Omoigusa hasue ni musubu shiratsuyu no tamatama kite wa te ni mo kakarazu - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

思ひ草葉末に結ぶ白露の
たまたま来ては手にもかからず

Roma-ji: Omoigusa hasue ni musubu shiratsuyu no tamatama kite wa te ni mo kakarazu
English Translation: Like the white dew drops
beading on the tips of leaves
of the longing-grass,
now and then you come to me,
but I can never hold you
Meaning: Like the beads of white dew that form on the tips of the longing-grass, you come only now and then, and I can never keep you in my hand.
Commentary: Book Seven Love Poems I 416

As drops of white dew on the tips of the longing-grass vanish before they can be taken in hand, the beloved comes only now and then and leaves at once, and cannot be held. With tamatama echoing tama, a drop of dew, the poem laments fleeting meetings.
Some manuscripts give the headnote 'When people composed ten love poems at the house of Provisional Middle Counselor Lord Toshitada, on coming suddenly and not staying.' It would then be a poem on that topic from a gathering at the house of Fujiwara no Toshitada.
Poem 408 in this book likewise sings of rare visits through drops of dew, with 'tamasaka ni tou', forming a pair with this poem.
The author, Toshiyori, is Minamoto no Toshiyori. A son of the Major Counselor Minamoto no Tsunenobu, he compiled this anthology at the command of Retired Emperor Shirakawa.

First line, 'omoigusa', is the name of a wild plant, echoing the thoughts of love.
Second line, 'hasue ni musubu', means forming on the tips of the leaves, as dew beads into drops.
Third line, 'shiratsuyu no', means of the white dew, and from tama, a drop of dew, it leads into tamatama in the fourth line. The first three lines form a preface. Dew also appears in poems 385, 408 and 420 in this book.
Fourth line, 'tamatama kite wa', means coming now and then, tama echoing a drop of dew. It answers 'tamasaka ni tou' in poem 408 in this book.
Final line, 'te ni mo kakarazu', means it does not stay in my hand, layering dew that vanishes before it can be held over a visitor who cannot be kept.
Author: Minamoto no Toshiyori
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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