Kuretake no ima ikuyo ka wa okifushite iori no mado o akeorosu beki

呉竹の今いくよかは起き伏して
庵の窓をあけおろすべき

Roma-ji: Kuretake no ima ikuyo ka wa okifushite iori no mado o akeorosu beki
English Translation: Like black bamboo's joints,
how many nights more, I wonder,
rising and lying down,
shall I raise and lower
the window of my hut?
Meaning: Like the joints of black bamboo, how many more nights will I rise and lie down, opening and closing the window of my hut?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1428

Headnote: none
Like the joints of black bamboo, how many more nights will he rise and lie down, opening and closing the window of his hut? the poet wonders.
Thinking of how little life remains, he gazes at the monotonous round of days in the hut. Ikuyo pivots on "how many nights" and yo, the space between bamboo joints, and okifushi echoes fushi, the joints, stringing together bamboo imagery.

First line, “kuretake no”: of the black bamboo, leading bamboo imagery.
Second line, “ima ikuyo ka wa”: ikuyo pivots on "how many nights" and bamboo internodes; ka wa questions.
Third line, “okifushite”: rising and lying down, echoing bamboo joints.
Fourth line, “iori no mado o”: the window of my hut.
Fifth line, “akeorosu beki”: shall I open and close it?
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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