Waga fune wa akashi no mito ni kogihatemu okie na sakari sayo fukenikeri

我が舟は明石の水門に漕ぎ泊てむ
沖へな離りさ夜更けにけり

Roma-ji: Waga fune wa akashi no mito ni kogihatemu okie na sakari sayo fukenikeri
English Translation: As for my boat,
into Akashi harbor
I'll row it and moor;
do not drift far out to sea,
for the night has now grown late
Meaning: I will row my boat into Akashi harbor and moor there—do not drift out to sea, for the night has already grown late.
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1229

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
Since the night has grown late, the poet resolves to row into Akashi harbor and moor there rather than drift out to sea. The poem shows the caution of a sea journey and the wish for the security of a harbor, avoiding the sea at night.
It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. Akashi also appears in poem 1207 in this book as "the waves of the Akashi strait." Its first line, "As for my boat," is the same as in poem 1200, and that poem's second line, "do not drift out to sea," echoes this poem's fourth line. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "As for my boat," is the same as the first line of poem 1200.
In the second line, "mito" means a river mouth or harbor; the line has an extra syllable.
The third line, "I'll row it and moor," pauses the poem.
In the fourth line, "na" is prohibitive: "do not move away offshore." It corresponds to the second line of poem 1200.
In the final line, "keri" expresses realization: the night has grown late.
Source: Manyoshu
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