On an autumn night,
the moonlight shines so bright that
even Kurabu’s mount—
the mountain of deep darkness—
seems as though I could cross it.
- Meaning
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On an autumn night, the moonlight is so bright that even the dark mountain of Kurabu seems as though it could be crossed.
- Commentary
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Book Four Autumn Poems (Part One)
This poem depicts a scene under the moonlight.
Though in reality one would not attempt to cross a mountain at night, the poem expresses how bright the moonlight is, making it seem possible.
The name of the mountain, associated with darkness, is set in contrast with the brightness of the moon.
Kurabu no yama is a poetic place name, though its exact location is uncertain, with theories such as Mount Kibune or Mount Kurama.
- Author
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Ariwara no Motokata
- Source
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Kokin Wakashu
- Other
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When I see the moon,
my thoughts scatter into grief—
in countless ways;
though this autumn is not mine
alone, it feels so to my heart.
-
In the moon above,
the cassia tree there too, perhaps,
in autumn still
turns to crimson leaves—so that
its light shines all the more bright.
-
Cricket, do not cry
so bitterly in the night—
for this autumn eve,
though long your lament may be,
my own thoughts are longer still.
-
All through autumn nights,
not knowing when dawn has come,
the insects keep crying—
are they, like myself, as well,
filled with such sorrowful thoughts?