Ōumi no isomoto yusuri tatsu nami no yosemu to omoeru hama no kiyokeku

大海の磯もと揺り立つ波の
寄せむと思へる浜の清けく

Roma-ji: Ōumi no isomoto yusuri tatsu nami no yosemu to omoeru hama no kiyokeku
English Translation: In the great ocean,
shaking the roots of the rocks,
the rising waves—
the beach they long to come to,
how pure and clear it is!
Meaning: The waves that rise from the great ocean, shaking the rocks to their roots—how pure is the beach they long to reach!
Commentary: Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1239

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on Journeys"
The poem praises the purity of the beach toward which waves rise, shaking the rocks of the great ocean to their roots, as if intending to come ashore. The contrast between powerful waves and a pure beach impresses the beauty of the shore.
It closely resembles poem 1201 in this book, "The waves that rise, shaking the depths of the great sea—how pure the rocky shore they long to reach," and may be a variant of the same poem. It is regarded as coming from the Old Collection. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "In the great ocean," is the same as the first line of poem 1201.
The second line, "shaking the roots of the rocks," answers "shaking the depths of the sea" in the second line of poem 1201.
The third line, "the rising waves," is shared with poem 1201.
The fourth line, "the beach they long to come to," personifies the waves.
The final line ends with "kiyokeku," a nominalized form closing in exclamation; it answers "how pure and clear," the last line of poem 1201.
Source: Manyoshu
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