Sasanami no shigatsu no ura no funanori ni norinishi kokoro tsune wasuraezu

楽浪の志賀津の浦の舟乗りに
乗りにし心常忘らえず

Roma-ji: Sasanami no shigatsu no ura no funanori ni norinishi kokoro tsune wasuraezu
English Translation: At Sasanami,
on the shore of Shigatsu,
as one boards a boat,
you have boarded my heart
and I can never forget
Meaning: As one boards a boat at the shore of Shigatsu in Sasanami, so you have come aboard my heart, and I can never forget you.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1398

Headnote: "On Boats"
As one boards a boat at the shore of Shigatsu, so the one he loves has boarded his heart, and he can never forget. Boarding a boat is likened to a beloved who has come to ride upon one's heart and will not leave, expressing a love that cannot be forgotten.
It is the first poem under the heading "On Boats." The next poem also has "norinishi kokoro" as its fourth line, so two poems on the same conceit, turning from riding a boat to riding the heart, stand side by side. Shigatsu also appears in poem 1253 in this book, "You fishermen of Shigatsu in Sasanami." The poet is unknown.

The first line names Sasanami, an old name for the southwest shore of Lake Biwa; it is the same as the first line of poem 1253 in this book.
The second line refers to the shore of Shigatsu in Ōmi.
The third line, "as one boards a boat," closes a preface of three lines leading to "nori" (to board).
The fourth line, "you have boarded my heart," means the beloved has come to ride upon his heart; it is the same as the fourth line of the next poem.
The final line, "and I can never forget," means he is always unable to forget.
Source: Manyoshu
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