When shall I pluck it
with my own hand and behold
this young field grass here
that runs down in its roots to
the purple gromwell's own root

Meaning

How soon may I pluck with my own hand and keep this young grass of the fields, whose roots run down to the roots of the purple gromwell?

Commentary

Part One: Wakamurasaki

　Even after his visit to the nun, Genji could not get the girl out of his head. On an autumn evening, in a mood of desolation, he spoke this poem almost to himself, wishing he could take her into his own keeping. Shortly afterward the nun died, and the girl was left without anyone to look after her. Genji saw his chance and set his mind on bringing her to the Nijo residence.

　"Murasaki" is the gromwell, whose root yields purple dye, and because of that root the word is used for ties of blood. Here it means Fujitsubo, and "the young grass of the fields" is her niece, the girl. His feeling for Fujitsubo passing to the child who is her kin is set into an image of one root and the grass growing from it. Central to the chapter, this poem is also the source of the name by which Murasaki no Ue is known.

Author

Murasaki Shikibu

Source

Genji Monogatari

Other

When shall I pluck it with my own hand and behold this young field grass here that runs down in its roots to the purple gromwell's own root

When shall I pluck it
with my own hand and behold
this young field grass here
that runs down in its roots to
the purple gromwell's own root