Koto kiyoku ita mo na ii so hitohi dani kimi i shi naku wa aekataki kamo

言清くいたもな言ひそ一日だに
君いしなくはあへかたきかも

Roma-ji: Koto kiyoku ita mo na ii so hitohi dani kimi i shi naku wa aekataki kamo
English Translation: With such clear-cut words,
do not speak so hard to me;
even for one day,
if it be without you, love,
it is more than I can bear
Meaning: Please do not speak to me in such clean, decisive words; even a single day without you is more than I can bear.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 537

Headnote: "Six poems sent by Princess Takata to Prince Imaki"
This is the first of six poems Princess Takata sent to Prince Imaki. To a partner who speaks of parting in such clean-cut terms, she pleads with him not to speak so harshly, for even one day without him is more than she can bear. The coldness of his words is set against the depth of her feeling.
The author, Princess Takata, is thought to be a daughter of Prince Takayasu. The recipient, Prince Imaki, was the son of Ōtomo no Iratsume and was later granted the surname Ōhara no Mahito.

First line, "With such clear-cut words," means with words that are neat and decisive, referring to the way he speaks.
Second line, "do not speak so hard to me," uses ita mo, "so severely," with the prohibitive na ... so: please do not say it so harshly. The poem breaks after this line.
Third line, "even for one day," uses dani, "even": for as little as a single day.
Fourth line, "if it be without you, love," strengthens "you" with both i and shi: if you were not here.
Fifth line, "it is more than I can bear," uses aekatashi, "hard to endure," with the exclamatory kamo.
Author: Princess Takata
Source: Manyoshu
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