hoshi nare ya kazu mo shirarenu kokochi nomi shite

君が世は天つ空なる星なれや
数も知られぬ心地のみして

Roma-ji: Kimi ga yo wa amatsu sora naru hoshi nare ya kazu mo shirarenu kokochi nomi shite
English Translation: The reign of my lord—
is it like the stars that shine
in the heavens high?
For I feel only that
their number cannot be told.
Meaning: Is our lord's reign like the stars in the heavens? It only feels as though their number could never be known.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1177

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Congratulations"
Is the lord's reign the stars of the heavens? the poet asks, for it seems beyond counting.
The countless stars symbolize a reign that goes on beyond reckoning. Where 1170 in this book likened the reign's length to the streaks of rain, here the stars of heaven are used, earthly rain and heavenly stars forming a pair.

First line, “kimi ga yo wa”: the lord's reign.
Second line, “amatsu sora naru”: in the heavens; tsu means "of."
Third line, “hoshi nare ya”: ya questions, "is it the stars?"; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “kazu mo shirarenu”: whose number cannot be known; re is potential.
Fifth line, “kokochi nomi shite”: feeling only that, the inversion giving the reason for the comparison.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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