Mirume karu ama to wa nashi ni kimi kouru waga koromode no kawaku toki naki - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

みるめ刈る海人とはなしに君恋ふる
我が衣手の乾く時なき

Roma-ji: Mirume karu ama to wa nashi ni kimi kouru waga koromode no kawaku toki naki
English Translation: Though I am no fisher
gathering the miru weed,
longing for you, still
these sleeves of mine that I wear
never have a time to dry.
Meaning: Though I am no fisher who gathers seaweed, my sleeves, wet with longing for you whom I have no chance to see, never have a time to dry.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 667

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The poem says that though the poet is no fisher gathering seaweed, his sleeves, wet with longing for the beloved, never have time to dry. Pivoting "mirume" on the seaweed "miru" and "a chance to see," it overlays the fisher wetting his sleeves in the sea with the poet wetting his with tears. Following the preceding poem, 666, it uses seaside imagery, and it shares the word "ama," fisher, with "ama no obune" in 638.

First line, "mirume karu," is a pivot word: "mirume" means the seaweed "miru" and "a chance to see."
Second line, "ama to wa nashi ni," means "though I am no fisher," sharing the word "ama" with the second line of 638, "ama no obune no."
Third line, "kimi kouru," means "longing for you."
Fourth line, "waga koromode no," means "of my sleeves."
Final line, "kawaku toki naki," means "never have a time to dry," ending on the attributive form of the adjective "nashi" with a note of lament.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
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