Adabito no tamuke ni oreru sakurabana Ausaka made wa chirazu mo aranan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

あだ人の手向けに折れる桜花
逢坂までは散らずもあらなん

Roma-ji: Adabito no tamuke ni oreru sakurabana Ausaka made wa chirazu mo aranan
English Translation: O cherry blossoms
plucked as offering for one
whose heart may wander,
at least until Ōsaka
do not let your petals fall
Meaning: O cherry blossoms I broke off as an offering for one whose heart is apt to wander—at least until the barrier of Ōsaka, please do not scatter.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1305

Headnote: "Sent when someone she knew was going to the East, with an offering made in the shape of cherry blossoms."
The poet asks the cherry blossoms broken off as an offering for a fickle one not to scatter at least until Ōsaka. Giving a traveler bound for the East an offering shaped like cherry blossoms, she seems to overlay the easily scattered blossoms on a heart that may change once far away, and wishes it to stay unchanged at least as far as Ōsaka at the edge of the capital.
According to the headnote, when someone the poet knew well was going to the East, she made an offering in the shape of cherry blossoms and sent it with this poem. Poems on offerings to the road gods also appear in 1337 and 1338 of this book.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.

The first line, "Adabito no," means "for one whose heart may wander," apparently referring to the traveler. It echoes the easily scattered "cherry blossoms" of the third line.
The second line, "tamuke ni oreru," means "broken off as an offering," the blossom-shaped offering of the headnote.
The third line, "sakurabana," means "O cherry blossoms," addressing them.
The fourth line, "Ausaka made wa," means "until Ōsaka," the first barrier on the road from the capital to the East. It carries the sense of "au," to meet.
The last line, "chirazu mo aranan," means "do not scatter," with "nan" a particle of request.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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