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?

Meaning

On the Tatsuta River, the scattered maple leaves flow in disarray—if I were to cross, would not that brocade be broken?

Commentary

Book Five Autumn Poems (Part Two)

The scene of maple leaves scattered and flowing along the Tatsuta River is likened to a brocade textile of vivid beauty. One would hesitate to disturb such beauty.

A note states that some say this poem was composed by the Emperor of Nara.

The Tatsuta River flows from the Ikoma mountains in Nara Prefecture and joins the Yamato River near Ikaruga, and it is famed for its autumn leaves.

Author

Unknown Poet

Source

Kokin Wakashu

Other

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
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 drift with the flow— in the sacred hills of Mimuro, high among the gods, showers must be falling now
when longing comes to me, I shall gaze and think on them— maple leaves of red; do not scatter them away, O wind that blows down the hills

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?

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?