Suzukake no koke originu no furugoromo oku mo kono moto kitsutsu narekemu

鈴懸の苔織衣の古衣
おくもこのもときつつなれけむ

Roma-ji: Suzukake no koke originu no furugoromo oku mo kono moto kitsutsu narekemu
English Translation: The ascetic's robe,
woven as if out of moss,
an old worn garment—
deep in the hills and under trees
they came and wore it soft.
Meaning: That old ascetic's robe, as if woven of moss, they must have worn as they came again and again, deep in the mountains and beneath the trees, until it grew soft and familiar.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 611

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed later, after meeting Hōgen Jōnin and hearing him tell of Mount Ōmine"
The suzukake robe of the mountain ascetic is worn as if woven of moss; the poet imagines it has been worn through coming and going, deep in the mountains and under the trees, through long years of practice. Taking up the "robe of moss" of the preceding poem, he turns to the ascetic's garb.
The Ruijū text places it in its section on the gods and reads line 4 as iku ki no moto ni; the text transmitted by Teika also differs in lines 3 and 4. Lines 3 and 4 are hard to read in the source as displayed and are here read furugoromo and oku mo kono moto.

Line 1 names the suzukake, the hemp robe ascetics wear over their garments.
Line 2 means "of the robe woven of moss," echoing the "robe of moss" of the preceding poem.
Line 3 means "old robe."
Line 4 means "deep in the hills and beneath this tree."
Line 5 means "came and wore it soft," ki meaning both "came" and "wore" and nare both "worn soft" and "grown familiar," drawing on The Tales of Ise; it shares its last line with the next poem, 612.
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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