妹が紐解くと結ぶとたつた山
今ぞ紅葉の錦織りける
今ぞ紅葉の錦織りける
- Roma-ji
-
Imo ga himo toku to musubu to Tatsutayama ima zo momiji no nishiki orikeru
- English Translation
-
My love's sash untied,
then tied, and so I rise—
Tatsuta's hills
now at last have woven
the brocade of autumn leaves
- Meaning
- Mount Tatsuta has now at last woven its brocade of autumn leaves.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 376
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that Mount Tatsuta has now at last woven its brocade of autumn leaves. It likens the many-colored hills of Tatsuta to a finished brocade.
The upper verse draws "Tatsutayama" from a love scene, untying and tying a beloved's sash and rising to leave, and then turns to the brocade of leaves. Following the preceding poem, which wondered where the colors would begin, this one sings of the leaves at their height.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Imo ga himo," means "my beloved's sash."
The second line, "toku to musubu to," means "untying it and tying it," and together with the first line forms a preface leading to "tatsu" in the third line. "Toku" and "musubu" are associated words with "himo," sash.
In the third line, "tatsu" is a pivot word meaning both to rise and leave and the place name "Tatsuta." Mount Tatsuta, on the border of Yamato and Kawachi, is famous for its autumn leaves.
The fourth line, "ima zo momiji no," means "now indeed, of autumn leaves," with "zo" a binding particle.
The last line, "nishiki orikeru," means "has woven its brocade," with "zo" in the fourth line and the attributive "keru" forming a kakarimusubi pattern. "Oru," to weave, is an associated word with the sash and the brocade.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Hatsushigure fureba yamabe zo omohoyuru izure no kata ka mazu momizuran
- Next Poem
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Kari nakite samuki ashita no tsuyu narashi Tatsuta no yama o momidasu mono wa