Omoedomo omou kai koso nakarikere omoi mo shiranu hito o omoeba

思へども思ふかひこそなかりけれ
思ひも知らぬ人を思へば

Roma-ji: Omoedomo omou kai koso nakarikere omoi mo shiranu hito o omoeba
English Translation: Though I think of her,
there's no use in all my thought,
none at all, it seems—
for I'm thinking of someone
who does not think of my love.
Meaning: However much I think of her, there is no use in my thinking, for I am thinking of one who gives no thought to my love.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1315

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "One hundred and ten love poems"
However much he thinks of her, it is useless, the poet says, for he thinks of one who gives no thought to his love.
Repeating omou four times, the poem expresses the vicious circle of unrequited, one-sided longing; the more he thinks, the emptier it grows, a vivid rendering of the pain of unrequited love.

First line, “omoedomo”: domo is concessive, "though I think."
Second line, “omou kai koso”: koso is emphatic, answered by the realis kere.
Third line, “nakarikere”: there is no use; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “omoi mo shiranu”: who does not know my feelings.
Fifth line, “hito o omoeba”: since I think of her, the inversion giving the reason; repetition of omou runs through the poem.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Nagame koso ukimi no kuse ni narihatete yūgure naranu ori mo seraruru
Next Poem: Aya hineru sasame no komino kinu ni kin namida no ame mo shinogi gatera ni