Yoso nagara waga mi ni ito no yoru to ieba tada itsuwari ni sugu bakari nari - Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

よそながらわが身にいとのよるといへば
ただいつはりにすぐばかりなり

Roma-ji: Yoso nagara waga mi ni ito no yoru to ieba tada itsuwari ni sugu bakari nari
English Translation: Though we're unrelated,
they say that like twisted thread
my cousin draws near—
but I simply let it pass,
threaded through as falsehood
Meaning: Though there is nothing between us, people say my cousin is drawing close to me, twisting us together like thread. I simply let it pass through as a lie, like thread through a needle.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Miscellaneous Forms 1054

Headnote: "When people linked her name with that of a man who was her cousin"
The poet denies rumors that she is involved with her male cousin. Punning on "ito," thread and cousin, "yoru," to twist thread and to draw near, and "sugu," to thread a needle and to let pass, she ties everything together with words associated with thread, a wit that gives the poem its haikai quality.
The author, "Kuso," is Kuso. Nothing further is known of her.

First line, "Yoso nagara," means though unrelated.
Second line, "waga mi ni ito no," is a pivot word joining "ito," thread, and "itoko," cousin.
Third line, "yoru to ieba," is a pivot word joining "yoru," to twist thread, and "yoru," to draw near. The line has an extra syllable.
Fourth line, "tada itsuwari ni," means simply as a falsehood.
Fifth line, "sugu bakari nari," is a pivot word joining "sugu," to pass thread through a needle, and "sugu," to let pass. Thread, twisting, and threading are associated words.
Author: Kuso
Source: Kokin Wakashu
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