Nami to miyuru yuki o wakete zo kogiwataru kiso no kakehashi soko mo mieneba

波と見ゆる雪を分けてぞ漕ぎ渡る
木曽の懸け橋底も見えねば

Roma-ji: Nami to miyuru yuki o wakete zo kogiwataru kiso no kakehashi soko mo mieneba
English Translation: Through snow that looks like
waves, I part my way and cross
as if rowing a boat—
on the hanging bridge of Kiso,
where the depths cannot be seen.
Meaning: Parting snow that looks like waves, I cross as if rowing a boat over the hanging bridge of Kiso, for not even the bottom of the gorge can be seen.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1432

Headnote: none
Parting snow that looks like waves, he crosses as if rowing a boat over the hanging bridge of Kiso, for not even the gorge's bottom can be seen, the poet says.
Crossing the snow-covered hanging bridge of Kiso is likened to rowing across a sea of snow. In snow so deep the gorge floor is hidden, it conveys both the terror of crossing the precarious walkway and the grandeur of the scene. The hanging bridge of Kiso also appeared in 1415.

First line, “nami to miyuru”: that looks like waves; the line has an extra syllable.
Second line, “yuki o wakete zo”: zo is answered by the attributive wataru.
Third line, “kogiwataru”: crossing as if rowing, from seeing snow as waves; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “kiso no kakehashi”: the hanging walkway of Kiso in Shinano, a poetic place.
Fifth line, “soko mo mieneba”: since even the bottom cannot be seen, the inversion giving the reason.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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