Ima tsukuru kuni no miyako ni aki no yo no nagaki ni hitori nuru ga kurushisa

今造る久迩の都に秋の夜の
長きにひとり寝るが苦しさ

Roma-ji: Ima tsukuru kuni no miyako ni aki no yo no nagaki ni hitori nuru ga kurushisa
English Translation: Being built right now,
in the capital of Kuni,
through the autumn night,
through its length, all alone,
how painful it is to sleep
Meaning: Here in the new capital of Kuni, still being built, how painful it is to sleep alone through the long autumn nights.
Commentary: Book Eight Autumn Love Poems 1631

Headnote: "A poem sent by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi to Lady Abe"
In the new capital of Kuni, still under construction, the poet says it is painful to sleep alone through the long autumn nights. With the capital moved from Nara to Kuni, the poet, serving at the new capital, pleads the loneliness of nights spent apart from someone dear.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was a son of Ōtomo no Tabito and an official of the Nara period. He rose to the post of Middle Counselor, is thought to have been closely involved in compiling the Man'yōshū, and left more poems than anyone else in the anthology. The recipient, Lady Abe, was a woman who exchanged poems with Yakamochi; little is known of her.

The first line, "being built now," shows that it is a new capital.
The second line names the Kuni capital that Emperor Shōmu established in Yamashiro Province.
The third line means "of the autumn night."
The fourth line means "through its length, alone."
The final line ends on a noun, placing the pain of sleeping alone at the end and leaving it to linger.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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