Shioji yuku kakomi no tomoro kokoro seyo mata uzu hayaki seto wataru hodo

潮路行くかこみの艫櫓心せよ
またうづ速き瀬戸渡るほど

Roma-ji: Shioji yuku kakomi no tomoro kokoro seyo mata uzu hayaki seto wataru hodo
English Translation: Boatmen on the sea,
on your journey, mind well
the oar at the stern,
as once again you cross
the straits where whirlpools run swift.
Meaning: Boatmen traveling the sea lanes, mind the stern oar well, as you cross once more the strait where the whirlpools spin fast.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1003

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
Boatmen on the sea lanes, mind the stern oar as you cross once more the strait where the whirlpools spin fast, the poet says. Taking up the crossing of the strait in the preceding poem, he conveys the tension of a boat in a swirling channel by calling out to its crew. The word kakomi in the second line is of uncertain meaning, apparently the boatmen.

First line, “shioji yuku”: traveling the sea lanes.
Second line, “kakomi no tomoro”: tomoro is the stern oar; kakomi apparently the crew.
Third line, “kokoro seyo”: an imperative, take care; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “mata uzu hayaki”: again, where whirlpools are swift.
Fifth line, “seto wataru hodo”: while crossing the strait, inverted to follow the third line.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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