Fushite nuru yumeji ni dani mo awanu mi wa nao asamashiki utsutsu to zo omou - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

臥して寝る夢路にだにも逢はぬ身は
なほあさましき現とぞ思ふ

Roma-ji: Fushite nuru yumeji ni dani mo awanu mi wa nao asamashiki utsutsu to zo omou
English Translation: Lying down to sleep,
not even on the path of dreams
do I meet you—
and so I think it must be
wretched waking life indeed
Meaning: Lying down to sleep, I cannot meet you even on the paths of dreams, and so I think this must be, after all, a miserable waking world.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 620

Headnote: "Sent to someone."
The poet says that since he cannot meet her even on the paths of dreams when he lies down to sleep, this must be a wretched waking world after all. He voices a hopeless grief at being unable to meet his beloved not only in waking life but even in dreams.
According to the headnote, it was sent to someone.
The poet, whose name is written in the text with a variant character, is thought to be Ki no Haseo. A son of Ki no Sadanori, he studied under Sugawara no Michizane, became a Doctor of Letters, and rose to Middle Counselor. He is known as a scholar gifted in Chinese poetry and prose.

The first line, "Fushite nuru," means "lying down to sleep."
The second line, "yumeji ni dani mo," means "not even on the paths of dreams," with "dani" a particle naming the least that might be hoped for.
The third line, "awanu mi wa," means "I who cannot meet you."
The fourth line, "nao asamashiki," means "wretched after all." "Yumeji," dreams, in the second line and "utsutsu," waking life, in the last line stand as a pair.
The last line, "utsutsu to zo omou," means "I think it is waking life," with "zo" an emphatic particle closing with the attributive "omou," a kakarimusubi pattern.
Author: Ki no Haseo
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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