Nakanaka ni tani no hosomichi uzume yuki ari tote hito no kayou beki ka wa

中々に谷の細道埋め雪
ありとて人の通ふべきかは

Roma-ji: Nakanaka ni tani no hosomichi uzume yuki ari tote hito no kayou beki ka wa
English Translation: Better, rather, bury
the narrow path through the vale,
O you falling snow—
for even if the path is there,
would anyone come by it?
Meaning: Better yet, bury the narrow valley path, O snow—even if it were there, would anyone come along it?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1365

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When snow had fallen"
Better still, snow, bury the narrow valley path, the poet calls; even if it were there, no one would come by it.
Following the preceding poem's joy at snow burying the road, he calls on the snow to bury it outright, since no one will come anyway. Beneath the defiance seeps a loneliness that is the other face of longing for company.

First line, “nakanaka ni”: rather, better still.
Second line, “tani no hosomichi”: the narrow valley path.
Third line, “uzume yuki”: "bury it, snow," an imperative breaking after the third line.
Fourth line, “ari tote hito no”: even if it exists, people.
Fifth line, “kayou beki ka wa”: ka wa is rhetorical, "would anyone come? No."
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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