Ika nareba todaesomekemu ama no gawa ause ni watasu kasasagi no hashi - Shika Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いかなれば途絶えそめけむ天の川
逢ふ瀬に渡すかささぎの橋

Roma-ji: Ika nareba todaesomekemu ama no gawa ause ni watasu kasasagi no hashi
English Translation: For what reason
did it first begin to break,
over the River of Heaven,
the bridge laid for their meeting,
the bridge of magpies' wings?
Meaning: For what reason did it first begin to break off, that bridge of magpies laid across the River of Heaven for the lovers' meeting?
Commentary: Book Three Autumn Poems 87

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The author is listed here as an unnumbered poet, but the Shikashu attributes the poem to Kaga no Saemon. Based on the legend that on Tanabata night magpies link their wings to bridge the River of Heaven, the poet wonders why the bridge is laid only once a year.
The lament of the two stars who meet only one night a year is posed as a question about the broken bridge, full of regret at how rare their meetings are.

The first line, "ika nareba," asks "for what reason," answered by kemu in the second line.
The second line, "todaesomekemu," conjectures "did it begin to break off?" The poem pauses here, and the subject follows in inverted order.
The third line, "ama no gawa," is the River of Heaven of the Tanabata legend, which separates the two stars.
The fourth line, "ause ni watasu," means "laid across the shallows for meeting," with ause joining the river shallows and the chance to meet.
The last line, "kasasagi no hashi," ends on a noun, naming the legendary bridge of magpies laid on Tanabata night.
Source: Shika Wakashu
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