Amanogawa kawabe suzushiki tanabata ni ōgi no kaze o nao ya kasamashi - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

天の川川辺涼しき七夕に
扇の風を猶や貸さまし

Roma-ji: Amanogawa kawabe suzushiki tanabata ni ōgi no kaze o nao ya kasamashi
English Translation: River of Heaven,
though its banks are cool enough,
to the Tanabata stars
the breeze from this fan of mine
shall I lend them all the same?
Meaning: Though the banks of the River of Heaven are cool, shall I lend the Tanabata stars the breeze of this fan all the same?
Commentary: Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1088

Headnote: "On the twenty-first day of the fifth month of Tenroku 4, Emperor En'yū went to the First-Rank Princess and played a game of ranko; as the forfeit for the loss, on the seventh day of the seventh month, fans were presented from the princess to the ladies' hall of the palace, and this was woven into the gauze pasted on them"
The poet wonders whether, though the banks of the River of Heaven are cool, she should lend the Tanabata stars the breeze of a fan as well. The headnote shows that on the twenty-first day of the fifth month of Tenroku 4 (973), Emperor En'yū visited the First-Rank Princess and played a game of ranko, and that as the forfeit for that contest, fans were presented on the seventh day of the seventh month from the princess to the ladies' hall of the palace; this poem was woven into the gauze pasted on those fans. Playing on the fans given on the day of Tanabata, it amuses itself by offering their breeze to the two stars.
The next poem, 1089, belongs to the same occasion, and the two poems together sing of the breeze of a fan.
The author is Nakatsukasa, the daughter of Prince Atsuyoshi, son of Emperor Uda, and the poet Ise, famed as a poet like her mother. She is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "Amanogawa," is the River of Heaven that parts the Herdsman and the Weaver. It is the same word as the first line of the next poem, 1089, and also echoes the third line of 1086 in this book, "Amanogawa."
Second line, "kawabe suzushiki," means "its banks are cool."
Third line, "tanabata ni," means "to the Tanabata stars."
Fourth line, "ōgi no kaze o," means "the breeze of a fan," in keeping with the fans presented. It shares the same words with the second line of the next poem, 1089, "ōgi no kaze ni."
Final line, "nao ya kasamashi," means "shall I lend it all the same," with "ya" a questioning binding particle resolved by the attributive form of "mashi," an auxiliary of hesitant intention. The expression of lending something at Tanabata is also seen in the second line of 1087 in this book, "waga kasu ito wa," and the final line of 1091, "koromo kasu yo wa."
Author: Nakatsukasa
Source: Shui Wakashu
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