Namidagawa nodoka ni dani mo nagarenan koishiki hito no kage ya miyuru to - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

涙川のどかにだにも流れなん
恋しき人の影や見ゆると

Roma-ji: Namidagawa nodoka ni dani mo nagarenan koishiki hito no kage ya miyuru to
English Translation: O river of tears,
if only you would flow on
at least calm and slow,
in case the face of my love
might be mirrored there in you.
Meaning: River of tears, at least flow gently—so that the face of the one I love might be mirrored in you.
Commentary: Book Fourteen Love Poems IV 875

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
Likening ceaselessly flowing tears to a river, the poem wishes that it would at least flow calmly, so that the beloved's image might be reflected on its surface. It lays the wish to see at least the beloved's image over the wish to calm the rushing tears.
From here to 877 in this book, three poems in a row sing of the "river of tears."

First line, "namidagawa," likens endlessly flowing tears to a river. The first lines of the next poems, 876 and 877, are also "namidagawa," so that three poems stand side by side with the same opening.
Second line, "nodoka ni dani mo," means "at least gently," with "dani" expressing a minimal wish.
Third line, "nagarenan," means "I wish it would flow," with "nan" a final particle wishing something of another. The poem breaks here.
Fourth line, "koishiki hito no," means "of the one I long for."
Final line, "kage ya miyuru to," means "in case an image might appear," with "ya" interrogative. It lays a reflection on the water over the beloved's image. It shares the image reflected in water with "kage hanareyuku" in 879 and "hito no kage o mitsuran" in 881 of this book.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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