Shio miteba irinuru iso no kusa nare ya miraku sukunaku kouraku no ōki

潮満てば入りぬる磯の草なれや
見らく少く恋ふらくの多き

Roma-ji: Shio miteba irinuru iso no kusa nare ya miraku sukunaku kouraku no ōki
English Translation: When the tide comes in,
on the rocky shore it hides—
is it such a weed?
seeing you, so seldom done;
longing for you, oh so much
Meaning: Are you like the weed on the rocky shore that hides whenever the tide comes in? So seldom do I see you, and so much do I long for you.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1394

Headnote: "On Seaweed"
The poet wonders whether the beloved is like the weed on the rocky shore that disappears whenever the tide comes in: the times of seeing are few and the longing is great. The seaweed hidden by the rising tide stands for a lover rarely met, and the poem laments the few chances to meet and the growing longing.
It is the first poem under the heading "On Seaweed," which covers four poems. It is marked by the paired expressions "seeing" and "longing," "few" and "many." The poet is unknown.

The first line, "When the tide comes in," states the condition.
The second line, "on the rocky shore it hides," describes the shore that goes under the water.
In the third line, "is it such a weed," the particle "ya" after the perfective form poses a question, and the poem pauses here.
In the fourth line, "miraku" is the nominalized form of "miru": "seeing you."
The final line has an extra syllable; it pairs with the fourth line and ends in the attributive form with a sigh.
Source: Manyoshu
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