Tanabata wa ama no kawara o nanakaeri nochi no misoka o misogi ni wa seyo - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

七夕は天の河原を七かへり
後のみそかを禊にはせよ

Roma-ji: Tanabata wa ama no kawara o nanakaeri nochi no misoka o misogi ni wa seyo
English Translation: Stars of Tanabata,
on the shore of Heaven's River
seven times over,
let the second month's last day
be the day you purify
Meaning: Stars of Tanabata, on the shore of the River of Heaven, seven times over, let the last day of the second Sixth Month be your day of purification.
Commentary: Book Four Summer Poems 216

Headnote: "In a year with two Sixth Months."
Since this year has two Sixth Months, the poet tells the Tanabata stars to repeat their purification seven times on the shore of the River of Heaven and make the later last day of the month their day of purification. Mindful that the intercalary month delays the Tanabata lovers' meeting, he calls on them to hold their rite on the later day.
According to the headnote, it was composed in a year with an intercalary Sixth Month. Placed at the end of the summer book, it marks summer's end with the purification on the last day of the Sixth Month while foreshadowing Tanabata in autumn.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us. The text gives the author as "yomibito mo," but it is treated here as anonymous.

The first line, "Tanabata wa," names the Tanabata stars, the Weaver Maid and the Herdsman. Where the opening poem, 147, marked the start of summer with the change of robes, this last poem marks its end with purification, so that the beginning and end of the book answer each other.
The second line, "ama no kawara o," means "on the shore of the River of Heaven," taking up "ama no kawa" in 210 of this book.
The third line, "nanakaeri," means "seven times over," describing the purification repeated on the riverbank.
The fourth line, "nochi no misoka o," means "the later last day of the month," referring to the last day of the intercalary Sixth Month.
The last line, "misogi ni wa seyo," means "make it your day of purification," calling to the Tanabata stars in the imperative. Taking up the summer purification of the preceding poem, 215, it closes the book with a purification rite.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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