Utsusemi no tsune naki mireba yo no naka ni kokoro tsukezute omou hi zo ōki

うつせみの常なき見れば世の中に
心つけずて思ふ日ぞ多き

Roma-ji: Utsusemi no tsune naki mireba yo no naka ni kokoro tsukezute omou hi zo ōki
English Translation: When I see how mortals
have no permanence at all,
to this world of ours
without setting my heart, many
are the days I pass in thought
Meaning: Seeing how nothing in mortal life endures, I cannot set my heart on this world, and many are the days I spend lost in thought.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4162

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem lamenting the impermanence of the world, with short poems"
The second envoy to the long poem on impermanence, it says that seeing how transient human life is, the poet cannot bring himself to attach his heart to the world, and spends many days lost in thought. Where the preceding poem explained impermanence through the changes of trees, this poem shifts the focus to human life and states the poet's own state of mind.
The text carries a variant note, "one version says: nageku hi zo ōki," showing that the last line was also transmitted as "many are the days I grieve." The main text is followed here.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Grand Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. From 746 he served as Governor of Etchū, living at the provincial headquarters in what is now Fushiki, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. He is regarded as the leading poet of the Nara period and is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.

First line, "utsusemi no" (of mortal beings): "utsusemi" means people living in this world, presenting the frailty of human life as the theme.
Second line, "tsune naki mireba" (seeing their impermanence), takes up the closing "tsune o nami koso" of the preceding poem and confirms impermanence.
Third line, "yo no naka ni" (to the world), names the world as that to which one might attach one's heart.
Fourth line, "kokoro tsukezute" (without setting my heart on it), means without attachment, expressing weariness with the world.
Fifth line, "omou hi zo ōki" (many are the days I brood): "zo" is concluded by the attributive "ōki" in kakari-musubi, stressing how many days are spent in thought.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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