Kochitaku wa kamo kamo semu o iwashiro no nobe no shitakusa ware shi karite ba

言痛くはかもかもせむを岩代の
野辺の下草我れし刈りてば

Roma-ji: Kochitaku wa kamo kamo semu o iwashiro no nobe no shitakusa ware shi karite ba
English Translation: If tongues wag too much,
let come of it what may come,
if in Iwashiro
the undergrass of the fields
I myself have cut and claimed
Meaning: If tongues wag too loudly, let them—I will manage one way or another, so long as it is I who have cut the hidden grass of the fields at Iwashiro.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1343

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Grasses"
The speaker says that if he has cut the undergrass of the fields at Iwashiro, he will face any gossip, however loud. The hidden undergrass stands for a woman loved in secret and cutting it for making her his own, expressing his resolve not to fear rumor once his wish is fulfilled.
It is one of the poems on grasses. Iwashiro is a place in the province of Kii.
A variant is recorded for the third line onward, "Kurenai no utsushigokoro ya imo ni awazu aramu," meaning "with a mind as clear as crimson, could I go on without meeting my love?" The poet is unknown.

The first line, "If tongues wag too much," refers to troublesome gossip.
The second line, "let come of it what may come," means "I will do whatever must be done," and by inversion it takes up the condition in the final line.
The third line, "if in Iwashiro," names the place in Kii.
The fourth line, "the undergrass of the fields," refers to grass hidden beneath taller growth and stands for a love kept from view.
In the final line, "shi" is emphatic: "if I myself have cut it." By inversion this line leads back to the second.
Source: Manyoshu
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