Asukagawa kawato o kiyomi okureite koureba miyako iya tōsokinu

明日香川川門を清み後れ居て
恋ふれば都いや遠そきぬ

Roma-ji: Asukagawa kawato o kiyomi okureite koureba miyako iya tōsokinu
English Translation: The Asuka River—
so clear is its crossing place
that I stayed behind,
and longing, I find the capital
has drawn ever farther away
Meaning: So clear was the crossing of the Asuka River that I lingered behind, and now, as I long for it, the capital has drawn ever farther away.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4258

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Three poems from a banquet at the house of the Major Controller of the Left, Ki no Ason Iimaro, on the twenty-second day of the tenth month"
An old poem recited at Ki no Iimaro's banquet, it says that because the crossing of the Asuka River is so clear, the speaker lingered there, reluctant to leave, and as he longs for the new capital, it has drawn ever farther away. It conveys the feelings of one left behind in the old capital after the court moved.
The left note says, "The above poem was recited by Nakatomi no Ason Kiyomaro, Middle Controller of the Left. A poem from the time of the old capital," thought to date from the era of the old capitals at Asuka or Fujiwara. Following the preceding poem from the Kuni capital, old poems about the shifting capitals were performed at the banquet. The author is unknown.

First line, "Asukagawa" (the Asuka River), names the river of the old capital at Asuka.
Second line, "kawato o kiyomi" (since the crossing is clear): "kawato" is a ford, and "o ... mi" expresses cause.
Third line, "okureite" (remaining behind): "okuru" means to be left behind.
Fourth line, "koureba miyako" (as I long, the capital), shows longing for the new capital.
Fifth line, "iya tōsokinu" (has drawn ever farther): "iya" means more and more, and "soku" to recede.
Source: Manyoshu
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