Omoitae wabinishi mono o nakanaka ni nani ka kurushiku aimisomekemu

思ひ絶えわびにしものを中々に
何か苦しく相見そめけむ

Roma-ji: Omoitae wabinishi mono o nakanaka ni nani ka kurushiku aimisomekemu
English Translation: I had given up,
sunk in sorrow and resigned;
why then, after all,
did we start to meet again,
only for such pain as this
Meaning: I had given up hope and sunk in sorrow; why, then, did we begin to meet again, only to bring such pain?
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 750

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Fifteen more poems sent by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi to the Elder Daughter of Sakanoue"
He had cut off his longing and given up, so why did they start meeting again, only to suffer? he regrets, looking back on a love renewed after years of silence. Like poem 612, it has the phrase aimisomekemu, "did we begin to meet."
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, "I had given up," means cutting off my feelings.
Second line, "sunk in sorrow and resigned," uses the concessive mono o: though I had been disheartened.
Third line, "why then, after all," means rather, contrary to all.
Fourth line, "did we start to meet again," uses the questioning ka: why so painfully?
Fifth line, "only for such pain as this," is the same as the fourth line of poem 612: did we begin to meet?
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Ime ni dani mieba koso arame kaku bakari miezu shi aru wa koite shine to ka
Next Poem: Aimite wa ikka mo henu o kokodaku mo kurui ni kurui omōyuru kamo