Ōigawa kudasu ikada no minaresao minarenu hito mo koishikarikeri - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

大井川下す筏の水馴れ棹
見馴れぬ人も恋しかりけり

Roma-ji: Ōigawa kudasu ikada no minaresao minarenu hito mo koishikarikeri
English Translation: Down the Ōi River
the rafts are poled along
with poles worn to the stream;
one I am not used to seeing,
how I long for her as well!
Meaning: Like the well-worn pole of a raft sent down the Ōi River, worn to the water, so too one I am not yet used to seeing is someone I long for.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 639

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that, unlike the pole of a raft sent down the Ōi River, worn to the water, even one the poet is not used to seeing is someone he longs for. The upper verse is a preface leading to "minarenu" of the same sound, and by contrast with the raftsman's well-worn pole it expresses longing for one not yet close. Following the anchor rope of the small boat in the preceding poem, 638, it uses a raft going downriver as its preface.

First line, "Ōigawa," is the Ōi River flowing near Arashiyama in Yamashiro Province, down which timber was floated by raft from Tanba.
Second line, "kudasu ikada no," means "of the raft sent downstream." It shares with the second line of the preceding poem, 638, "ama no obune no," the image of a craft on the water.
Third line, "minaresao," means "a pole worn to the water," and up to here the lines form a preface leading to "minare" of the same sound.
Fourth line, "minarenu hito mo," means "even one I am not used to seeing," repeating the sound of "minare" in the third line.
Final line, "koishikarikeri," means "is someone I long for," with "keri" expressing a sigh of realization.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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