Tanabata no sode tsugu yoi no akatoki wa kawase no tazu wa nakazu tomo yoshi

織女の袖継ぐ宵の暁は
川瀬の鶴は鳴かずともよし

Roma-ji: Tanabata no sode tsugu yoi no akatoki wa kawase no tazu wa nakazu tomo yoshi
English Translation: The Weaver Maiden,
on the night she joins her sleeves,
when the dawn breaks then,
the cranes in the river shallows
need not cry at all
Meaning: At the dawn that ends the night when the Weaver Maiden lays her sleeves with his, the cranes of the river shallows need not cry.
Commentary: Book Eight Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 1545

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems on the Tanabata festival by Prince Yuhara"
At the dawn ending the night of Tanabata, when the Weaver Maiden lays her sleeves with the Herdsman's, the poet says the cranes of the river shallows, which announce the dawn, need not cry. The cranes' cry signals the hour of parting, and the poem expresses a wish that the once-a-year meeting might last even a little longer.
The author, Prince Yuhara, was a son of Prince Shiki and a member of the imperial family in the Nara period, known for the clarity of his poetic style.

The first line names the Weaver Maiden star.
In the second line, "sode tsugu," joining sleeves, means lying together.
The third line names the dark time before dawn, the hour of parting.
The fourth line names the cranes in the shallows of the River of Heaven, portrayed as birds that cry to announce the dawn.
The final line means "they need not cry," refusing the voice that announces parting and regretting the end of the meeting. Following the preceding poem's lament for the deepening night, this one regrets the parting at dawn, so the two poems trace the passing of the night.
Author: Prince Yuhara
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Hikoboshi no omoimasuramu kokoro yori miru ware kurushi yo no fukeyukeba
Next Poem: Imogari to waga yuku michi no kawa shi areba tsukume musubu to yo zo fukenikeru