Wakaretsuru hodo mo henaku ni shiranami no tachikaerite mo mimaku hoshiki ka - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

別れつるほども経なくに白波の
立ち帰りても見まくほしきか

Roma-ji: Wakaretsuru hodo mo henaku ni shiranami no tachikaerite mo mimaku hoshiki ka
English Translation: Though hardly any time
has passed since we parted,
like the white waves
I would turn back once again,
so much do I long to see you
Meaning: Though scarcely any time has passed since we parted, I long to see you so much that, like white waves surging back, I would turn around and return.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems III 730

Headnote: "On returning at dawn from a lover's house."
The poet says that though little time has passed since parting, he longs to turn back like the white waves and see her again. He likens his longing, so strong he wants to return as soon as he has come home at dawn, to waves that break and surge back.
According to the headnote, the poem was composed on coming home at dawn from a lover's house. It shares the headnote of the preceding poem, 729, as well as its theme of longing so soon after parting.
The poet, listed as "Tsurayuki," was Ki no Tsurayuki. One of the compilers of the Kokin Wakashū, he served as Governor of Tosa among other posts. He is also known as the author of the Tosa Diary and is one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.

The first line, "Wakaretsuru," means "since we parted."
The second line, "hodo mo henaku ni," means "though no time has passed," like "hiruma bakari ni" in the last line of the preceding poem, referring to the brief time since parting.
The third line, "shiranami no," serves as a preface leading into "tachikaeri" in the fourth line, since white waves break and return.
The fourth line, "tachikaerite mo," means "even turning back," with "tachi" echoing waves rising.
The last line, "mimaku hoshiki ka," means "how I long to see you," with "maku hoshi" expressing desire and "ka" an exclamation.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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