月草に衣ぞ染むる君がため
斑の衣摺らむと思ひて
斑の衣摺らむと思ひて
- Roma-ji
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Tsukikusa ni koromo zo somuru kimi ga tame madara no koromo suramu to omoite
- English Translation
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With dayflower blue
I am dyeing cloth for you,
for you, my love,
thinking I would rub a robe
in dappled patterns bright
- Meaning
- I am dyeing cloth with dayflower for you, my love, thinking to rub-print you a robe in dappled patterns.
- Commentary
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Book Seven Miscellaneous Poems 1255
Headnote: "Occasional Poems"
The speaker is dyeing cloth with dayflower, meaning to rub-print a dappled robe for the one she loves. The poem conveys a woman's devotion in dyeing a garment for her beloved. Because dayflower dye fades easily, some read in it an anxiety about a changing heart.
It is the first poem under the heading "Occasional Poems" ("Rinji"), understood to mean poems composed as the occasion arose. It comes from the Old Poetry Collection. The poet is unknown.
The first line, "With dayflower blue," refers to "tsukikusa," whose petals were used to dye cloth blue, though the color faded easily.
The second line, "I am dyeing cloth for you," is a kakari-musubi construction in which "zo" is answered by the attributive "somuru," and the poem pauses here.
The third line, "for you, my love," states for whom.
The fourth line, "a robe in dappled patterns," refers to a garment of mottled design.
The final line, "thinking I would rub a robe," gives the purpose by inversion.
- Source
- Manyoshu
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