Isa ya mata tsuzuki mo shiranu takane nite mazu kuru hito ni miyako o zo tou - Shika Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いさやまたつづきも知らぬ高嶺にて
先づ来る人に都をぞ問ふ

Roma-ji: Isa ya mata tsuzuki mo shiranu takane nite mazu kuru hito ni miyako o zo tou
English Translation: Well, I cannot say —
high upon this lofty peak
where I know not how
the road goes on, of the first who comes
I ask for news of the capital
Meaning: I cannot tell how the road goes on from this high peak; to the first person who comes along, I ask for news of the capital.
Commentary: Book Ten Miscellaneous Poems II 386

On a journey, at a high peak where he cannot tell how the road continues, the poet first asks the first person he meets for news of the capital. Even deep in unknown mountains his thoughts go first to the capital, showing a traveler's homesickness.
From the next poem, 387, poems of thinking of the capital's moon under the traveler's sky follow, so journey poems longing for the capital are set together.

The first line, "isa ya mata," uses the interjection "isa ya" to express hesitation: well, I cannot say.
The second line, "tsuzuki mo shiranu," means not knowing how the road goes on.
The third line, "takane nite," means on a high peak.
The fourth line, "mazu kuru hito ni," means to the first person who comes.
The final line, "miyako o zo tou," forms a kakari-musubi of "zo" and the attributive "tou": I ask about the capital.
Source: Shika Wakashu
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