Itsushika to akeyuku sora no kasumeru wa ama no to yori ya haru wa tatsuramu - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いつしかと明けゆく空の霞めるは
天の戸よりや春は立つらむ

Roma-ji: Itsushika to akeyuku sora no kasumeru wa ama no to yori ya haru wa tatsuramu
English Translation: So soon already
the dawning sky grows hazy;
can it be that spring
from the very gate of heaven
is now rising into being
Meaning: The sky is already misted over as dawn breaks. Can it be that spring is rising forth from the very gate of heaven?
Commentary: Book One Spring Poems 3

Seeing the dawn sky already veiled in haze, the poet wonders whether spring rises forth from the gate of heaven. Haze is taken as the sign of spring's arrival, and the poem offers a grand vision of spring descending from the sky.
The author, Akinaka (Fujiwara), is Fujiwara no Akinaka. A son of Fujiwara no Sukenaka, he was an active poet in the circle of Emperor Horikawa.

First line, 'itsushika to', means already, before one knows it, conveying how eagerly the coming of spring has been awaited.
Second line, 'akeyuku sora no', is the sky gradually brightening; ake also suggests opening a door, making it an associated word with the gate of heaven in the fourth line.
Third line, 'kasumeru wa', describes the sky veiled in haze, the classic herald of spring.
Fourth line, 'ama no to yori ya', refers to the Rock Door of heaven, the gateway of the sky, and the particle ya forms a question.
Final line, 'haru wa tatsuramu', overlaps haze rising with spring rising, and ramu guesses at the cause. The next poem, 4, shares this final line; against spring rising from heaven here, it has spring rising from the headwaters, and the two form a pair.
Author: Fujiwara no Akinaka
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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