咲きそめし宿しかはれば菊の花
色さへにこそ移ろひにけれ
色さへにこそ移ろひにけれ
- Roma-ji
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Sakisomeshi yado shi kawareba kiku no hana
iro sae ni koso utsuroinikere - English Translation
-
from the place it bloomed
now moved to another dwelling—
chrysanthemum flowers,
even in their very hue
have come to change as well
- Meaning
- Since it was moved from the place where it first began to bloom, the chrysanthemum has changed even in its color.
- Commentary
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Book Five Autumn Poems (Part Two)
A poem composed on transplanting chrysanthemums from another person’s residence into one’s own.
“Utsurou” means not only that the color of the flower changes, but also carries the sense of movement or transition. As chrysanthemums change color with the season, the poem may also suggest the deepening of autumn and the passage of time.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Aki o okite toki koso arikere kiku no hana
utsurou kara ni iro no masareba - Next Poem
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Sahoyama no hahaso no momiji chirinubemi
yoru sae mi yo to terasu tsukikage