Chigiri arite haru no yo fukaki tamakura o ikaga kainaki yume ni nasu beki - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

契りありて春の夜深き手枕を
いかがかひなき夢になすべき

Roma-ji: Chigiri arite haru no yo fukaki tamakura o ikaga kainaki yume ni nasu beki
English Translation: Since a bond exists,
this arm pillow, offered deep
in a night of spring,
how could I let it become
only a dream without avail?
Meaning: There is a bond between us from a former life; how could I let this arm, offered as a pillow deep in a spring night, turn into a dream without meaning?
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 965

Headnote: "Composed as a reply, since she had spoken this out"
Since Suō no Naishi had spoken the preceding poem, 964, from behind the blinds, this poem was composed in reply. There is a bond between us; how could I let this arm-pillow, offered deep in a spring night, become a dream without avail, he asks. Taking up "spring night," "arm pillow" and "to no purpose" from her poem just as they are, he retorts that he will not let it be in vain, pushing the jest further toward an invitation to love.
The author, "Major Counselor Tadaie," is Fujiwara no Tadaie. A son of Fujiwara no Nagaie and a grandson of Fujiwara no Michinaga, he rose to major counselor. He was the grandfather of Fujiwara no Shunzei.
This poem forms an exchange with the preceding poem, 964, answering its words one by one.

First line, "chigiri arite": "chigiri" means a bond from a former life, "since there is a bond."
Second line, "haru no yo fukaki": "deep in a spring night." It takes up "haru no yo no" in the first line of the preceding poem, 964.
Third line, "tamakura o": taking up "tamakura ni" in the third line of the preceding poem, it refers to his own outstretched arm.
Fourth line, "ikaga kainaki": "ikaga" is rhetorical, and "kainaki," without avail, is a pivot word that also contains "kaina," arm. It takes up "kainaku tatan" in the fourth line of the preceding poem.
Fifth line, "yume ni nasu beki": "beki" is the attributive of "beshi," expressing what is fitting, and with "ikaga" it means "how could I make it a dream? I will not."
Author: Fujiwara no Tadaie
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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