Tagitsu se no naka ni mo yodo wa ari chō o nado waga koi no fuchise to mo naki - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

たぎつ瀬の中にも淀はありてふを
などわが恋の淵瀬ともなき

Roma-ji: Tagitsu se no naka ni mo yodo wa ari chō o nado waga koi no fuchise to mo naki
English Translation: Even in the rapids
where the waters churn and race
they say pools lie still
so why is it that my love
knows neither deep nor shallow
Meaning: They say that even among rushing rapids there are places where the water lies still; why then does my love have neither pools nor shallows, only a ceaseless torrent?
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 493

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poet laments that while even a torrent has still pools where the current slackens, his love has no place of rest. Through the contrasts of rapids and pools, depths and shallows, it expresses the pain of a love that flows fiercely on without ebb or pause. Within the sequence of poems that entrust love to flowing water, this one focuses on love's unceasing nature.

First line, "Even in the rapids": tagitsu se are rapids where water rushes fiercely. It shares tagitsu with "surging heart" in poem 491, two poems earlier.
Second line, "where the waters churn and race": yodo is a place where the current slows and lies still.
Third line, "they say pools lie still": chou is a contraction of to iu, giving "though they say there are."
Fourth line, "so why is it that my love": nado is an interrogative adverb meaning why, answered by the attributive naki at the end.
Fifth line, "knows neither deep nor shallow": fuchise to mo naki means with no distinction between deep still pools and shallow swift rapids, showing a love that only rushes on.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Kokin Wakashu
Prev Poem: Yoshinogawa iwa kiritōshi yuku mizu no oto ni wa tateji koi wa shinu to mo
Next Poem: Yama takami shita yuku mizu no shita ni nomi nagarete koimu koi wa shinu to mo