Ika ni shite suginishi kata o sugushiken kurashi wazurau kinō kyō kana - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いかにして過ぎにし方を過ぐしけん
暮らしわづらふ昨日今日かな

Roma-ji: Ika ni shite suginishi kata o sugushiken kurashi wazurau kinō kyō kana
English Translation: How was it, I wonder,
that I passed the days gone by
before you were here?
How hard it is to pass the hours
of yesterday and of today
Meaning: How did I ever pass the days that have gone by? These days, yesterday and today, I hardly know how to get through without you.
Commentary: Book Sixteen Miscellaneous Poems I 966

Headnote: "Sent from the Empress's court when, around the third month, soon after Sei Shōnagon had first come to serve the Empress in the reign of Emperor Ichijō, she had gone home for two or three days"
In the reign of Emperor Ichijō, soon after Sei Shōnagon first entered the service of Empress Teishi, she went home for two or three days around the third month, and this poem was sent to her from the Empress. How did I pass the days gone by? Yesterday and today I hardly know how to get through, she says. Saying she can scarcely pass the day when the newly arrived Sei Shōnagon is away only briefly, Teishi as mistress shows her deep affection.
The author, the "Empress Teishi," was the daughter of Regent Fujiwara no Michitaka. She became the consort of Emperor Ichijō and later his empress. She is portrayed in The Pillow Book as the mistress whom Sei Shōnagon served.
The next poem, 967, is Sei Shōnagon's reply, so that the two poems of an exchange between mistress and servant stand side by side. And following 961 of this book, poems concerning Teishi and Sei Shōnagon, who served at her court, are placed here once again.

First line, "ika ni shite": "in what way," which answers "ken" in the third line to form a question.
Second line, "suginishi kata o": "suginishi kata" means time gone by, the days until now, the days before Sei Shōnagon came to serve.
Third line, "sugushiken": "ken" is the past conjectural auxiliary "kemu," "how did I pass them?" The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "kurashi wazurau": "hardly able to pass the day." It answers "kurashi kanekeru" in the second line of the next poem, 967.
Fifth line, "kinō kyō kana": "kana" is exclamatory, "these days, yesterday and today," while Sei Shōnagon is away at home.
Author: Fujiwara no Teishi
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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