Nakanaka ni shinaba yasukemu kimi ga me o mizu hisa naraba sube nakarubeshi

なかなかに死なば安けむ君が目を
見ず久ならばすべなかるべし

Roma-ji: Nakanaka ni shinaba yasukemu kimi ga me o mizu hisa naraba sube nakarubeshi
English Translation: Rather than this pain
it would be easier to die;
if I do not see
your eyes for a long time more,
I shall not know what to do
Meaning: It would be easier just to die; if I go much longer without seeing you, I will be at my wits' end.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 3934

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Twelve poems sent by Lady Heguri to Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi, Governor of Etchū"
Better simply to die, for if she cannot see him for long she will not bear it—a poem pleading love's agony in extreme terms. This is one of twelve poems that Lady Heguri entrusted to messengers from time to time and sent to Yakamochi, who had left the capital as Governor of Etchū. In contrast to the will to live on in the preceding poem, it frankly pours out the growing pain of separation.
The poet, Lady Heguri, was a woman of the Heguri clan whose life is otherwise unknown. She was one of the women who exchanged love poems with Yakamochi.
The left note reads, "The above twelve poems were sent from time to time by passing messengers; they were not sent all at once."

First line, "nakanaka ni": "rather," "better after all."
Second line, "shinaba yasukemu": "if I died, I would be at peace"; the poem pauses here. It contrasts with "I keep this dewdrop life going" in the preceding poem, 3933.
Third line, "kimi ga me o": "your eyes"; to see someone's eyes means to meet them.
Fourth line, "mizu hisa naraba": "if it is long without seeing you."
Fifth line, "sube nakarubeshi": "surely I shall be helpless," beshi expressing confident conjecture.
Author: Lady Heguri
Source: Manyoshu
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