Namidagawa fukaku nagaruru mio naraba asaki hitome ni tsutsumazaramashi

涙川深く流るるみをならば
浅き人目につつまざらまし

Roma-ji: Namidagawa fukaku nagaruru mio naraba asaki hitome ni tsutsumazaramashi
English Translation: If the river of tears
ran deep within the channel
of this self of mine,
from the shallow eyes of men
I would not hide it away.
Meaning: If my river of tears ran as deep as a channel, as deep as my own heart, I would not hide it from the shallow eyes of others.
Commentary: Love Poems 661

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love"
Likening his tears to a river, the poet says that if his love were truly as deep as the deep-flowing channel of that river, he would not hide it for fear of the shallow eyes of others. Mio joins the channel of a river with mi o, oneself, and deep is set against shallow, as he reflects on how he hides his love out of concern for others.

First line, “namidagawa”: a river of tears, a figure for weeping without end.
Second line, “fukaku nagaruru”: flowing deep, set against asaki, shallow, in the fourth line.
Third line, “mio naraba”: mio is a pivot word joining a river's channel with mi o, myself.
Fourth line, “asaki hitome ni”: the shallow eyes of others, asaki used in association with the river.
Fifth line, “tsutsumazaramashi”: tsutsumu is to wrap away, to be wary; mashi is counterfactual and answers naraba in the third line.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Ayametsutsu hito shiru tote mo ikaga sen shinobihatsu beki tamoto naraneba
Next Poem: Shibashi koso hitome tsutsumi ni sekarekere hate wa namida ya Narutaki no kawa