Wabiwataru waga mi wa tsuyu o onajiku wa kimi ga kakine no kusa ni kienan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

わびわたる我が身は露を同じくは
君が垣根の草に消えなん

Roma-ji: Wabiwataru waga mi wa tsuyu o onajiku wa kimi ga kakine no kusa ni kienan
English Translation: This self of mine,
grieving on, is but the dew—
if it is all the same,
let me fade on the grasses
that grow along your fence
Meaning: I, who go on grieving, am no more than the dew; if it must be so, let me vanish on the grasses by your fence.
Commentary: Book Ten Love Poems II 649

Headnote: "He went near the house of a woman he loved and sent these words inside."
The poet says that since his grieving self is as fleeting as dew, he would rather vanish on the grass by her fence. If he must fade, he would at least end near his beloved, he pleads with single-minded devotion.
According to the headnote, he went near the house of a woman he loved and sent these words in from outside.
The poet, called "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. He was one of the compilers of the Kokin Wakashū and served as Governor of Tosa, among other posts. Known also as the author of the Tosa Diary, he is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.

The first line, "Wabiwataru," means "grieving on and on."
The second line, "waga mi wa tsuyu o," means "since I am as fleeting as dew."
The third line, "onajiku wa," means "if it is all the same."
The fourth line, "kimi ga kakine no," means "of your fence."
The last line, "kusa ni kienan," means "let me vanish on the grass," with "nan" expressing firm intention. "Kiyu" is an associated word with dew.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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