Amaotome tama motomurashi okitsu nami kashikoki umi ni funade seri miyu

海女娘子玉求むらし沖つ波
畏き海に舟出せり見ゆ

Roma-ji: Amaotome tama motomurashi okitsu nami kashikoki umi ni funade seri miyu
English Translation: The diving maidens
seem to be seeking pearls there;
with the offshore waves
upon the dread and fearsome sea
I see their boats set out
Meaning: The fisher maidens seem to be seeking pearls; I can see that they have rowed out onto the fearsome sea where the offshore waves run high.
Commentary: Book Six Miscellaneous Poems 1003

Headnote: "A poem composed by Fujii no Muraji Ōnari, Governor of Chikugo, of the Outer Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, on seeing the fishing boats of the fisherfolk far off"
This poem tells how, far off on a fearsome sea where the offshore waves run high, the poet can see fisher maidens who have rowed out in search of pearls. According to the headnote, Fujii no Ōnari, then Governor of Chikugo, composed it while gazing at the fishing boats in the distance.
Watching from afar the diving maidens setting out onto a rough sea, the poem depicts their daring and their danger with a sense of wonder. It conveys a glimpse of seaside life as seen by an official posted far away in Kyushu.
The poet, Fujii no Ōnari, was an official of the Nara period who served as governor of the province of Chikugo, which lay within the jurisdiction of the Dazaifu. The Fujii clan was of immigrant descent; originally called Shirai no Fubito, it received the name Fujii no Muraji in Yōrō 4 (720).

The first line, "The diving maidens," means young women who dive into the sea for their catch. The line presents the figures in the boats seen from afar.
The second line, "seem to be seeking pearls there," means "they appear to be looking for pearls." "Tama" means pearls, and "rashi" is an auxiliary of inference based on what is before one's eyes; the sense breaks here, after the second line.
The third line, "with the offshore waves," means "the waves out at sea." "Tsu" is an old case particle meaning "of," and the line leads into "fearsome," showing the roughness of the sea.
The fourth line, "upon the dread and fearsome sea," means "on the frightening sea." "Kashikoshi" expresses awe before a nature beyond human power, heightening the peril of the maidens who set out upon it.
The final line, "I see their boats set out," means "I can see that they have set out in their boats." "Ri" is an auxiliary of continuing state, and by the old usage of placing "miyu" after a terminal form, the poem closes by stating the distant scene just as it appears.
Author: Fujii no Ōnari
Source: Manyoshu
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