Ochitagitsu hashiriimizu no kiyoku areba okite wa ware wa yukikatenu kamo

落ちたぎつ走井水の清くあれば
置きては我れは行きかてぬかも

Roma-ji: Ochitagitsu hashiriimizu no kiyoku areba okite wa ware wa yukikatenu kamo
English Translation: Tumbling down in foam,
the water of the running spring
is so pure and clear
that leaving it behind me
I find I cannot go
Meaning: The water of this running spring, tumbling and foaming down, is so pure that I cannot bring myself to leave it behind and go.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1127

Headnote: "On Wells"
The water of the gushing spring is so pure that the poet cannot bring himself to leave it behind. His admiration for the clear water takes the form of reluctance to depart.
It is the first poem under the heading "On Wells." The phrase "tumbling down in foam" also appears in poem 1107 in this book, and "hashirii" (running spring) in poem 1113. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Tumbling down in foam," is the same word as the third line of poem 1107.
The second line refers to the water of a spring gushing and running; it is the same word as "hashirii" in poem 1113.
The third line, "is so pure and clear," has an extra syllable.
The fourth line means "leaving it behind, I."
In the final line, "katenu" means "cannot," a closing that echoes "I cannot pass by" in the last line of poem 1190 in this book.
Source: Manyoshu
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