on Mount Saho’s slopes
the oak leaves, now turning gold,
seem about to fall—
so even through the night, see them,
the moonlight shines and reveals
- Meaning
- Since the oak leaves of Mount Saho seem about to fall, the moonlight shines as if to say: behold them even through the night.
- Commentary
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Book Five Autumn Poems (Part Two)
A poem expressing the poet’s sense of beauty in the autumn leaves illuminated by the bright moon, while also lamenting that they will soon fall.
“Hahaso” refers to oak trees such as nara, konara, beech, and kashiwa.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
- Other
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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
- from the place it bloomed now moved to another dwelling— chrysanthemum flowers, even in their very hue have come to change as well
- in the deep mountains on rocky cliffs, the maple leaves seem about to fall— never once seeing the light of the sun that brightly shines
- on Tatsuta River maple leaves in wild disorder flow along its course— if I should try to cross it, would that brocade not be torn?