Toshi o hete aimiru hito no wakare ni wa oshiki mono koso inochi narikere - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

年を経てあひ見る人の別れには
惜しきものこそ命なりけれ

Roma-ji: Toshi o hete aimiru hito no wakare ni wa oshiki mono koso inochi narikere
English Translation: Parting from someone
I have met with through long years,
I find, at the last,
the thing that I hold most dear
is the life that lets us meet again
Meaning: At parting from one I have known through many years, I find that what I hold most precious is life itself—so that we may meet again.
Commentary: Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1332

Headnote: "Sent to Kiyoiko no Myōbu when he was going to Tsukushi."
The poet says that at parting from one he has met with through long years, what he finds most precious is life. About to leave for Tsukushi, he realizes anew how dear life is, wishing to live long enough to meet again the one he has known so long.
According to the headnote, he sent this to Kiyoiko no Myōbu when he was leaving for Tsukushi.
The poet, Ono no Yoshifuru, given in the text as "Lord Ono no Yoshifuru," was a grandson of Ono no Takamura; he served as pursuit commander in the rebellion of Fujiwara no Sumitomo, and after serving as Senior Assistant Governor-General of Dazaifu rose to Consultant. He was the elder brother of the calligrapher Ono no Michikaze.

The first line, "Toshi o hete," means "through long years."
The second line, "aimiru hito no," means "of one I have met with."
The third line, "wakare ni wa," means "at the parting."
The fourth line, "oshiki mono koso," means "what is precious," with "koso" an emphatic binding particle.
The last line, "inochi narikere," means "is life, I find," closing the "koso" with the realis "kere," "keri" expressing realization.
Author: Ono no Yoshifuru
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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