Hetsuru yori usuku narinishi shizuhata no ito wa taete mo kai ya nakaran - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

へつるより薄くなりにし賤機の
糸は絶えてもかひやなからん

Roma-ji: Hetsuru yori usuku narinishi shizuhata no ito wa taete mo kai ya nakaran
English Translation: Since that stretch of time
it has worn thin, and the thread
of the shizu loom,
though it should snap at last,
what would that matter now
Meaning: The thread of the shizu loom has worn thin ever since that time was stretched out; even if it snaps now, what difference could it make?
Commentary: Book Fourteen Love Poems VI 1000

Headnote: "Reply."
The reply says that the thread of the shizu loom has worn thin ever since time began to pass, so even if it snaps there is no point to it. Taking up the loom, the warp and the snapping from the preceding poem, she answers coolly that their bond had long since worn thin, so there is no sense now in asking whether it has broken.
According to the headnote, it is a reply to the preceding poem, 999. Where he excused himself with "hetsuru hodo nari," it is only time that has passed, she turns it round with "hetsuru yori usuku narinishi," in that time the heart too has worn thin.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Hetsuru yori," means "ever since time passed," taking up "hetsuru hodo nari" in the second line of the preceding poem, with "he" joining the stretching of warp and the passing of time.
The second line, "usuku narinishi," means "which has grown thin," overlaying the thinness of the cloth with a heart grown thin.
The third line, "shizuhata no," means "of the shizu loom," taking up the first line of the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "ito wa taete mo," means "even if the thread snaps," taking up "taenuru mi to wa" in the fourth line of the preceding poem.
The last line, "kai ya nakaran," means "would there be any point," with "ya" an interrogative binding particle closed by the attributive "ran."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Shizuhata ni hetsuru hodo nari shiraito no taenuru mi to wa omowazaranan
Next Poem: Kuru koto wa tsune narazu tomo tamakazura tanomi wa taeji to omou kokoro ari