On a pine tree on the rocks, while at the Shirakawa estate.
いにしへの種としみれば岩の上の子日の松もをいにけるかな
| inisiFe no tane to si mireba iFa no uFe no ne no Fi no matu mo woinikeru kana |
In ancient times ’Twas but a seed: Upon the rocks Rooted evena New Year pine Has aged, it seems. |
The line いにしへの seems to be a favorite of Sanekata’s – based on a text search, it appears in about 10 poems in his collection. Presumably it is 古え•いにしえ “antiquity; ancient times.” Is this a makura kotoba or another kind of poetic expression?
It’s not a makura kotoba as such, just a useful phrase given its syllable length. You are correct about the meaning.