Arasoeba kami mo nikumasu yoshieyashi yosouru kimi ga nikuku aranaku ni

争へば神も憎ますよしゑやし
よそふる君が憎くあらなくに

Roma-ji: Arasoeba kami mo nikumasu yoshieyashi yosouru kimi ga nikuku aranaku ni
English Translation: Should I deny it,
even the gods would be displeased;
so be it, then:
you to whom my name is linked
are not hateful to me
Meaning: If I were to deny it, even the gods would frown upon me. So be it, then; you, with whom rumor links me, are not someone I find hateful.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems Ancient and Modern I 2659

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Expressing Feelings through Things"
If she tried to deny the rumors about them, even the gods would be displeased, so let it be: the man whose name is linked with hers is not hateful to her. This poem shows a heart that accepts the rumor, revealing a hidden fondness in its reluctance to deny it.
Continuing from the preceding poems, this too speaks through the gods. Against the belief that the gods hate those who deny the truth in dispute, it depicts the mind turning to accept rather than refute the rumor. Some read it as a woman's poem.
The author is unknown. The anonymous poems of Book Eleven gather the love poems of people whose names have not come down to us.

First line, "arasoeba": "if I dispute it," referring to denying the rumor.
Second line, "kami mo nikumasu": "even the gods would hate it." "Masu" adds respect, and the poem breaks here.
Third line, "yoshieyashi": "so be it, no matter," a word of resolution. The poem breaks again here as the mood turns.
Fourth line, "yosouru kimi ga": "you whom rumor ties to me." "Yosou" means to speak of two people as linked.
Fifth line, "nikuku aranaku ni": "though you are not hateful." "Naku ni" is the nominalized negative "zu" plus "ni," trailing off with deep feeling.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Amakumo no yaekumogakuri naru kami no oto nomi ni ya mo kikiwatarinamu
Next Poem: Yo narabete kimi o kimase to chihayaburu kami no yashiro o nomanu hi wa nashi