秋山にもみつ木の葉のうつりなば
さらにや秋を見まく欲りせむ
さらにや秋を見まく欲りせむ
- Roma-ji
-
Akiyama ni momitsu konoha no utsurinaba sara ni ya aki o mimaku horisemu
- English Translation
-
On the autumn hills
when the colored leaves of trees
have fallen away,
will I all the more, I wonder,
long to see the autumn then?
- Meaning
- When the colored leaves on the autumn hills have fallen away, will I long all the more to see the autumn?
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Autumn Miscellaneous Poems 1516
Headnote: "A poem by Prince Yamabe regretting the autumn leaves"
The poet regrets the falling of the autumn leaves, saying that when the colored leaves of the autumn hills are gone, he will surely long to see autumn all the more. While the leaves are still beautiful, he anticipates the feeling after they are lost.
The author, Prince Yamabe, was a member of the imperial family in the Nara period; little is known of him.
The first line names the autumn hills adorned with colored leaves.
The second line means "the leaves that have colored."
The third line is a supposition formed by the perfective "na" with "ba": "if they fall away."
The fourth line, with the interrogative "ya," leads into a surmise: "all the more, autumn."
The final line means "will I wish to see it," closing in the attributive form in answer to the "ya" of the fourth line. Just as 1495 of this book foresees longing later for the cuckoo it has begun to hear, this poem anticipates the longing after present beauty is lost.
- Author
- Prince Yamabe
- Source
- Manyoshu
- Prev Poem
-
Koto shigeki sato ni sumazu wa kesa nakishi kari ni taguite yukamashi mono o
- Next Poem
-
Umasake miwa no hafuri no yama terasu aki no momichi no chiramaku oshi mo