Mi o wakuru koto no katasa ni masukagami kage bakari o zo kimi ni soetsuru - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

身を分くることのかたさにます鏡
影ばかりをぞ君に添へつる

Roma-ji: Mi o wakuru koto no katasa ni masukagami kage bakari o zo kimi ni soetsuru
English Translation: Since it is so hard
to split myself in two,
in this clear mirror
my image is all I have
sent along to go with you
Meaning: Since I cannot split myself in two, I have sent with you only my image in this clear mirror.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1314

Headnote: "Written on the inside of a mirror box sent with travel gear to someone going to a distant province."
The poet says that because he cannot divide himself, he has sent only his image in the mirror along with the traveler. Unable to accompany one going to a far province, he expresses his frustration at not being able to split himself, and sends at least his mirrored reflection as a companion.
According to the headnote, when he sent travel gear to someone going to a distant province, he wrote this on the inside of the mirror box. Poem 1307 of this book likewise adds a mirror's reflection as companion to a traveler.
The poet, "Ōkubo no Noriyoshi," is Ōkubo no Noriyoshi, thought to have been an official of the mid-Heian period, though little is known of his life.

The first line, "Mi o wakuru," means "to divide myself."
The second line, "koto no katasa ni," means "since it is so hard."
The third line, "masukagami," means "a clear mirror," the mirror of the headnote. It is the same word as the third line of 1307 of this book.
The fourth line, "kage bakari o zo," means "my image alone," with "zo" an emphatic binding particle.
The last line, "kimi ni soetsuru," means "I have sent with you," closing the "zo" with the attributive "tsuru."
Author: Ōkubo no Noriyoshi
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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