Yamatoji no shima no uramu ni yosuru nami aida mo nakemu aga koimaku wa

大和道の島の浦廻に寄する波
間もなけむ我が恋ひまくは

Roma-ji: Yamatoji no shima no uramu ni yosuru nami aida mo nakemu aga koimaku wa
English Translation: On the Yamato road,
at the island's curving bay,
like the breaking waves,
there will be no pause at all
in my longing after you
Meaning: Like the waves breaking on the curving shore of the island on the road to Yamato, my longing for you will know no pause.
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 551

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Three poems at the farewell banquet held at the Ashiki post station in Chikuzen for Ishikawa no Asomi Tarihito, Junior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu"
The last of the farewell poems takes as its preface the waves breaking on an island shore along the road to Yamato and says that the longing after parting will know no pause. Using a scene from the traveler's route to the capital as its preface, it overlays on it the feelings of those who see him off.
The left note says "the authors of the above three poems are unknown," and no name has come down. The poem was presumably composed at the banquet by one of the Dazaifu officials.

First line, "On the Yamato road," means along the way to Yamato, tracing the traveler's route.
Second line, "at the island's curving bay," names uramu, the curve of an inlet; where the island lies is disputed.
Third line, "like the breaking waves," names the waves that roll in; the first three lines form a preface to "there will be no pause."
Fourth line, "there will be no pause at all," runs to six syllables: there will surely be no interval. The poem breaks after this line.
Fifth line, "in my longing after you," uses koimaku, the nominalized form of koimu: my longing that is to come. By inversion the subject comes last.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Ōbune no omoi tanomishi kimi ga inaba are wa koimu na tada ni au made ni
Next Poem: Aga kimi wa wake o ba shine to omoe kamo au yo awanu yo futa hashiruramu