Mokuzubi no isoma o wakuru isaribune honoka narishi ni omoisometeki - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

藻屑火の磯間を分くる漁り舟
ほのかなりしに思ひ初めてき

Roma-ji: Mokuzubi no isoma o wakuru isaribune honoka narishi ni omoisometeki
English Translation: Like the fishing boat
with its fire of burning weed
threading through the rocks,
though I glimpsed you but faintly,
I have fallen into love
Meaning: Like the fishing boat that threads its way among the rocks by the light of burning seaweed, you were only a faint glimpse to me, and yet I have begun to love you.
Commentary: Book Eleven Love Poems I 645

Headnote: "Sent to a woman"
Sent to a woman. Like the fishing boat that threads its way among the rocks by the fire of burning seaweed, he says, I saw you only faintly, yet I have begun to love. The first three lines are a preface that paints the faint fire of a fishing boat on the night shore and leads to "honoka," "faintly," overlaying a love born from a mere glimpse on a small flame flickering in the dark.
The author, "Fujiwara no Nagatō," was the son of Fujiwara no Tomoyasu and a brother of the Mother of Michitsuna, author of the Kagerō Diary. He was active in Retired Emperor Kazan's poetry circle and is also known as the poetry teacher of the monk Nōin.
It shares with "omoisometeshi kokoro koso" in 687 of this book the use of "omoisomu," "to begin to love," for love's beginning.

First line, "mokuzubi no": "mokuzubi" is a fire of burning seaweed on the shore, or the fire lit on a fishing boat.
Second line, "isoma o wakuru": "threading through the gaps among the rocks of the shore."
Third line, "isaribune": a boat that fishes at night by firelight. The first three lines form a preface leading to "honoka" in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "honoka narishi ni": "shi" is the attributive of the past "ki," "though it was but faint." The faintness of the boat's fire overlaps with the poet's slight glimpse of the woman.
Fifth line, "omoisometeki": "some" is the continuative of "somu," "to begin," "te" the continuative of the perfective "tsu," and "ki" the past auxiliary, "I have begun to love." It shares its wording with "omoisometeshi" in the second line of 687.
Author: Fujiwara no Nagato
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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