Funagiou Horie no kawa no minagiwa ni kiitsutsu naku wa miyakodori kamo

舟競ふ堀江の川の水際に
来居つつ鳴くは都鳥かも

Roma-ji: Funagiou Horie no kawa no minagiwa ni kiitsutsu naku wa miyakodori kamo
English Translation: Where the boats vie
on the river of Horie
at the water's edge
perching there and calling out,
is it the capital bird?
Meaning: At the water's edge of the Horie, where boats race one another, the birds that come to rest and cry, could they be miyakodori, birds of the capital?
Commentary: Book Twenty Miscellaneous Poems 4462

Headnote: none. The left note reads: "The above three poems were composed on the banks of the inlet."
At the water's edge of the Horie where boats race, could the birds that come to rest and cry be miyakodori? The poem sings of the Naniwa waterside. The left note says it closes the three poems composed on the banks of the inlet, attributed by arrangement to Ōtomo no Yakamochi. In the name miyakodori, "capital bird," he savors once more the longing for the capital sung of in the preceding poem.
The author, Ōtomo no Yakamochi, son of Ōtomo no Tabito, was at this time Junior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs.

The first line, "funagiou," "where boats compete," shows the bustle of the Horie.
The second line, "Horie no kawa no," "the stream of the Horie," is the setting throughout the three poems.
The third line, "minagiwa ni," means "at the water's edge."
The fourth line, "kiitsutsu naku wa," means "those that come, perch, and cry."
The closing line, "miyakodori kamo," "could they be capital birds?" ends with kamo, exclamation tinged with doubt. Taking up "how I long for Nara" in the preceding poem, it closes the three with a bird bearing the capital's name.
Author: Otomo no Yakamochi
Source: Manyoshu
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