Chikaite mo nao omou ni wa makenikeri ta ga tame oshiki inochi naraneba - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

誓ひても猶思ふには負けにけり
誰がため惜しき命ならねば

Roma-ji: Chikaite mo nao omou ni wa makenikeri ta ga tame oshiki inochi naraneba
English Translation: Though I swore an oath,
I have lost, after all,
to my love for you—
for whose sake should I hold dear
a life such as this one
Meaning: Though I swore never to see you again, I have lost to my love after all. For whose sake should I hold this life dear?
Commentary: Book Twelve Love Poems IV 886

Headnote: "Sent the morning after she had sworn to Yoshifuru Ason that she would never meet him again."
The poet says that though she swore, she has lost to her love after all, for her life is not precious for anyone's sake. Having vowed before the gods never to meet him, she was defeated by longing and sings fiercely that she would not regret losing her life as punishment for breaking her oath.
According to the headnote, she swore to Ono no Yoshifuru that she would never meet him again and sent this poem the next morning. Ono no Yoshifuru was the elder brother of Ono no Michikaze and rose to Consultant.
The poet, Kura no Naishi, was a lady-in-waiting thought to have been a palace attendant who also served as a chamberlain. Details of her background are not known.

The first line, "Chikaite mo," means "though I swore never to meet you."
The second line, "nao omou ni wa," means "to the love I still feel."
The third line, "makenikeri," means "I have lost," with "keri" expressing realization. The poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "ta ga tame oshiki," means "precious for whose sake."
The last line, "inochi naraneba," means "since it is no such life," expressing that she would not regret losing her life as punishment for breaking her oath.
Author: Kura no Naishi
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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