Ama no kawa nagarete koi wa uku mo zo aru aware to omou se ni hayaku mimu - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

天の河流れて恋ひは憂くもぞある
あはれと思ふ瀬に早く見む

Roma-ji: Ama no kawa nagarete koi wa uku mo zo aru aware to omou se ni hayaku mimu
English Translation: The River of Heaven
flows on, and love that lingers
might turn to sorrow—
in this shallow, while I hold you dear,
let me see you soon
Meaning: Like the River of Heaven, love that flows on too long may turn bitter—let me see you soon, at this moment while I hold you dear.
Commentary: Book Five Autumn Poems I 233

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that love which flows on through time like the River of Heaven may turn painful, and so wishes to meet soon, at this moment while the beloved is dear. With the once-yearly love of Tanabata in mind, fearing endless waiting, the poet longs for a meeting now.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Ama no kawa," means "the River of Heaven," leading into "nagarete."
In the second line, "nagarete" layers the flowing of the river and the passing of time: "love that goes on long." 242 of this book uses the same phrase, "ama no kawa nagarete kouru."
In the third line, "mo zo" expresses apprehension: "it may become painful, and that would be hard." The particle "zo" and the attributive "aru" form a kakarimusubi pattern, and the poem pauses here. The third line has an extra syllable.
The fourth line, "aware to omou," means "that I hold dear."
In the last line, "se" layers a river shallow and an occasion or moment. "Mu" is an auxiliary of intent: "let me see you soon." "Se" is an associated word of "ama no kawa" and "nagare."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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