Tanabata no koyoi ainaba tsune no goto asu o hedatete toshi wa nagakemu

織女の今夜逢ひなば常のごと
明日を隔てて年は長けむ

Roma-ji: Tanabata no koyoi ainaba tsune no goto asu o hedatete toshi wa nagakemu
English Translation: The Weaver Maiden,
if she meets her love tonight,
just as ever before,
from tomorrow, parted far,
oh, how long the year will be!
Meaning: If the Weaver Maiden meets him tonight, then as always, from tomorrow they will be parted, and the year will be long.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2080

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
This poem imagines that if the Weaver fulfills her meeting tonight, then as always they will be parted from tomorrow, and another long year will begin. It shows a heart thinking of the long separation that follows right after the joy of meeting. Like "from tomorrow, as always" in 2037, it sings of the days of separation that begin the day after the meeting.

The first line, "the Weaver," names the Weaver Star.
In the second line, "koyoi ainaba," "na" is the irrealis of the completive "nu" and "ba" marks a supposition: if she meets tonight.
The third line, "tsune no goto," as always, echoes "tsune no gotoku ya" in 2037.
The fourth line, "parted from tomorrow," names the separation.
In the last line, "toshi wa nagakemu," "mu" is conjecture, closing with thoughts of the long year.
Source: Manyoshu
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