Toki sugite kareyuku ono no asaji ni wa ima wa omoi zo taezu moekeru - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

時過ぎてかれゆく小野の浅茅には
今はおもひぞ絶えず燃えける

Roma-ji: Toki sugite kareyuku ono no asaji ni wa ima wa omoi zo taezu moekeru
English Translation: Now its time has passed,
and on the withering reeds
of the field of Ono,
the fire of my longing
burns and never goes out
Meaning: Now that its season has passed and the reeds of the field of Ono are withering, a fire burns there without ceasing. So too, now that you are drifting away, the fire of my longing burns on and on.
Commentary: Book Fifteen Love Poems V 790

Headnote: "When someone she had known was gradually growing distant, she sent a letter tied to a burned reed leaf."
As someone close to her drifted away, she sent this poem with a letter tucked into a burned reed leaf. The image of withered reeds in the field set alight by a brush fire is layered with love that flares up just as the bond cools. The gift of a burned leaf itself matches the poem's content, making it a carefully crafted exchange.
The author, "Komachi ga Ane," is the Elder Sister of Komachi, said to be the elder sister of Ono no Komachi, though little is known of her.

The first line, "the time has passed," suggests love past its prime.
In the second line kare is a pivot word, meaning both grass withering and a person drifting away. Ono means a field, and may also echo the author's clan name Ono.
The third line names low reeds, a feature of a neglected field.
In the fourth line omoi is a pivot word, containing hi, "fire," within "longing." Zo is resolved by keru in the last line.
In the last line moe, "burn," is an associated word for fire, showing a love that burns unceasingly for one who is leaving.
Author: Elder Sister of Ono no Komachi
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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