Watarite wa ada ni naru chō somekawa no kokorozukushi ni nari mo koso sure - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

渡りてはあだになるてふ染河の
心づくしになりもこそすれ

Roma-ji: Watarite wa ada ni naru chō somekawa no kokorozukushi ni nari mo koso sure
English Translation: Once it has been crossed,
they say, the heart turns fickle—
the Somegawa,
like far Tsukushi, will bring
only worry, so I fear
Meaning: They say that once the Somegawa is crossed, the heart grows fickle; I fear it will bring me only the worry that its name of Tsukushi promises.
Commentary: Book Fourteen Love Poems VI 1047

Headnote: "Reply."
The reply fears that since crossing the Somegawa is said to make the heart fickle, it will bring only anxious worry. Taking up Tsukushi, the Somegawa and the crossing of the preceding poem, she fears that his heart will wander the moment their love is fulfilled, leaving her to fret.
According to the headnote, it is the woman's reply to the preceding poem, 1046. Where he said that crossing would make his love swell, she reads it the opposite way, that crossing makes the heart fickle, and turns his words back.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Watarite wa," means "once it is crossed," taking up "watarinaba" in the third line of the preceding poem.
The second line, "ada ni naru chō," means "they say it turns fickle," with "ada" meaning inconstant and insincere.
The third line, "somekawa no," means "of the Somegawa" in Chikuzen, taking up the second line of the preceding poem; being dyed suggests a change of heart.
The fourth line, "kokorozukushi ni," means "into worry," with "zukushi" joining the place name Tsukushi and "kokorozukushi," anxious fretting, taking up "tsukushi naru" in the first line of the preceding poem.
The last line, "nari mo koso sure," means "it may well become so," with "mo koso" expressing fear of an ill outcome, closed by the perfective "sure."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Tsukushi naru omoisomegawa watarinaba mizu ya masaran yodomu toki naku
Next Poem: Hanazakari sugushishi hito wa tsurakeredo koto no ha o sae kakushi ya wa sen