Manazuru wa sawa no kōri no kagami nite chitose no kage o mote ya nasuran

真鶴は沢の氷の鏡にて
千歳の影をもてやなすらん

Roma-ji: Manazuru wa sawa no kōri no kagami nite chitose no kage o mote ya nasuran
English Translation: The crane, I wonder—
does it use the frozen marsh
as a looking glass,
to cast its form of a thousand years
and see itself reflected there?
Meaning: Does the crane take the ice of the marsh for a mirror, reflecting there the image of its thousand years?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1433

Headnote: none
Does the crane use the ice of the marsh as a mirror, reflecting the image of its thousand-year life? the poet wonders.
It depicts the crane, symbol of a thousand years, mirrored in ice, joining auspiciousness with a clear winter scene. Seeing the ice as a mirror is a memorable conceit.

First line, “manazuru wa”: the manazuru, a kind of crane.
Second line, “sawa no kōri no”: of the ice on the marsh.
Third line, “kagami nite”: as a mirror, the ice seen as one.
Fourth line, “chitose no kage o”: the image of its thousand years.
Fifth line, “mote ya nasuran”: ya questions, answered by the attributive ran, "might it reflect it so?"
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Nami to miyuru yuki o wakete zo kogiwataru kiso no kakehashi soko mo mieneba
Next Poem: Sawa mo tokezu tsumedo katami ni todomarade me ni mo tamaranu egu no kusaguki