Yawatayama kodakaki matsu ni iru tazu no hane shirotae ni yuki wa furitsutsu

八幡山小高き松にゐる鶴の
羽白妙に雪は降りつつ

Roma-ji: Yawatayama kodakaki matsu ni iru tazu no hane shirotae ni yuki wa furitsutsu
English Translation: On Yawata's hill
in the tall pines there perches
a crane, and its wings
grow whiter and whiter still
as the snow keeps falling down.
Meaning: On Mount Yawata a crane perches in the tall pines, and the snow keeps falling until its wings are purest white.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 621

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed and sent on a snowy morning to the Bishop, Intendant of Tsurugaoka"
The wings of a crane perched in the tall pines of Mount Yawata look whiter still under the falling snow. Sent with the preceding poem to the Intendant of Tsurugaoka, it seems to work in the crane for the name Tsurugaoka, "Crane Hill." Kamo no Mabuchi marked it with a sign of praise.
The Ruijū text places it in its winter section. The source as displayed shows line 5 both as miyuki fururashi and yuki wa furitsutsu; it is here read yuki wa furitsutsu.

Line 1 is the same as the opening of 619 of this book.
Line 2 is nearly the same as line 2 of 619.
Line 3 means "the crane that perches," making the crane of Tsurugaoka in the preceding poem a real bird.
Line 4 means "its wings pure white."
Line 5 means "the snow keeps falling," tsutsu showing continuation, set against the piled snow of the preceding poem.
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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