who might it have been
that came and cast off to hang
this wisteria-robe?
with each returning autumn
it scents the fields once more.
- Meaning
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Who could it have been that came and left this robe behind? Each autumn, the fujibakama gives forth its fragrance across the fields.
- Commentary
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Book Four Autumn Poems (Part One)
Composed for a poetry contest at the residence of Prince Koretada.
Fujibakama, one of the seven autumn grasses, is likened here to a robe. The poem imagines it as though someone had come, removed a garment, and left it hanging, its fragrance lingering each autumn.
The scent recalls garments scented with incense, evoking the autumn fields. Though in modern sensibility it may be strange to imagine clothing left behind and its fragrance enjoyed, the poem draws on such imagery to convey elegance and seasonal feeling.
- Author
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Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
- Source
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Kokin Wakashu
- Other
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