Kurenu tote nete yuku beku mo aranaku ni tadoru tadoru mo kaeru masareri - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

暮れぬとて寝てゆくべくもあらなくに
たどるたどるも帰るまされり

Roma-ji: Kurenu tote nete yuku beku mo aranaku ni tadoru tadoru mo kaeru masareri
English Translation: Though night has fallen,
there's no chance that I may stay
and sleep here tonight—
even groping, step by step,
better to go home
Meaning: Though night has fallen, I am not to be allowed to stay the night, so it is better to go home, even if I must grope my way through the dark.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 628

Headnote: "He often went to someone's house but could rarely meet her, so he wrote this on something there."
The poet says that since night falling does not mean he may stay the night, it is better to go home even if he must grope his way in the dark. He expresses his resentment at not being received, however often he visits, with the bravado that going home is preferable.
According to the headnote, he went often to someone's house but could seldom meet her, and wrote this on something there.
The poet, Ariwara no Narihira, was a son of Prince Abo, himself a son of Emperor Heizei. He is one of the Six Poetic Immortals and one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, and his "chihayaburu kamiyo mo kikazu Tatsutagawa" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

The first line, "Kurenu tote," means "just because night has fallen."
The second line, "nete yuku beku mo," means "as though I might stay the night."
The third line, "aranaku ni," means "since that is not to be."
The fourth line, "tadoru tadoru mo," means "even groping along the dark road," the repetition conveying his halting way home.
The last line, "kaeru masareri," means "going home is better."
Author: Ariwara no Narihira
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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