Mitarashi ni wakana susugite miyabito no mate ni sasagete mito hirakumeru

御手洗に若菜すすぎて宮人の
真手に捧げて御戸開くめる

Roma-ji: Mitarashi ni wakana susugite miyabito no mate ni sasagete mito hirakumeru
English Translation: In the cleansing stream
the young greens have been rinsed, and
the shrine attendants,
holding them high in both hands,
open the sanctuary doors.
Meaning: Rinsing the spring greens in the purifying stream, the shrine attendants lift them up in both hands and seem to open the sanctuary doors.
Commentary: One Hundred Poems 1525

Headnote: "Ten Poems on the Gods: Two Poems on Kamo"
Among the ten poems on the gods, the first of two on Kamo. At the Kamo shrine, the attendants rinse spring greens in the Mitarashi stream, lift them in both hands, and open the sanctuary doors.
Following the attendants' movements, it depicts the solemnity of a rite offering the year's young greens to the gods. Through the sequence of rinsing, raising and opening, a pure morning scene before the gods is shown.

First line, “mitarashi ni”: in the stream where worshippers purify hands and mouth, here the Mitarashi at Kamo.
Second line, “wakana susugite”: rinsing the spring greens.
Third line, “miyabito no”: the attendants who serve the gods.
Fourth line, “mate ni sasagete”: mate means both hands, "raising them in both hands."
Fifth line, “mito hirakumeru”: mito is the sanctuary door, and meru, the attributive of meri, closes the poem, "they seem to open it."
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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