Amakumo ni chikaku hikarite naru kami no mireba kashikoshi mineba kanashi mo

天雲に近く光りて鳴る神の
見れば畏し見ねば悲しも

Roma-ji: Amakumo ni chikaku hikarite naru kami no mireba kashikoshi mineba kanashi mo
English Translation: Close to heaven's clouds
flashing bright and crashing loud,
like the thunder god—
when I see you, I am awed,
when I see you not, I grieve
Meaning: Like the thunder that flashes and roars close to the clouds of heaven—when I see you I am filled with awe, and when I do not, I am filled with sorrow.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1369

Headnote: "On Thunder"
The poet says that, like thunder flashing and roaring near the clouds of heaven, the beloved fills him with awe when seen and with sorrow when not. A person of high rank is likened to thunder, and the poem shows a heart torn between awe at approaching and pain at staying away.
It is the only poem under the heading "On Thunder." The fourth and final lines form a parallel pair, "when I see" and "when I see not," vividly setting out the conflicting feelings. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Close to heaven's clouds," gives the setting.
The second line, "flashing bright and crashing loud," describes the lightning.
The third line, "like the thunder god," completes the preface that leads to "awed" in the fourth line.
The fourth line, "when I see you, I am awed," forms a parallel with the final line.
The final line, "when I see you not, I grieve," ends with the exclamatory "mo."
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Iwakura no ono yu akizu ni tachiwataru kumo ni shi mo are ya toki o shi matamu
Next Poem: Hanahada mo furanu ame yue niwatazumi itaku na yuki so hito no shirubeku