Ikitareba koi suru koto no kurushiki o nao inochi o ba au ni kaeten - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

生きたれば恋することの苦しきを
なほ命をば逢ふにかへてん

Roma-ji: Ikitareba koi suru koto no kurushiki o nao inochi o ba au ni kaeten
English Translation: Since I am alive,
loving brings me only pain;
so, after all,
I will give my very life
in exchange for us to meet.
Meaning: It is because I live that loving is so painful; so, after all, I will give my life in exchange for a meeting.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 684

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that since it is because the poet lives that loving is so painful, he will after all give his life in exchange for a meeting. It expresses a desperate heart that would rather give up life to meet once than live on suffering in love. With the same device as "inochi o ba au ni kau to ka" in 682, it exchanges life for a meeting, but where 682 feared that even such an exchange might not bring a meeting, here the poet willingly offers his life.

First line, "ikitareba," means "since I am alive," with "tare" the perfective form of the auxiliary "tari" of continuing state and "ba" expressing cause.
Second line, "koi suru koto no," means "loving."
Third line, "kurushiki o," means "since it is painful," with "o" a conjunctive particle.
Fourth line, "nao inochi o ba," means "after all, my life," the same words as the first line of 682, "inochi o ba."
Final line, "au ni kaeten," means "I will exchange it for a meeting," with "te" the irrealis form of the perfective "tsu" and "n" an auxiliary of intention. It shares the device of the final line of 675, "kau to koso kike," and the second line of 682, "au ni kau to ka."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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