Naniwagata nami nomi itodo kazu soite urami no hima ya sode no kawakan

難波潟波のみいとど数添ひて
うらみの隙や袖の乾かん

Roma-ji: Naniwagata nami nomi itodo kazu soite urami no hima ya sode no kawakan
English Translation: On Naniwa Bay
only the waves grow ever more,
numbers piling up,
and with resentment ceaseless,
when would my sleeves have time to dry?
Meaning: On Naniwa Bay only the waves grow ever more in number; with my resentment never ceasing, when would my sleeves have time to dry?
Commentary: Love Poems 686

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love"
As the waves rolling into Naniwa Bay grow ever more in number, so the waves of tears and of resentment pile up. With no pause in the resentment, no pause even from looking at the bay, how could the sleeves ever find time to dry? Urami joins resentment with ura-mi, looking at the bay, laying a love of endless tears over the shore of Naniwa.
Like 683, it makes urami carry ura-mi, looking at the bay, continuing the device of entrusting resentment to the seascape.

First line, “Naniwagata”: a poetic place in Settsu, known for its shallow shore.
Second line, “nami nomi itodo”: only the waves, all the more; the waves carry tears.
Third line, “kazu soite”: growing in number.
Fourth line, “urami no hima ya”: urami is a pivot word joining resentment with ura-mi, looking at the bay; hima is a pause, and ya is rhetorical, binding with n at the end.
Fifth line, “sode no kawakan”: will my sleeves dry? They will not; closing in the attributive form answering ya.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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