Momozutau yaso no shimami o kogu fune ni norinishi kokoro wasurekanetsu mo

百伝ふ八十の島廻を漕ぐ舟に
乗りにし心忘れかねつも

Roma-ji: Momozutau yaso no shimami o kogu fune ni norinishi kokoro wasurekanetsu mo
English Translation: A hundred counted,
round the eighty isles
the rowing boat—
you have boarded my heart
and I cannot forget
Meaning: Like one who boards a boat rowing round the countless islands, you have come aboard my heart, and I cannot forget you.
Commentary: Book Seven Allegorical Poems 1399

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Boats"
As one boards a boat rowing round the many islands, so the one he loves has boarded his heart, and he cannot forget. Like the preceding poem, it likens riding a boat to a beloved who has come to ride upon one's heart and will not leave.
It is the second of the poems on boats. Its fourth line, "norinishi kokoro," is the same as in the preceding poem; where that poem is set at the shore of Shigatsu in Ōmi, this one describes a boat voyaging among many islands at sea, repeating the same conceit in a different scene. The poet is unknown.

The first line, "A hundred counted," is a pillow word for "yaso" (eighty), from counting on to a hundred.
The second line, "round the eighty isles," means around the many islands.
The third line, "the rowing boat," closes a preface of three lines leading to "nori" (to board).
The fourth line, "you have boarded my heart," is the same as the fourth line of the preceding poem.
The final line, "and I cannot forget," voices with a sigh the same feeling as "and I can never forget" in the preceding poem.
Source: Manyoshu
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