Mokaribune oki kogikurashi imogashima katami no ura ni tazu kakeru miyu

藻刈り舟沖漕ぎ来らし妹が島
形見の浦に鶴翔る見ゆ

Roma-ji: Mokaribune oki kogikurashi imogashima katami no ura ni tazu kakeru miyu
English Translation: The seaweed boats
must be rowing in from sea—
on Imo's Island,
at the bay of Katami,
I see the cranes take wing
Meaning: The seaweed-cutting boats must be rowing in from the open sea—at Katami Bay on Imo's Island I see the cranes rising into flight.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1199

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
Seeing cranes take flight at Katami Bay, the poet guesses that the seaweed-cutting boats have come rowing in from offshore. It is a finely observed landscape poem that reads human activity from the movement of the cranes.
It weaves in place names suggesting love and parting, "Imo's Island" (beloved's island) and "Katami Bay" (keepsake bay), faintly sounding the traveling poet's thoughts of home and wife. Some place them in Kii. It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "The seaweed boats," names the boats that cut seaweed.
In the second line, "rashi" expresses inference, and the poem pauses here.
The third line names Imo's Island; "imo" (beloved) echoes thoughts of a wife.
The fourth line names Katami Bay; "katami" (keepsake) echoes the idea of remembering someone far away.
The final line, "I see the cranes take wing," gives the evidence for the inference; it follows the same pattern as "I see the ducks take wing," the last line of poem 1227 in this book.
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Asari su to iso ni sumu tazu akesareba hamakaze samumi onozuma yobu mo
Next Poem: Waga fune wa oki yu na sakari mukaebune katamachigateri ura yu kogiawamu