Ochikochi no iso no naka naru shiratama o hito ni shiraezu mimu yoshi mogamo

をちこちの磯の中なる白玉を
人に知らえず見むよしもがも

Roma-ji: Ochikochi no iso no naka naru shiratama o hito ni shiraezu mimu yoshi mogamo
English Translation: Here and there they lie,
in among the rocky shores,
the pearls of white—
unknown to other people
if only I had the means to see
Meaning: If only I had some way to see the white pearls lying here and there among the rocks of the shore, without anyone knowing.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1300

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Jewels"
The poet wishes for a way to see, unknown to others, the white pearls lying here and there among the rocks. The white pearl is taken to stand for a woman surrounded by watchful eyes, and the poem expresses the wish to meet her without anyone knowing.
It is the second poem of the series on jewels; taking up "let no one come to know it" from the preceding poem with "unknown to other people," it forms a pair with it. According to the left note it comes from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection.

The first line, "Here and there they lie," means "in this place and that."
The second line, "in among the rocky shores," suggests a place full of watching eyes.
The third line, "the pearls of white," again stands for the woman, as in the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "unknown to other people," corresponds to the last line of the preceding poem.
In the final line, "mogamo" is a particle of wishing: "if only there were a way."
Source: Manyoshu
Prev Poem: Ajimura no tōyoru umi ni fune ukete shiratama toru to hito ni shirayu na
Next Poem: Watatsumi no te ni makimoteru tama yue ni iso no urami ni kazuki suru kamo