Wata no soko oki wa kashikoshi isomi yori kogitami imase tsuki wa henu tomo

海の底沖は畏し礒廻より
漕ぎ廻みいませ月は経ぬとも

Roma-ji: Wata no soko oki wa kashikoshi isomi yori kogitami imase tsuki wa henu tomo
English Translation: The open sea,
deep as the ocean floor, is fearsome;
keep to the rocky shore
and row your way around it,
though the months may pass
Meaning: The open sea is fearsome; row your way along the rocky shore instead, even if it takes months.
Commentary: Book Twelve Poems Lamenting Parting 3199

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Poems Lamenting Parting"
A woman, worried for a man setting out by sea, asks him to row along the shore, avoiding the fearsome open sea, even if it takes months. Her wish for his safety outweighs her wish for his quick return.
The poet is unknown. Book Twelve, titled the second part of "Love Poems Exchanged Old and New," gathers love poems by people whose names have not come down to us, arranged by category.

Line one, "wata no soko," the depths of the sea, is a pillow word for "oki," the open sea, read "wata no soko" in the kana line.
Line two, "oki wa kashikoshi," means "the open sea is fearsome," and the poem pauses here.
Line three, "isomi yori," means "along the rocky shore."
Line four, "kogitami imase," means "row your way around," and the poem pauses again.
Line five, "tsuki wa henu tomo," means "even if months go by," showing that she wishes for his safety above all.
Author: Unknown
Source: Manyoshu
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