Ukawa tachi torasamu ayu no shiga hata wa ware ni kakimuke omoishi omowaba

鵜川立ち取らさむ鮎のしがはたは
我れにかき向け思ひし思はば

Roma-ji: Ukawa tachi torasamu ayu no shiga hata wa ware ni kakimuke omoishi omowaba
English Translation: Fishing with cormorants,
of the sweetfish you will catch,
the fins at least
send them over here to me,
if you think of me at all
Meaning: When you go cormorant fishing, send me at least the fins of the sweetfish you catch—if you think of me at all.
Commentary: Book Nineteen 4191

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "A poem sent with a cormorant to Ōtomo no Sukune Ikenushi, Secretary of Echizen, with short poems"
The second envoy, it says that the fins of the sweetfish Ikenushi catches by cormorant fishing should be sent this way—if he thinks of the poet at all. It is a playful poem, jokingly asking that, in return for the cormorant, he share at least the fins of his catch.
It is the easy banter of close friends; in contrast to the solicitous preceding poem, it expresses friendship through humor. 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, "ukawa tachi" (fishing with cormorants), takes up "ukawa tatasane" from the fourth line of the preceding poem.
Second line, "torasamu ayu no" (of the sweetfish you will catch): "su" is honorific, referring to the fish Ikenushi will catch.
Third line, "shiga hata wa" (their fins): "shiga" means "its," and "hata" means the fins of a fish.
Fourth line, "ware ni kakimuke" (send them my way): "kakimuku" means to turn toward or deliver, asking for the fins to be sent.
Fifth line, "omoishi omowaba" (if you think of me at all): "shi" is emphatic, and the poem closes playfully with this condition.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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