Ōnusa to na ni koso tatere nagarete mo tsui ni yoru se wa ari chō mono o - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

大幣と名にこそ立てれ流れても
つひに寄る瀬はありてふものを

Roma-ji: Ōnusa to na ni koso tatere nagarete mo tsui ni yoru se wa ari chō mono o
English Translation: "The great wand," they say—
so my name is spread about;
yet though it drifts away,
at last it comes to a shallows
where it rests, or so they say.
Meaning: They may call me a great purification wand, and the name may stick; yet even a wand set adrift on the river comes at last to a shallows where it rests—and so shall I, with you.
Commentary: Book Fourteen Love Poems IV 707

Headnote: "Reply"
Narihira's reply to the preceding poem: though he is gossiped about as a great wand, just as a wand cast into the river comes at last to a shallows, he too has one to whom he will finally return, and that is her. Taking up her very image of the great wand and turning it to the custom of casting it into the river after the rite, it is a witty riposte.
The same exchange appears in section 47 of The Tales of Ise, and the poem is known for conveying the image of Narihira as a man reputed to be amorous.
The author, "Narihira no Ason," is Ariwara no Narihira. He was the fifth son of Prince Abo, a son of Emperor Heizei, and his mother was Princess Ito, a daughter of Emperor Kanmu. He served as provisional middle captain of the Right Palace Guards, among other posts, is counted among both the Six Poetic Immortals and the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets, and is regarded as the model for the hero of The Tales of Ise.

The first line, "ōnusa to," takes up "ōnusa no" from the first line of the preceding poem, acknowledging that he is called a great wand.
The second line, "na ni koso tatere," means "so my name is spread about, but," the particle "koso" closed by "re," the perfective form of the continuative "ri," leading on adversatively.
The third line, "nagarete mo," overlays the wand drifting down the river after the rite with rumors of love flowing about.
The fourth line, "tsui ni yoru se wa," means "the shallows where it finally comes to rest," standing for the one he finally returns to; "nagare" (flow) and "se" (shallows) are associated words of the wand.
The final line, "ari chō mono o," means "there is, they say, and yet," "chō" being a contraction of "to iu" and "mono o" an adversative exclamation.
Author: Ariwara no Narihira
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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