Shikuragawa se o tazunetsutsu waga seko wa ukawa tatasane kokoro nagusa ni

叔羅川瀬を尋ねつつ我が背子は
鵜川立たさね心なぐさに

Roma-ji: Shikuragawa se o tazunetsutsu waga seko wa ukawa tatasane kokoro nagusa ni
English Translation: On the Shikura River
searching out the shallows,
you, my dear friend,
go fishing with cormorants
to bring comfort to your heart
Meaning: My dear friend, roam the shallows of the Shikura River and go cormorant fishing, to bring comfort to your heart.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4190

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem sent with a cormorant to Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi, Secretary of Echizen, with short poems"
The first envoy to the long poem composed when sending a cormorant to Ōtomo no Ikenushi in Echizen, it urges him to go cormorant fishing for consolation as he roams the shallows of the Shikura River. It takes up the long poem's wish that he dispel the gloom of provincial life by sending cormorants diving in the Shikura River.
The Shikura River flowed near the provincial headquarters of Echizen and is thought to be the present Hino River in Fukui Prefecture. The poem shows the deep friendship of Yakamochi, who sent a cormorant out of concern for his friend's comfort, and Ikenushi. The left note says, "The above were sent by messenger on the ninth," telling us the poems and the cormorant were entrusted to a messenger on the ninth day of the fourth month.
The poet, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, was the son of the Grand Counselor Ōtomo no Tabito. From 746 he served as Governor of Etchū, living at the provincial headquarters in what is now Fushiki, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. He is regarded as the leading poet of the Nara period and is thought to have played a central role in compiling the Man'yōshū.

First line, "Shikuragawa" (the Shikura River), places at the head the name of a river in Echizen, where Ikenushi lives, showing the poet's thought for his friend's land.
Second line, "se o tazunetsutsu" (seeking out the shallows), means roaming in search of shallows suitable for cormorant fishing.
Third line, "waga seko wa" (you, my friend), addresses his close friend Ikenushi.
Fourth line, "ukawa tatasane" (please go cormorant fishing): "ukawa tatsu" means to fish with cormorants, "su" is honorific, and "ne" expresses a wish for another's action.
Fifth line, "kokoro nagusa ni" (to comfort your heart), repeats a phrase from the long poem, closing with the purpose of the gift of the cormorant.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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