Tamakushige futatose awanu kimi ga mi o akenagara ya wa aramu to omoishi - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

玉くしげふたとせ逢はぬ君がみを
あけながらやはあらむと思ひし

Roma-ji: Tamakushige futatose awanu kimi ga mi o akenagara ya wa aramu to omoishi
English Translation: Like a jeweled comb box—
two years we've not met, and you,
the box itself,
should stay in crimson, opened?
I never thought it so
Meaning: For two years, like the lid of a jeweled comb box, we have not met—did I ever think that you would remain still in the crimson robe of the fifth rank? Never.
Commentary: Book Fifteen Miscellaneous Poems I 1123

Headnote: "In the second year after Lord Ono no Yoshifuru went as envoy to subdue the western provinces, he should surely have been raised to the fourth rank, but it did not happen; he wrote complaining of his vexation at having been assigned such a duty, and this was written on the back of the reply to his letter."
The poet says he never thought that his friend, unseen for two years, would remain in the crimson of the fifth rank. Linking "futa," "mi" and "ake" as words related to the jeweled comb box, he sympathizes with Yoshifuru's misfortune in failing to reach the fourth rank despite his services.
According to the headnote, in the second year after Ono no Yoshifuru went west as an envoy to subdue rebels, he should certainly have been raised to the fourth rank but was not, and he wrote complaining of his resentment at being sent on such a duty; this poem was written on the back of the reply. Yoshifuru had gone west to put down the rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo. His reply follows in the next poem, forming an exchange.
The poet, Minamoto no Kintada, was a grandson of Emperor Kōkō and rose to Major Controller of the Right. One of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, he was also versed in blending incense and in falconry.

The first line, "Tamakushige," is a beautiful box for combs and a pillow word for "futa," lid.
The second line, "futatose awanu," means "not meeting for two years," with "futa" joining the lid of the box and "two."
The third line, "kimi ga mi o," means "you yourself," with "mi" joining the body of the box and Yoshifuru's own self.
The fourth line, "akenagara ya wa," means "still in crimson," with "ake" joining the opening of the box and the crimson of the fifth-rank robe. "Ya wa" is rhetorical. "Ake" as the color of rank also appears in 1116 of this book, and the first line of the next poem takes it up.
The last line, "aramu to omoishi," means "did I think you would remain," closing the "ya wa" of the fourth line with the attributive "shi," meaning he never imagined it.
Author: Minamoto no Kintada
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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