Nagareyuku mizu kōrinuru fuyu sae ya nao ukikusa no ato wa todomenu - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

流れゆく水凍りぬる冬さへや
なほうき草の跡はとどめぬ

Roma-ji: Nagareyuku mizu kōrinuru fuyu sae ya nao ukikusa no ato wa todomenu
English Translation: Even in winter,
when the flowing water freezes,
does it still drift on,
the floating weed, leaving
no trace where it once was
Meaning: Even in winter, when the flowing water freezes, does the floating weed still leave no trace behind? Just so, your heart never settles.
Commentary: Book Eight Winter Poems 486

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet wonders whether even in winter, when the flowing water freezes, the floating weed still leaves no trace behind. Though the weed should be held fast once the water freezes, it still leaves no trace, and in it the poem overlays the unsettled heart of a lover and the sorrow of one's own lot.
Entrusting itself to the things of winter, it is a lament of love. Like 460 and 490 in this book, it overlays a winter waterside scene with the thoughts of love.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Nagareyuku," means "flowing on."
The second line, "mizu kōrinuru," means "when the water freezes."
In the third line, "sae" means "even," and "ya" is an interrogative particle.
In the fourth line, "uki" is a pivot word meaning both "floating" on water and "sorrowful."
The last line, "ato wa todomenu," means "does it leave no trace?" closing with the attributive "nu" in answer to "ya" in the third line, a kakarimusubi pattern.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Furusato no yuki wa hana to zo furitsumoru nagamuru ware mo omoi kietsutsu
Next Poem: Kokoroate ni miba koso wakame shirayuki no izure ka hana no chiru ni tagaeru