#004 田子の浦に

田子の浦に
打ち出でてみれば
白妙の
富士の高嶺に
雪はふりつつ 

Tago no ura ni uchi-idete mireba shirotae no fuji no taka ne ni yuki wa furitsutsu

Yamabe no Akahito

along Tago bay when we head out then we see the exquisite white peak of lofty Mount Fuji while snow still falls upon it (trans. Köy Deli)	on Tago beach as we depart we see pure white on Fuji's lofty peak snow is falling (trans. Jane Reichhold)
Jane Reichhold remarks: I see a pivot and tanka twist working here. In the first three lines the white could be spindrift on the waves on the beach /surf/shore but then it switches the scene to Mt. Fuji and the snow explains the whiteness there.  Very classic tanka technique. The fact that artists show us one can see Mr. Fuji from Tago Bay increases my acceptance of this.

Shore of Tago Bay 
source : wikicommons (Public Domain)

Tago no ura ni 

Tago | of | bay | case particle (to, in, on, into, at)

Uchi idete mireba 

(with force/vigour) set(ting) out from| when (I, we, they, s/he,it )see(s)/look(s)

Shirotae no (Pillow-word modifier)

Pure white | of 

Fuji no takane ni 

Fuji |of | lofty, tall peak| case particle (to, in, on, into, at)

Yuki wa furitsutsu 

Snow | is | falling |conjunctive particle (while)

Tago	田子	Place name	田 – ta -  field, rice field,	4
			子 – ko – child; sign of the rat; 11PM-1AM; first sign of Chinese zodiac
no	の	Genitive particle : 's; of
ura	浦			4
ni	に	Locative particle : in, on, at, into
uchi	打ち	strike; hit; knock; pound; dozen	adds vigour, force as a prefix strengthening  a verb	4
ide-te	出で	exit; leave; go out; come out; put out; protrude;  set forth, set out;		4
te	て	Conjunctive particle
mireba	みれば	When...sees/looks
shirotae	白妙	Pillow word modifier of things that are white	白 - white	2, 4
			妙 – tae - Myō - exquisite; strange; queer; mystery; miracle; excellent; delicate; charming
Fuji	富士	Place name	富 – tomi -wealth; enrich; abundant	4
			士 – shi -gentleman; samurai; samurai radical
takane	高嶺	lofty	高 – taka - tall; high; expensive	4
			嶺 – mine - peak; summit
yuki	雪	snow		4
wa	は	particle : is, am, are
furi	ふり	fall		4
-tsutsu	つつ	Conjunctive particle : while