Kaku yue ni miji to iu mono o Sasanami no furuki miyako o misetsutsu motona

かく故に見じと言ふものを楽浪の
旧き都を見せつつもとな

Roma-ji: Kaku yue ni miji to iu mono o Sasanami no furuki miyako o misetsutsu motona
English Translation: Because of all this
I said I would not look—yet
at Sasanami
the old capital is shown me,
and my heart aches all for naught.
Meaning: It was for this very reason I said I would not look—yet the old capital at Sasanami is shown to me, and my heart is needlessly torn.
Commentary: Book Three Miscellaneous Poems 305

Headnote: "A poem by Takechi no Muraji Kurohito on the old capital of Ōmi"
The poem was composed on visiting the ruins of Emperor Tenji's Ōmi Ōtsu palace. He had said he would not look, knowing the sight of the ruined capital would sadden him, yet he is shown it and grieves helplessly. Grief for the fallen capital is expressed through the heart's movement of refusing to see. A left note says a certain text attributes the poem to the Junior Controller, though who this Junior Controller was is unknown.
The poet, Takechi no Kurohito, was active from the reign of Jitō to that of Monmu. Excelling in travel poems, he opened a distinctive vein of landscape poetry marked by a solitary gaze upon receding things. Little is known of his life.

First line "Because of all this" means "because it would be like this," that is, because seeing it would bring sorrow.
Second line "I said I would not look—yet": ji is negative intention and mono o concessive.
Third line "at Sasanami": Sasanami is the old name for the southwestern shore of Lake Biwa.
Fourth line "the old capital is shown me" refers to the site of Tenji's Ōmi Ōtsu palace.
Fifth line "and my heart aches all for naught": motona is an adverb meaning needlessly, ending in the lament that each glimpse disturbs his heart.
Author: Takechi no Kurohito
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Ōkimi no tō no mikado to arigayou shimato o mireba kamuyo shi omooyu
Next Poem: Ise no umi no okitsu shiranami hana ni moga tsutsumite imo ga iezuto ni semu