Awajishima kayou chidori no shibashiba mo hane kaku manaku koi ya wataramu

淡路島通ふ千鳥のしばしばも
羽掻く間なく恋や渡らむ

Roma-ji: Awajishima kayou chidori no shibashiba mo hane kaku manaku koi ya wataramu
English Translation: Like the plovers that
pass to and fro at Awaji,
again and again
beating their wings unceasing,
shall I go on longing?
Meaning: Like the plovers flying back and forth to Awaji Island, beating their wings again and again without rest, shall I go on longing without pause?
Commentary: Love Poems 456

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on the theme of love at famous places"
As the plovers flying to Awaji Island beat their wings incessantly, the poet wonders whether he will go on loving without rest.
The Ruijū text titles it "Love by the seashore." According to the notes in the base text, the Ruijū and Teika texts differ in line 3. Here the base text is followed.

Line 1 names Awaji Island in the Inland Sea, famed for its plovers.
Line 2 means "of the plovers going to and fro."
Line 3 means "again and again," the frequent beating of wings.
Line 4 means "without pause in their wingbeats."
Line 5 continues the same last line from 453, echoing the plovers crossing the sea.
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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