住吉の遠里小野の真榛もち
摺れる衣の盛り過ぎゆく
摺れる衣の盛り過ぎゆく
- Roma-ji
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Suminoe no tōsatoono no mahari mochi sureru koromo no sakari sugiyuku
- English Translation
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At Suminoe,
in Tōsato's little fields,
with alder dyed,
the rubbed colors of my robe
are past their prime and fading
- Meaning
- The robe I dyed with alder from the fields of Tōsato at Suminoe—its colors are passing their prime and fading away.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1156
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed in Settsu"
The poet notes that the color of his robe, rub-dyed with alder from the fields of Tōsato at Suminoe, is gradually fading past its prime. The waning color may also be read as reflecting the length of his journey or the passing of youth.
It is one of the poems composed in Settsu. Tōsato-ono is thought to lie east of Suminoe, from present-day Sumiyoshi Ward in Osaka to Sakai. A robe dyed with alder also appears in poem 1166 in this book. The poet is unknown.
The first line names Suminoe in Settsu.
The second line names Tōsato-ono, a place at Suminoe.
The third line, "with alder dyed," uses the honorific "ma"; alder bark and cones were used as dye.
The fourth line, "the rubbed colors of my robe," refers to a garment rub-dyed.
The final line, "are past their prime and fading," expresses the passage of time through the fading color of the robe.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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