Tabibito no tsuyu harau beki karagoromo madaki mo sode no nurenikeru kana - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

旅人の露払ふべき唐衣
まだきも袖の濡れにけるかな

Roma-ji: Tabibito no tsuyu harau beki karagoromo madaki mo sode no nurenikeru kana
English Translation: This fine Chinese robe
meant to brush away the dew
from the traveler's way—
already, before its time,
its sleeves have been wet with tears.
Meaning: This fine robe, meant to brush away the dew of the road for the traveler, already has its sleeves wet with my tears before the journey has even begun.
Commentary: Book Six Parting Poems 326

Headnote: "On bestowing robes on Minamoto no Hirokage as he set out on a journey"
The poet says that though this robe is meant for the traveler to brush away the dew along the road, its sleeves have already been wet by her own tears before the journey has even begun. Contrasting a robe for brushing away the dew of travel with sleeves wet by the tears of the one seeing him off, the poem expresses regret at parting. According to the headnote, it was composed as she bestowed robes on Minamoto no Hirokage when he set out on a journey.
The author, called the Sanjō Grand Empress Dowager, is Princess Shōshi. A daughter of Emperor Suzaku, she became empress to Emperor Reizei and later Grand Empress Dowager. She is so called because she lived at Sanjō.

First line, "tabibito no," means "of the traveler."
Second line, "tsuyu harau beki," means "that should brush away the dew" on the grass along the road.
Third line, "karagoromo," is a fine robe, referring to the robes given. Together with 321 and the next poem, 327, it is a parting poem with a gift of fine robes.
Fourth line, "madaki mo sode no," means "already, before the time, the sleeves."
Final line, "nurenikeru kana," means "how they have become wet," with "ni" perfective, "keru" the attributive of the past auxiliary "keri," and "kana" exclamatory. In 329 of this book, one who sees a traveler off asks him at least to dry the wet sleeves before going, so the two answer each other through tear-wet sleeves.
Author: Princess Masako
Source: Shui Wakashu
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