Sekikanete sa wa tote nagasu takitsuse ni waku shiratama wa namida narikeri

堰きかねてさはとて流す滝つ瀬に
湧く白玉は涙なりけり

Roma-ji: Sekikanete sa wa tote nagasu takitsuse ni waku shiratama wa namida narikeri
English Translation: Unable to dam it,
I let it flow as it will,
and in the rapids
the white pearls that well and leap
are the tears I shed, I see.
Meaning: Unable to hold them back, I let them flow, and the white pearls welling up in the rushing rapids are my tears.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1311

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
Unable to dam them, he lets them flow, and the white pearls welling up in the rapids are his tears, the poet says.
Likening overflowing tears to rapids and their spray to white pearls, the poem shows a heart that, unable to hide its tears any longer, gives up and lets them flow.

First line, “sekikanete”: unable to dam them.
Second line, “sa wa tote nagasu”: letting them flow, "well then."
Third line, “takitsuse ni”: in the rapids.
Fourth line, “waku shiratama wa”: the white pearls welling up, spray seen as pearls.
Fifth line, “namida narikeri”: keri marks realization, "they are my tears."
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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