Ima dani mo me na tomoshime so aimizute koimu toshitsuki hisashikemaku ni

今だにも目な乏しめそ相見ずて
恋ひむ年月久しけまくに

Roma-ji: Ima dani mo me na tomoshime so aimizute koimu toshitsuki hisashikemaku ni
English Translation: Now, at least, for now,
do not make our meetings few;
for without a sight
of you, the years I shall long
will surely stretch long and far
Meaning: Now, at least, do not let our meetings grow few; for the years I shall spend longing for you, unable to see you, will be long.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems Ancient and Modern I 2577

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing One's Feelings Directly"
Long years of longing without meeting are coming, so at least for now let them meet often: this is a woman's wish. Sensing that parting is not far off, she voices an urgent heart that treasures the time left to them.
It belongs to the category "Expressing One's Feelings Directly." By contrasting the brief present with the long years to be spent apart, it brings out the irreplaceable value of the meetings that remain.
The author is unknown. The anonymous poems of Book Eleven gather the love poems of people whose names have not come down to us.

First line, "ima dani mo": "at least now." The particle "dani" expresses a minimal wish.
Second line, "me na tomoshime so": "do not make our meetings scarce." "Na ... so" expresses a prohibition, and the poem pauses after the second line.
Third line, "aimizute": "without meeting." It points to the days ahead when they cannot meet.
Fourth line, "koimu toshitsuki": "the years and months I shall long." The auxiliary "mu" looks ahead to the days to come.
Fifth line, "hisashikemaku ni": "since they will be long." It is the nominalized form of the adjective "hisashi" with the conjectural "mu," followed by "ni," giving a reason.
Source: Manyoshu
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