a scent without a lord
comes drifting forth in fragrance—
on autumn fields wide,
whose might it be, cast off and left,
this wisteria-robe I see?

Meaning

A fragrance whose owner is unknown drifts through the air. On this autumn field, whose robe has been cast off and left behind—this fujibakama?

Commentary

Book Four Autumn Poems (Part One)

A poem composed on the fujibakama.

In former times, nobles would scent their garments with incense according to their taste. This poem likens the fujibakama, one of the seven autumn grasses, to a robe. The scene suggests a garment left behind in an autumn field, its owner unknown, leaving the reader to imagine the circumstances.

Author

Sosei Hoshi

Source

Kokin Wakashu

Other

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.
is it a keepsake of one who lodged here before— wisteria-robe? ever breathing forth a scent so hard for me to forget.
from this time onward I shall not even plant to see the plume of silver grass— for when its ears emerge in autumn the loneliness grows too deep.
is it the grasses’ sleeves in the autumn fields that I see? plumes of silver grass emerging, seem to beckon— like sleeves that call me near.

a scent without a lord comes drifting forth in fragrance— on autumn fields wide, whose might it be, cast off and left, this wisteria-robe I see?

a scent without a lord
comes drifting forth in fragrance—
on autumn fields wide,
whose might it be, cast off and left,
this wisteria-robe I see?