Hafurira ga iwau yashiro no momichiba mo shimenawa koete chiru to iu mono o

祝らが斎ふ社の黄葉も
標縄越えて散るといふものを

Roma-ji: Hafurira ga iwau yashiro no momichiba mo shimenawa koete chiru to iu mono o
English Translation: Even at the shrine
that the priests tend with such care,
the crimson leaves there,
crossing over sacred ropes,
scatter out, so it is said.
Meaning: Even the autumn leaves of the shrine the priests so carefully tend, they say, scatter beyond the sacred ropes.
Commentary: Book Ten Autumn Love Poems 2309

Headnote: "Allegorical Poems"
This poem says that even the autumn leaves of the shrine carefully tended by priests are said to scatter beyond the sacred ropes, and its headnote is "Allegorical Poems." The leaves of a strictly guarded shrine scattering beyond its ropes are thought to carry the sense that even a woman closely guarded by those around her may cross boundaries for love. Placed last among the tanka of the autumn love poems, it sings of feelings that overcome love's obstacles.

In the first line, "hafurira ga," "hafuri" are priests who serve the gods.
In the second line, "iwau yashiro no," "iwau" means to purify oneself and worship with care.
The third line, "even the autumn leaves," uses "mo" with the sense of even.
In the fourth line, "shimenawa koete," "shimenawa" is the rope marking sacred ground.
In the last line, "chiru to iu mono o," "mono o" is adversative and exclamatory: though they say they scatter. It closes in suspension, leaving the feeling unspoken.
Source: Manyoshu
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