Nami takashi ika ni kajitori mizutori no ukine ya subeki nao ya kogubeki

波高しいかに楫取り水鳥の
浮寝やすべきなほや漕ぐべき

Roma-ji: Nami takashi ika ni kajitori mizutori no ukine ya subeki nao ya kogubeki
English Translation: The waves are high—
what now, you steersman?
Like the waterbirds
should we sleep upon the sea,
or keep on rowing still?
Meaning: The waves are high—what shall we do, helmsman? Should we sleep afloat like the waterbirds, or row on still?
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1235

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
Seeing the waves grow high, the poet asks the helmsman whether they should spend the night afloat like waterbirds or keep on rowing. The tense situation of a voyage uncertain whether to advance or halt is conveyed as a question.
It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. "The floating sleep of waterbirds" likens sleeping aboard a boat to waterbirds and echoes "Like the waterbirds I float upon the open sea" in poem 1184 in this book. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "The waves are high," is a flat statement, and the poem pauses at once.
The second line, "what now, you steersman?" addresses "kajitori," the one who handles the oar.
The third line, "Like the waterbirds," modifies "ukine" (floating sleep).
The fourth line, "should we sleep upon the sea," is a kakari-musubi construction in which "ya" is answered by the attributive "beki."
The final line, "or keep on rowing still?" is set parallel to the fourth, presenting the choice between halting and going on.
Source: Manyoshu
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