Amanogawa kaesa no fune ni nami kakeyo nori wazurawaba hodo mo fu bakari - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

天の川帰さの舟に波かけよ
乗りわづらはば程も経ばかり

Roma-ji: Amanogawa kaesa no fune ni nami kakeyo nori wazurawaba hodo mo fu bakari
English Translation: River of Heaven,
on the boat that goes back home
cast your waves, I pray,
so that if they cannot board
a little time may still pass
Meaning: River of Heaven, splash your waves on the boat that carries him home, so that if he struggles to board, at least a little more time may pass.
Commentary: Book Three Autumn Poems 166

The poet calls on the River of Heaven to splash the Herdsman's homeward boat with waves, making it hard to board, so that the moment of parting might be delayed a little. The two stars' wish to put off their parting is expressed as a plea to the river.
Like poem 162 in this book and the next poem, 167, it sings of the homeward way across the River of Heaven.
From poem 158 through poem 167 in this book come poems on Tanabata, singing of the yearly meeting of the Herdsman and the Weaver Maid, the custom of lending robes to the Weaver, and the tears of parting at dawn.

First line, 'amanogawa', is the one addressed.
Second line, 'kaesa no fune ni', means on the homeward boat, the same words as 'the boat going home' in poem 162 in this book.
Third line, 'nami kakeyo', is the command 'splash your waves'. The poem breaks after the third line.
Fourth line, 'nori wazurawaba', means if he struggles to board, ba after the irrealis form giving a supposition.
Final line, 'hodo mo fu bakari', means so that some time may pass, cherishing even the brief time left before parting.
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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