Iso no ma ni nami arage naru oriori wa urami o kazuku sato no ama

磯の間に波荒げなる折々は
うらみをかづく里の海人

Roma-ji: Iso no ma ni nami arage naru oriori wa urami o kazuku sato no ama
English Translation: Between the rocks when
the waves rise up rough and wild,
at such times as these,
only gazing at the bay, they bear
resentment, village fisherfolk.
Meaning: When the waves rise wild among the rocks, the village fisherfolk cannot dive and can only gaze at the bay, taking resentment upon themselves.
Commentary: Love Poems 693

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love"
When the waves rise roughly among the rocks, the fisherfolk cannot dive to fish and can only look at the bay with bitterness. The poet is taken to entrust to the village fisherfolk his own resentment in a love that will not go as he wishes. Urami joins resentment with ura-mi, looking at the bay, and kazuku joins diving into the sea with taking something upon oneself, so that love's resentment is sung in the words of the fisherfolk's life.
Following 683 and 686 in this book, it again makes urami carry ura-mi, looking at the bay, adding to the device of entrusting resentment to the seashore.

First line, “iso no ma ni”: among the rocks of the shore.
Second line, “nami arage naru”: arage nari is rough and wild.
Third line, “oriori wa”: at such times.
Fourth line, “urami o kazuku”: urami is a pivot word joining resentment with ura-mi, looking at the bay; kazuku is a pivot word joining diving into the sea with taking upon oneself.
Fifth line, “sato no ama”: the fisherfolk of the seaside village; the poem ends on a noun.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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