Tsuto mo ga to kowaba torasemu kai hiriu ware o nurasu na okitsu shiranami

つともがと乞はば取らせむ貝拾ふ
我れを濡らすな沖つ白波

Roma-ji: Tsuto mo ga to kowaba torasemu kai hiriu ware o nurasu na okitsu shiranami
English Translation: "Bring me a present!"
if they ask, I'll give them these—
as I gather shells,
do not soak me through with spray,
white waves from out at sea
Meaning: "Bring me back a gift," they will ask, and I will give them these—so as I gather shells, white waves from the open sea, do not drench me.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1196

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
The poet asks the white waves from offshore not to drench him as he gathers shells to hand over if his family asks for a gift. Consideration for those at home and a moment of seaside travel are brightly depicted.
This poem and many that follow are regarded, on the strength of the left note "The poems above come from the Old Collection," as coming from that collection. A poem about gathering shells as a gift for one's family also appears as poem 1145 in this book. The poet is unknown.

In the first line, "mo ga" expresses a wish: "I want a gift."
The second line, "if they ask, I'll give them these," means "I will hand them over."
The third line, "as I gather shells," modifies "ware" (me) in the fourth line.
In the fourth line, "na" is prohibitive: "do not wet me."
The final line ends with the vocative noun "okitsu shiranami," the white waves offshore.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Asagoromo kireba natsukashi ki no kuni no imose no yama ni asa maku wagimo
Next Poem: Te ni toru ga kara ni wasuru to ama no iishi koiwasuregai koto ni shi arikeri