Inochi dani hakanakarazu wa toshi fu tomo aimin koto o matamashi mono o - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

命だにはかなからずは年経とも
逢ひ見むことを待たましものを

Roma-ji: Inochi dani hakanakarazu wa toshi fu tomo aimin koto o matamashi mono o
English Translation: If only my life
were not so fleeting a thing,
though the years went by,
for the day when we might meet
I would gladly wait
Meaning: If only my life were not so fleeting, I would wait for the day we meet, however many years might pass.
Commentary: Book Seven Love Poems I 380

If only life were not so fleeting, the poet would wait for the day of meeting however many years it took. Lamenting a life that may not last until they meet, the poem conveys the sorrow of a love in which even waiting cannot be counted on.
Some manuscripts name Fujiwara no Saneyoshi as the author.
Poem 403 and the closing poem, 420, in this book also join life and love.

First line, 'inochi dani', means at least my life, using the particle dani. Like the first line 'inochi o shi' of poem 403 in this book, it opens with life.
Second line, 'hakanakarazu wa', means if it were not fleeting, the negative zu with wa forming a supposition.
Third line, 'toshi fu tomo', means though the years pass, using the concessive supposition tomo.
Fourth line, 'aimin koto o', means the day we would meet.
Final line, 'matamashi mono o', means I would wait, the contrary-to-fact mashi joined to the exclamatory mono o.
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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