Furusato no saho no kawamizu kyō mo nao kakute ause wa ureshikarikeri - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

故郷の佐保の川水今日もなほ
かくて逢ふ瀬はうれしかりけり

Roma-ji: Furusato no saho no kawamizu kyō mo nao kakute ause wa ureshikarikeri
English Translation: Of the ancient capital,
O waters of the Saho River,
even today still,
to find a ford where we can meet—
how glad it makes my heart
Meaning: O waters of the Saho River in the old capital—even today, to come upon such a ford where we can meet brings me such joy.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems II 1181

Headnote: "On the road to worship at Kasuga, by the Saho River, I met a women's carriage returning from Hatsuse; I caught a faint glimpse through an open blind, and it was a woman I had known, with whom I had shared deep love but parted six or seven years before because of certain obstacles, so I sent these words into her carriage."
The poet addresses the waters of the Saho River in the old capital, saying how glad he is to find, even today, a ford where they can meet. He conveys his joy at unexpectedly encountering a former lover through the shoals of the Saho River, which still flows as of old.
According to the headnote, on the road to worship at Kasuga Shrine he met a women's carriage returning from Hatsuse beside the Saho River; glimpsing through an open blind, he saw a woman he had deeply loved but parted from some six or seven years before because of obstacles, and he sent these words into her carriage.
The poet, "the Kan'in Minister of the Left," is Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu. A son of Fujiwara no Uchimaro, he rose to Minister of the Left and was so called because he lived at the Kan'in. He laid the foundation for the prosperity of the Northern House of the Fujiwara.

The first line, "Furusato no," means "of the old capital," Nara of former days.
The second line, "saho no kawamizu," means "waters of the Saho River," a river in Yamato that flows by the old capital of Nara.
The third line, "kyō mo nao," means "even today still," overlaying the river that flows as of old with unchanging love.
The fourth line, "kakute ause wa," means "a ford of meeting like this," with "se," shoal, a word related to the river and meaning a chance to meet.
The last line, "ureshikarikeri," means "how glad I am," with "keri" exclamatory.
Author: Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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