Meigawa no hayaki se goto ni kagari sashi yasotomo no o wa ukawa tachikeri

婦負川の早き瀬ごとに篝さし
八十伴の男は鵜川立ちけり

Roma-ji: Meigawa no hayaki se goto ni kagari sashi yasotomo no o wa ukawa tachikeri
English Translation: In the Mei River,
at every swift-flowing shallow
they light their fire-baskets,
the many men of the court—
they have set the cormorants fishing
Meaning: At every swift shallow of the Mei River, the many men of the court have lit their cressets and set out with their cormorants to fish.
Commentary: Book Seventeen 4023

Headnote: "A poem composed on seeing men fishing with cormorants"
At every swift shallow of the Mei River, cressets are lit and many officials are fishing with cormorants—a poem on the scene. 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 depicts the splendid sight of cormorant fishing, with cressets strung along the night river, as something seen on the tour.
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, "Meigawa no": the river flowing through Mei District; the line is hypermetric (six morae). Takechi no Kurohito's 4016 also sings of "the moor of Mei."
Second line, "hayaki se goto ni": "at each swift shallow." Like "kiyoki se goto ni" in 4028, it traces the shallows of the river one by one.
Third line, "kagari sashi": "lighting cressets," the scene of night cormorant fishing.
Fourth line, "yasotomo no o wa": the many officials serving the court, here the officials of the provincial office.
Fifth line, "ukawa tachikeri": ukawa tatsu means to fish with cormorants, keri being exclamatory.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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