Shirakumo wa tachihedatsuredo kurenai no usuhanazakura kokoro ni zo somu - Shika Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

白雲は立ち隔つれど紅の
薄花桜心にぞ染む

Roma-ji: Shirakumo wa tachihedatsuredo kurenai no usuhanazakura kokoro ni zo somu
English Translation: Though the white clouds rise
and stand between us, the crimson
of the pale-blossomed cherry
has sunk deep into my heart
and dyed it through and through.
Meaning: Though white clouds rise and come between us, the faint crimson of the pale-blossomed cherry has sunk deep into my heart and dyed it.
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems 19

Answering the preceding poem, the poet says that even though white clouds stand in between, the crimson of the pale-blossomed cherry dyes his heart deeply. While praising the flowers, it can be read as a poem of exchange that also carries his feelings for the author of the preceding poem.
The author is said to be Fujiwara no Morozane, the Kyōgoku former Chancellor.

The first line, "the white clouds," takes up "all for white clouds" in the fourth line of the preceding poem.
The second line, "rise and stand between," means the clouds come between, leading on with the adversative "do."
The third line, "the crimson," repeats the first line of the preceding poem, layering the words of the exchange.
The fourth line, "the pale-blossomed cherry," repeats the preceding poem's second line; using the same word makes clear that this is a reply.
The last line, "has sunk deep into my heart," closes a kakari-musubi with "zo" and the attributive "somu." "Crimson" and "dye" are associated words from dyeing.
Source: Shika Wakashu
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