我が衣色取り染めむ味酒
三室の山は黄葉しにけり
三室の山は黄葉しにけり
- Roma-ji
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Aga koromo irodori somemu umasake mimuro no yama wa momichi shinikeri
- English Translation
-
This robe of mine
I will dye in colors taken—
for sweet-wine Mimuro,
those sacred hills of Mimuro,
have turned to autumn's hues
- Meaning
- I will dye my robe in borrowed colors—for the hills of sacred Mimuro have turned bright with autumn leaves.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1094
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "On Mountains"
Seeing Mount Miwa beautifully colored with autumn leaves, the poet resolves to dye his own robe in those hues. The wish to take the color of the foliage upon himself carries admiration for the beauty of the sacred mountain.
One of the group on mountains, it is noted on the left as "The three poems above come from the Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection." Within that collection it is written in the so-called abbreviated style, which omits particles and the like.
The first line, "This robe of mine," means "my garment."
In the second line, "I will dye in colors taken," "mu" expresses intention. The poem pauses after the second line, stating the wish first.
The third line uses "umasake," fine wine offered to the gods, as a pillow word for "Mimuro."
The fourth line, "those sacred hills of Mimuro," refers to Mount Miwa, the sacred mountain also called "Mimoro" in the preceding poem.
The final line, "have turned to autumn's hues," closes with an exclamation of realization. By inversion it gives the reason afterward, grounding the wish of the second line.
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
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Mimoro no sono yamanami ni kora ga te o makimukuyama wa tsugi shi yoroshi mo
- Next Poem
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Mimoro tsuku miwayama mireba komoriku no hatsuse no hibara omōyuru kamo