Tamakuse no kiyoki kawara ni misogi shite iwau inochi wa imo ga tame koso

玉くせの清き川原にみそぎして
斎ふ命は妹がためこそ

Roma-ji: Tamakuse no kiyoki kawara ni misogi shite iwau inochi wa imo ga tame koso
English Translation: On the riverbank
of jewel-fair Kuse, pure and clear,
I cleanse myself,
and this life I guard with prayer
is only for my beloved
Meaning: On the pure riverbank of fair Kuse I purify myself, and this life I guard with prayer I keep only for the sake of my beloved.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems Ancient and Modern I 2403

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing One's Feelings Directly"
Purifying himself on a clear riverbank and praying for the safety of his own life, the speaker declares that he does so for none other than his beloved. The poem shows a single-minded wish to treasure life in order to live and meet her.
The "tama" of "Tamakuse" is a word of praise, and one view holds that "Kuse" is the place of that name in Yamashiro Province. Purification on a riverbank was a rite of cleansing oneself of defilement and praying to the gods, and the poem is distinctive in linking love to such a sacred observance. Where the preceding poems sang of the pain of love and of death, this one shows a positive resolve to protect one's life for the beloved.
The author is unknown; according to the left note, the poem comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection. That collection is thought to contain both Hitomaro's own poems and poems by others that he recorded. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a court poet active in the reigns of Empress Jito and Emperor Monmu, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "tamakuse no": "of Tamakuse." "Tama" is a word of praise, and "Kuse" is thought by some to be a place name, indicating a land where a clear river flows.
Second line, "kiyoki kawara ni": "on the pure riverbank," depicting a clean riverside fit for the rite of purification.
Third line, "misogi shite": "performing purification," the act of cleansing the body in river water to sweep away sin and defilement.
Fourth line, "iwau inochi wa": "the life I guard with prayer." "Iwau" means to avoid defilement and pray to the gods to keep oneself safe, and the particle "wa" singles out "life."
Fifth line, "imo ga tame koso": "it is for my beloved." Ending strongly with "koso" and omitting the concluding word, it shows that the reason for guarding his life lies in her.
Author: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
Source: Manyoshu
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