Naniwae no ashi no wakane no shigekereba kokoro mo yukanu funade o zo suru - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

難波江の葦の若根の繁ければ
心もゆかぬ船出をぞする

Roma-ji: Naniwae no ashi no wakane no shigekereba kokoro mo yukanu funade o zo suru
English Translation: In Naniwa Bay
the young roots of the reeds
grow so thick and dense,
with a heart that cannot clear
I set out upon my voyage
Meaning: The young roots of the reeds grow so thick in Naniwa Bay that I set out on a voyage that will not go forward, my heart unable to clear.
Commentary: Book Ten Miscellaneous Poems II 607

In Naniwa Bay the young roots of the reeds grow so thick that the boat will not go forward, and the poet sets out with a heavy heart. In the dense reeds blocking the boat, he overlays the feeling of a departure made with lingering regret.
Naniwa Bay, a famous place in Settsu, has long been sung of for its reeds, and this poem too captures the scene of an inlet thick with reeds.

First line, 'Naniwae no', means of Naniwa Bay, a famous place known for its reeds.
Second line, 'ashi no wakane no', means the young roots of the reeds.
Third line, 'shigekereba', means since they grow thick, the realis of shigeshi followed by ba expressing a settled reason.
Fourth line, 'kokoro mo yukanu', means with a heart that will not clear, joining yukanu, the boat not moving forward, with kokoro yukanu, the heart not being eased.
Final line, 'funade o zo suru', means I set out on a voyage, the particle zo answered by the attributive suru.
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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