Amanogawa sese ni shiranami takakedomo tada watarikinu mataba kurushimi

天の川瀬々に白波高けども
直渡り来ぬ待たば苦しみ

Roma-ji: Amanogawa sese ni shiranami takakedomo tada watarikinu mataba kurushimi
English Translation: The Heavenly River,
at each shoal the white waves rise
high, and even so
straight across I came to you,
for to wait would be such pain.
Meaning: Though white waves run high over every shoal of the Heavenly River, I came straight across—for waiting would have been too painful.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2085

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
This poem, in the Herdsman's voice, says that though white waves ran high at every shoal of the Heavenly River, he came straight across, since waiting would be painful. Whereas in the preceding poem the Weaver worried over the ruined ford, here the Herdsman answers that he crossed the rough river regardless, so the two poems form a pair of the one who worries and the one who crosses. The strength of a heart set only on meeting shows through.

The first line, "the Heavenly River," names the river crossed.
The second line, "white waves at every shoal," describes the danger.
In the third line, "takakedomo," "domo" is adversative: though they are high.
In the fourth line, "tada watarikinu," "tada" means straight and "nu" marks completion. The poem breaks here.
In the last line, "mataba kurushimi," "mi" is a suffix of cause: because waiting would be painful. By inversion it gives the reason at the end.
Source: Manyoshu
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