Yoso nagara yo o somukinu to kiku kara ni koshiji no sora wa uchishigure tsutsu - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

よそながら世を背きぬと聞くからに
越路の空はうち時雨つつ

Roma-ji: Yoso nagara yo o somukinu to kiku kara ni koshiji no sora wa uchishigure tsutsu
English Translation: From afar I heard
that you had turned your back on
the world, and at once
over the road to Koshi
the sky keeps falling in showers
Meaning: Far away though I am, the moment I heard that you had renounced the world, the sky over the Koshi road began to fall in cold showers.
Commentary: Book Ten Miscellaneous Poems II 614

Though far away, the moment the poet heard that someone had turned from the world to take vows, the sky over the Koshi road began to fall in cold showers. Hearing in the northern provinces of a dear one's renunciation, the poet conveys through the showers a grief that has brought on tears.
Laments for the dead have continued up to this point in the book, but this poem thinks of one who has left the world to take vows, and sings of the sorrow of that parting from the world.

First line, 'yoso nagara', means while far away, showing that the poet heard the news from afar rather than being present.
Second line, 'yo o somukinu to', means that you have turned from the world, that is, taken vows, using the perfective nu.
Third line, 'kiku kara ni', means as soon as I heard, the particle kara ni expressing that one thing follows immediately upon another.
Fourth line, 'koshiji no sora wa', means the sky over the Koshi road, showing the northern provinces where the poet is.
Final line, 'uchishigure tsutsu', means the showers keep falling, the particle tsutsu expressing repetition and continuation. The poet's tears are overlaid upon the showers, and the poem trails off to leave a lingering feeling.
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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