Kimi ni yori koto no shigeki o furusato no asuka no kawa ni misogi shi ni yuku

君により言の繁きを故郷の
明日香の川にみそぎしに行く

Roma-ji: Kimi ni yori koto no shigeki o furusato no asuka no kawa ni misogi shi ni yuku
English Translation: All because of you
gossip grows so thick; and so
to my old homeland,
to the river of Asuka,
I go to purify myself
Meaning: Because of you the gossip has grown so thick that I am going to the Asuka River in the old capital to cleanse myself.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 626

Headnote: "A poem presented to the emperor by Princess Yashiro"
Princess Yashiro presented this poem to Emperor Shōmu. Because rumors about her and the emperor have grown so loud, she says, she is going to the Asuka River in her old home to purify herself. Treating gossip as a defilement to be washed away, she pleads to the emperor the pain of her love.
At the end of the original a variant is noted, "in another version the ending runs": "crossing Tatsuta, to the shore of Mitsu I go to purify myself," for the third line onward. Here the main text is followed.
The author, Princess Yashiro, is said to have enjoyed the favor of Emperor Shōmu.

First line, "All because of you," means on your account.
Second line, "gossip grows so thick; and so," means since the talk is so thick, o giving the reason.
Third line, "to my old homeland," means the old capital, referring to Asuka where the court once stood.
Fourth line, "to the river of Asuka," names the Asuka River.
Fifth line, "I go to purify myself," means I go to perform ablutions, closing on the act of washing away the defilement of rumor.
Author: Princess Yashiro
Source: Manyoshu
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