If you long for me,
Then come and see me yourself—
For it is no path
That even the mighty gods
Forbid us to follow.

Meaning

If you truly long for me, then come and see me yourself. Love is not something that even the mighty gods forbid.

Commentary

71. Though Fiercely Guarded

A certain man came to the residence of the Saigū at Ise as an imperial envoy. At the residence he spoke with a lady-in-waiting about matters of love.
The poem is the man’s reply to the lady’s poem: "Though fiercely guarded, even the sacred hedge of the gods I’d cross—such is my longing to see one who comes from the court."

Like the lady’s poem, the man’s reply expresses his feelings directly.

It may suggest that even the gods of Japanese myth themselves engage in such matters, and therefore the gods would not forbid it.

Source

Ise Monogatari

Other

Where do seaweeds grow, Where the miru may be cut? Row there with your pole— Tell me where it lies for me, O fisher boat of the sea.
Though fiercely guarded, Even the sacred hedge Of the gods I’d cross— Such is my longing to see One who comes from the court.
The pines of Ōyodo Are not cruel at heart— Yet like the returning waves, That come only to the shore And turn back in resentment.
Seen with my own eyes, Yet never held in my hands— Like the moon’s laurel That stands within the bright moon, So indeed are you to me.

If you long for me, Then come and see me yourself— For it is no path That even the mighty gods Forbid us to follow.

If you long for me,
Then come and see me yourself—
For it is no path
That even the mighty gods
Forbid us to follow.