Poem in the Man'yōshū (MYS IV: 684) by Ōtomo of Sakanoue, date 8th century

Source:

http://www.wakapoetry.net/mys-iv-684/

The poem:

今は我は死なむよ我が背生けりとも我れに依るべしと言ふといはなくに

Romaji transliteration (in reconstructed Old Japanese):

ima pa a pa

sinamu yo wa ga se

ikeri tö mo

ware ni yörubësi

tö ipu tö ipanakuni

English translation:

Now, I will

Indeed, die, my love;

For if I lived,

Would you cleave to me?

There’s no word of it