Hito shirenu omoi ya nazo to ashigaki no machikakeredomo au yoshi no naki - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

人知れぬ思ひやなぞと芦垣の
間近けれども逢ふよしのなき

Roma-ji: Hito shirenu omoi ya nazo to ashigaki no machikakeredomo au yoshi no naki
English Translation: This hidden longing
what can it mean, I wonder
like a fence of reeds
you are close enough to touch
yet there is no way to meet
Meaning: What is this love that no one knows? You are as near as the other side of a fence of reeds, yet there is no way for us to meet.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 506

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poem laments the absurdity of a love that cannot meet though the beloved is close at hand. Separated only by a rough fence of woven reeds, the lovers cannot meet because their love is unknown to others, and the poet frets at this. The contrast between nearness in space and distance of heart stands out in this poem.

First line, "This hidden longing": hito shirenu means unknown to others. Poem 534 of this book begins with the same phrase, "hito shirenu omoi wo."
Second line, "what can it mean, I wonder": omoi ya nazo to means "what is this longing?", with nazo expressing a question the poet puts to his own love.
Third line, "like a fence of reeds": ashigaki is a fence woven of reeds, a pillow word for "near" because its weave is close.
Fourth line, "you are close enough to touch": machikakeredomo means "though you are close by."
Fifth line, "yet there is no way to meet": au yoshi no naki means there is no means of meeting, ending in the attributive form to leave a lingering sigh. Like "since there is no way to meet" in poem 497 of this book, it laments the lack of any means to meet.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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