Ika narishi fushi ni ka ito no midareken shiite kuredomo tokezu miyuru wa - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いかなりしふしにか糸の乱れけん
しひて繰れどもとけず見ゆるは

Roma-ji: Ika narishi fushi ni ka ito no midareken shiite kuredomo tokezu miyuru wa
English Translation: At what knot was it,
at what moment, that the thread
became so tangled,
that though I wind it hard as I may
it will not loosen, it seems
Meaning: At what knot, at what turn of things, did the thread become so tangled, that however hard I try to wind it, it seems it will not come loose?
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1162

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet wonders at what knot the thread became tangled, since however hard it is wound it seems not to come loose. Likening the heart of someone estranged since some moment to a tangled thread, the poet laments that, despite every effort, that heart will not open.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Ika narishi," means "what kind of."
The second line, "fushi ni ka ito no," means "at what knot the thread," with "fushi" joining a knot in thread and an occasion. "Ka" is an interrogative binding particle closed by the attributive "ken" in the third line.
The third line, "midareken," means "did it tangle," closing the "ka" of the second line. The poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "shiite kuredomo," means "though I wind it by force," a word related to thread.
The last line, "tokezu miyuru wa," means "that it seems not to loosen," with "toke" joining thread coming loose and a heart opening up. It is inverted with the third line.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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