初時雨降れば山辺ぞ思ほゆる
いづれの方かまづもみづらん
いづれの方かまづもみづらん
- Roma-ji
-
Hatsushigure fureba yamabe zo omohoyuru izure no kata ka mazu momizuran
- English Translation
-
When the first showers
of autumn fall, my thoughts turn
toward the mountains—
which of their slopes, I wonder,
will be the first to color
- Meaning
- When the first autumn showers fall, my thoughts turn to the mountains—which of their slopes, I wonder, will be the first to color?
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 375
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that when the first showers of autumn fall, the mind turns to the mountains, wondering which slopes will be the first to color. Drawing on the idea that showers dye the leaves, it turns the heart toward the beginning of the autumn colors.
From this poem on, poems on autumn leaves follow. Where the opening poem, 351, sang of purple trousers flowers wet with showers, this one moves from the showers to the colored leaves of the hills.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Hatsushigure," means the first shower of the autumn.
The second line, "fureba yamabe zo," means "when it falls, the hills," with "zo" a binding particle.
The third line, "omohoyuru," means "come naturally to mind," with "zo" in the second line and the attributive "omohoyuru" forming a kakarimusubi pattern. The poem pauses here.
In the fourth line, "izure no kata ka" means "which direction," with "ka" an interrogative particle.
In the last line, "momizu" means to turn to autumn colors: "will be the first to color?" "Ka" in the fourth line and the attributive "ran" form a kakarimusubi pattern.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Uchihaete kage to zo tanomu mine no matsu iro toru aki no kaze ni utsuru na
- Next Poem
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Imo ga himo toku to musubu to Tatsutayama ima zo momiji no nishiki orikeru