Wata no soko shizuku shiratama kaze fukite umi wa aru tomo torazu wa yamaji

海の底沈く白玉風吹きて
海は荒るとも取らずはやまじ

Roma-ji: Wata no soko shizuku shiratama kaze fukite umi wa aru tomo torazu wa yamaji
English Translation: In the ocean's depths
lies a pearl of purest white;
though the wind may blow
and the sea rage all around,
I will not rest till it's mine
Meaning: The white pearl lying on the ocean floor—though the wind blows and the sea runs wild, I will not stop until I have taken it.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1317

Headnote: "On Jewels"
The poet vows to take the white pearl lying on the sea floor even if the wind blows and the sea grows rough. The pearl stands for a beloved woman hard to win, and the wind and rough sea for the obstacles to love; the poem shows a firm resolve to see this love through whatever the hindrance.
It is the first poem under the heading "On Jewels," which covers the eleven poems up to 1327. It forms a second group on jewels, following the Hitomaro Collection group of poems 1299 to 1303 in this book. The second and third lines, "though the wind may blow and the sea rage," are the same as the opening of poem 1309, a Hitomaro Collection poem on the sea. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "In the ocean's depths," is read "wata no soko."
The second line, "lies a pearl of purest white," names the pearl that stands for a beloved woman.
The third line, "though the wind may blow," describes the wind rising.
The fourth line, "and the sea rage all around," together with the third line matches the wording of poem 1309 in this book.
The final line, "I will not rest till it's mine," closely resembles "torazu wa yamaji," the last line of poem 1117 in this book.
Source: Manyoshu
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