Akikaze no kiyoki yūbe ni amanogawa fune kogiwataru tsukihitootoko

秋風の清き夕に天の川
舟漕ぎ渡る月人壮士

Roma-ji: Akikaze no kiyoki yūbe ni amanogawa fune kogiwataru tsukihitootoko
English Translation: When the autumn wind
blows so clear this evening time,
the Heavenly River
in his boat he rows across,
the young man of the moon.
Meaning: On an evening of clear autumn wind, the young man of the moon rows his boat across the Heavenly River.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 2043

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Tanabata"
This poem sings of the moon, likened to a young man, rowing across the Heavenly River on an evening of clear autumn wind. It captures the moon's movement across the sky as a boat crossing the river, depicting the Tanabata night sky fancifully. Following 2010, the "young man of the moon" appears again, and the moon joins the Herdsman in the heavens on Tanabata night.

The first line, "of the autumn wind," names the season.
The second line, "on the clear evening," sets the time.
The third line, "the Heavenly River," names the river the moon crosses.
The fourth line, "rowing across in a boat," likens the moon's movement to a boat.
The last line, "tsukihitootoko," is the same ending as 2010.
Source: Manyoshu
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