Imo o mizu Koshi no kunihe ni toshi fureba aga kokorodo no naguru hi mo nashi

妹を見ず越の国辺に年経れば
我が心どのなぐる日もなし

Roma-ji: Imo o mizu Koshi no kunihe ni toshi fureba aga kokorodo no naguru hi mo nashi
English Translation: Without seeing you,
here in the land of Koshi
as the years go by,
there is not a single day
when my spirit finds its calm
Meaning: As the years pass here in the land of Koshi without my seeing you, not a single day goes by when my heart finds peace.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4173

Headnote: "A poem sent to the Tajihi household in the capital"
Sent to the Tajihi household in the capital, the poem laments the loneliness of separation: having passed the years in the land of Koshi without seeing "you," the speaker has no day of peace. The Tajihi household is thought by some to have been relatives of Yakamochi's wife, Lady Sakanoue the Elder, and some see the poem as composed by Yakamochi on her behalf for a woman of that house.
The phrase about passing years in the land of Koshi conveys the loneliness of one who has lived long in the provinces, away from the capital.
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, "imo o mizu" (without seeing you): "imo" is a term for a dear woman, and the opening shows the state of separation.
Second line, "Koshi no kunihe ni" (in the land of Koshi), shows the speaker living in Etchū, far from the capital.
Third line, "toshi fureba" (as the years pass), uses "ba" for a definite condition giving the reason.
Fourth line, "aga kokorodo no" (my spirit's): "kokorodo" means the workings of the heart, one's feelings.
Fifth line, "naguru hi mo nashi" (there is no day it is soothed): "nagu" means for the heart to become calm, and the poem closes by lamenting that there is no such day.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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