Hama kiyomi iso ni waga oreba mimu hito wa ama to ka miramu tsuri mo senaku ni

浜清み磯に我が居れば見む人は
海人とか見らむ釣りもせなくに

Roma-ji: Hama kiyomi iso ni waga oreba mimu hito wa ama to ka miramu tsuri mo senaku ni
English Translation: The beach is so pure
I linger here on the rocks—
would those who see me
take me for a fisherman,
though I'm not even fishing?
Meaning: The beach is so pure that I linger on the rocks—would those who see me take me for a fisherman, though I am not even fishing?
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1204

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
Lingering on the rocks, drawn by the purity of the beach, the poet wonders whether those who see him will take him for a fisherman, though he is not even fishing. The traveler absorbed in the scenery is depicted with gentle humor.
It shares the idea and the phrase "would they take me for a fisherman" with poem 1187 in this book, "Do they take me for a fisherman hauling his net," and poem 1234, "would they take me for a diving fisherman." It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "The beach is so pure," is a "-mi" form, the same words as the third line of poem 1177 in this book.
The second line, "I linger here on the rocks," has an extra syllable.
The third line, "would those who see me," refers to onlookers.
The fourth line, "take me for a fisherman," is the same as the second line of poem 1187; it closes in the attributive "ramu" in response to "ka," and the poem pauses here.
The final line, "though I'm not even fishing," uses "naku ni," a negative with concessive force.
Source: Manyoshu
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