classic waka stream

Had I but heard that you,
In hardship, gathered fallen ears,
In weary distress,
I too upon the rice field
Would have gone to join you there.

Meaning
Had I heard that you had fallen into hardship and were gathering fallen ears of rice, I too would have gone out to the fields to join you.
Commentary
58. How Desolate It Has Become

A considerate and amorous man built a house and lived in the former capital, Nagaoka.
Beside it was a residence of a prince, where several fairly attractive women had come. Since it was on the outskirts of the capital and felt like the countryside, the man was preparing to reap the rice in his field. Seeing this, the women said, "What an elegant task for such a refined man," and gathered, entering his house. The man fled to the inner rooms and hid.

When the women gathered and sat down near the prince’s residence, the man composed, "Overgrown with mugwort, in this desolate dwelling, what makes it fearful is that, even for a time, demons come swarming here," and presented it to them. The women replied, "If you are to reap the rice, we shall gather the fallen ears."
This poem was composed by the man in response to their words. It implies that he is not in such hardship as to need to gather fallen ears, and therefore would not go to assist them.
Though wearied by the bold women, the man does not treat them harshly; instead, by calling them beautiful demons, he flatters them and gently keeps them at a distance. It may be an exchange possible only for a considerate and amorous man.
Source
Ise Monogatari
Other