Akanaku ni sode ni tsutsumeba chiru hana o ureshi to omou ni narinubeki kana - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

飽かなくに袖につつめば散る花を
うれしと思ふになりぬべきかな

Roma-ji: Akanaku ni sode ni tsutsumeba chiru hana o ureshi to omou ni narinubeki kana
English Translation: Though I've not had my fill,
when I wrap them in my sleeve,
these falling blossoms,
I think I may come to find
that I am glad they fall
Meaning: Though I have not yet had my fill of them, when I gather the falling blossoms into my sleeve, I feel I may come to be glad that they fall.
Commentary: Book Two Spring Poems II 91

Headnote: "Composed on the topic of falling blossoms"
Composed on the topic of "falling blossoms." It is a pity that blossoms one never tires of seeing should fall, yet as the poet gathers the fallen petals into his sleeve, he feels he may come to be glad that they fall. The wit lies in turning falling blossoms, normally to be mourned, into the joy of keeping them in one's sleeve.
The author, "Provisional Major Counselor Sanekuni," is Fujiwara no Sanekuni, son of Palace Minister Fujiwara no Kiminori, who rose to Provisional Major Counselor. He was also known as a master of the flute.
It draws on an anonymous poem in the Kokin Wakashū, "In what shall I wrap my joy? I wish I had told them to cut my sleeves full and wide," transferring the idea of wrapping joy in one's sleeve to falling blossoms.

First line, "akanaku ni": "though I have not had my fill." Poem 96 of this book opens with the same line, lamenting blossoms that fall before one has seen enough.
Second line, "sode ni tsutsumeba": the realized condition, "when I wrap them in my sleeve." After the preceding poem, 90, wore blossoms as a garment, this one wraps them in a sleeve.
Third line, "chiru hana o": the object of "ureshi to omou" in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "ureshi to omou ni": "to thinking it a joy." Drawing on the Kokin poem about wrapping joy, it overlays the sleeve that wraps joy with the sleeve that wraps falling blossoms.
Fifth line, "narinubeki kana": "nubeki" means "I may well come to," and "kana" is exclamatory, expressing surprise at himself for nearly rejoicing at blossoms he should mourn.
Author: Fujiwara no Sanekuni
Source: Senzai Wakashu
Prev Poem: Chirikakaru hana no nishiki wa kitaredomo kaeramu koto zo wasurarenikeru
Next Poem: Sakurabana uki mi ni kauru tameshi araba ikite chiru o ba oshimazaramashi