Koto nomi o nochi mo awamu to nemokoro ni ware o tanomete awazaramu kamo

言のみを後も逢はむとねもころに
我れを頼めて逢はざらむかも

Roma-ji: Koto nomi o nochi mo awamu to nemokoro ni ware o tanomete awazaramu kamo
English Translation: Only with your words,
"later we shall meet," you said,
tenderly and warm,
making me rely on you;
will you then not meet me after all
Meaning: With words alone you have tenderly promised we shall meet later and made me trust you; will you not meet me after all?
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 740

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two more poems by Yakamochi in reply to the Elder Daughter of Sakanoue"
Having tenderly promised with words alone that they will meet later and made him trust her, will she not meet him after all? he chides. After naming Mount Nochise himself in the preceding poem, he now turns to doubt her words, showing the give and take of courtship.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of Ōtomo no Tabito and a poet thought to have been deeply involved in compiling the Man'yōshū. He later rose to the rank of Middle Counselor.

First line, "Only with your words," means with words alone.
Second line, "'later we shall meet,' you said," takes up the last line of poem 737.
Third line, "tenderly and warm," means earnestly, with care.
Fourth line, "making me rely on you," uses tanomu in its lower bigrade sense: making me trust you.
Fifth line, "will you then not meet me after all," uses kamo, doubt mixed with feeling.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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