秋をおきて時こそ有りけれ菊の花
うつろふからに色のまされば
うつろふからに色のまされば
- Roma-ji
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Aki o okite toki koso arikere kiku no hana
utsurou kara ni iro no masareba - English Translation
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beyond the time of autumn
there is yet another prime—
chrysanthemum blooms;
as their colors fade away,
all the more their beauty grows
- Meaning
- Beyond autumn itself, the chrysanthemum has another season of its prime—for as its color changes, its beauty only deepens.
- Commentary
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Book Five Autumn Poems (Part Two)
A poem composed and presented when the retired Emperor Uda, residing at Ninna-ji, requested that a waka be offered together with chrysanthemums.
Although autumn is the season of chrysanthemums, even after autumn passes, as their colors change, they take on a different kind of beauty. This is likened to the emperor, who, even after abdication and entering the religious life, continues to flourish, and thus the poem carries a tone of celebration.
Ninna-ji was founded by Emperor Uda in what is now Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, where he resided after his abdication.
- Author
- Taira no Sadabumi
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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Iro kawaru aki no kiku o ba hitotose ni
futatabi niou hana to koso mire - Next Poem
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Sakisomeshi yado shi kawareba kiku no hana
iro sae ni koso utsuroinikere