Yama fukami tsue ni sugarite iru hito no kokoro no oku no hazukashiki kana

山深み杖にすがりて入る人の
心の奥の恥づかしきかな

Roma-ji: Yama fukami tsue ni sugarite iru hito no kokoro no oku no hazukashiki kana
English Translation: The mountains so deep,
one who goes in leaning hard
upon his walking staff—
the depths within his heart
put me to shame, I find.
Meaning: The mountains are so deep, yet the old man makes his way in, leaning on his staff; the depth of his heart puts me to shame.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1238

Headnote: "When people composed on the topic 'An old man expresses his feelings'"
Composed on the topic "An old man expresses his feelings." Though the mountains are deep, an old man goes in leaning on his staff, and the depth of his heart puts the poet to shame.
It praises the depth of devotion of one who, despite old age, enters the deep mountains for Buddhist practice. "Deep mountains" answers "the depths of his heart," overlaying the depth of the mountains with the depth of the heart. The topic's "expressing feelings" is sung not as a lament over one's own age but as respect for one who still seeks the way in old age.

First line, “yama fukami”: since the mountains are deep.
Second line, “tsue ni sugarite”: leaning on a staff, the figure of an old man.
Third line, “iru hito no”: of one who enters the mountains.
Fourth line, “kokoro no oku no”: of the depths of the heart, answering the depth of the mountains.
Fifth line, “hazukashiki kana”: hazukashi is to feel abashed before someone admirable; kana is exclamatory.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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