Asari su to iso ni sumu tazu akesareba hamakaze samumi onozuma yobu mo

あさりすと磯に棲む鶴明けされば
浜風寒み己妻呼ぶも

Roma-ji: Asari su to iso ni sumu tazu akesareba hamakaze samumi onozuma yobu mo
English Translation: Seeking for their food,
cranes that dwell along the rocks,
when the dawn comes on,
chilled by the wind off the beach,
call out for their mates
Meaning: The cranes that live on the rocky shore, foraging—when dawn comes and the beach wind blows cold, they call out for their mates.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1198

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
In the cold beach wind at dawn, cranes living on the rocky shore call out for their mates. In their cries, heard through the cold, is overlaid the poet's own longing for his wife while traveling.
Like the last line of poem 1165 in this book, "each calls again for its mate," it depicts cranes calling for their mates, and its first line, "Seeking for their food," is the same as in poem 1167. It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "Seeking for their food," is the same as the first line of poem 1167.
The second line, "cranes that dwell along the rocks," names the birds of the rocky shore.
The third line, "when the dawn comes on," means as the night gives way.
The fourth line, "chilled by the wind off the beach," is a "-mi" form of cause.
In the final line, "mo" is exclamatory; the line answers "each calls again for its mate" in poem 1165.
Source: Manyoshu
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