Hiza ni fusu tama no ogoto no koto naku wa itaku kokodaku are koime ya mo

膝に伏す玉の小琴の事なくは
いたくここだく我れ恋ひめやも

Roma-ji: Hiza ni fusu tama no ogoto no koto naku wa itaku kokodaku are koime ya mo
English Translation: Lying on my knee,
the jewel of a little koto—
were there no such thing,
so fiercely and so deeply
would I ever pine for you?
Meaning: Like the lovely little koto that lies across my knees—were there no hindrance between us, would I long for you so fiercely, so deeply? Never.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1328

Headnote: "On the Yamato Koto"
From the sound "koto" of the lovely koto laid across the knees, the poem draws out "koto" meaning hindrance, and says that were there no hindrance the poet would not pine so fiercely. The koto cherished on the knee carries the image of a beloved, and the poem laments that it is the obstacles between them that make the longing grow.
It is the only poem under the heading "On the Yamato Koto." The Yamato koto, or wagon, is the native Japanese zither, as distinct from zithers brought from the continent. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Lying on my knee," describes a koto laid across the knees to be played.
The second line, "the jewel of a little koto," completes a preface that through the sound "koto" leads to "koto" (matter, hindrance) in the third line.
The third line, "were there no such thing," means "if there were no hindrance."
The fourth line, "so fiercely and so deeply," doubles words to stress the intensity of love.
The final line, "would I ever pine for you?" is rhetorical with "meya mo": surely not.
Source: Manyoshu
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