Usakagawa wataru se ōmi kono aga ma no agaki no mizu ni kinu nurenikeri

鵜坂川渡る瀬多みこの我が馬の
足掻きの水に衣濡れにけり

Roma-ji: Usakagawa wataru se ōmi kono aga ma no agaki no mizu ni kinu nurenikeri
English Translation: The Usaka River
has so many shallows to ford
that from my own horse,
from the water it kicks up,
my robe is soaked right through
Meaning: The Usaka River has so many shallows to ford that my robe is soaked through by the water my horse splashes up with its hooves.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 4022

Headnote: "A poem composed when crossing the Usaka River in Mei District"
The Usaka River has so many shallows that the spray kicked up by his horse has soaked his robe—a poem on fording rivers on the journey. This is one of the poems Yakamochi composed in the spring of 748 on what he saw at each time and place while touring the districts of Etchū to administer suiko, the system of lending seed rice in spring to be repaid with interest after the autumn harvest, for which provincial governors traveled through their territory. It vividly conveys the toil of fording many shallows on horseback through the image of a drenched robe.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Major Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. Appointed Governor of Etchū in 746, he spent five years there, later serving as Junior Counselor and Governor of Inaba before rising to Middle Counselor. He is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.
The left note reads, "The above poems were composed by Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi on what met his eye at each time and place while touring the districts for the spring rice loans."

First line, "Usakagawa": a river in Mei District, thought to correspond to the basin of today's Jinzū River.
Second line, "wataru se ōmi": "because there are many shallows to ford," a mi-construction.
Third line, "kono aga ma no": "of this horse of mine," a hypermetric line of six morae.
Fourth line, "agaki no mizu ni": agaki is a horse pawing with its hooves, here the water it splashes up.
Fifth line, "kinu nurenikeri": "my robe has got wet," nikeri expressing completion and exclamation.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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