Kuyashiku mo yuki no miyama e wakeirade fumoto ni nomi mo toshi o tsumikeru

悔しくも雪の深山へ分け入らで
麓にのみも年を積みける

Roma-ji: Kuyashiku mo yuki no miyama e wakeirade fumoto ni nomi mo toshi o tsumikeru
English Translation: How I now regret it:
not pressing into the depths
of the snowy hills,
but only at their foothills
have I piled my years up high.
Meaning: How I regret that, never pressing on into the snowy depths of the mountains, I have only piled up the years at their foot.
Commentary: One Hundred Poems 1492

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Ten Poems on Snow"
The closing poem of the ten on snow. He regrets that, never having pressed into the deep, snowy mountains, he has merely piled up years at their foot.
Entering the snowbound inner mountains seems to stand for a more thorough practice or retreat, and the poem regrets growing old without reaching it. Toshi o tsumu, to pile up years, is associated with the piling of snow, closing the snow poems with thoughts on his own life.

First line, “kuyashiku mo”: to my regret.
Second line, “yuki no miyama e”: miyama means deep mountains, "into the snowy deep mountains."
Third line, “wakeirade”: de is a negative conjunctive, "without pressing in."
Fourth line, “fumoto ni nomi mo”: only at the foothills.
Fifth line, “toshi o tsumikeru”: keru in attributive form closes in exclamation, "I have piled up the years"; tsumu is associated with snow.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Yuki shinogu iori no tsuma o sashisoete ato tomete kon hito o todomen
Next Poem: Furuki imo ga sono ni uetaru karanazuna tare nazusae to ōshitatsuran