あしひきの山の山守もる山も
紅葉せさする秋は来にけり
紅葉せさする秋は来にけり
- Roma-ji
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Ashihiki no yama no yamamori moru yama mo momiji sesasuru aki wa kinikeri
- English Translation
-
Even Moru,
the mountain the mountain warden
watches over—
autumn, which makes the leaves turn,
has come to it at last
- Meaning
- Even to Mount Moru, which the mountain warden watches over, autumn has come, the season that turns the leaves to color.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 384
Headnote: "On crossing Mount Moruyama."
The poet says that even to Mount Moru, watched over by the mountain warden, autumn has come to turn the leaves. It wittily suggests that even a guarded mountain cannot keep autumn from coloring its trees.
According to the headnote, it was composed while crossing Moruyama in the province of Ōmi. Following the poems on Mount Tatsuta, this one sings of the autumn leaves of Moruyama.
The poet, called "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. A son of Ki no Mochiyuki, he was the leading compiler of the Kokin Wakashū and wrote its kana preface. He served as governor of Tosa among other posts, is known as the author of the Tosa Diary, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
The first line, "Ashihiki no," is a pillow word for "yama," mountain.
The second line, "yama no yamamori," means "the warden of the mountain," repeating the word "yama."
In the third line, "moru" is a pivot word meaning both "to guard," as the warden does, and the place name "Moruyama" in Ōmi.
In the fourth line, "sesasuru" means "to make it do so": "that makes the leaves turn."
In the last line, "keri" expresses realization: "autumn has come."
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Karakoromo Tatsuta no yama no momijiba wa mono omou hito no tamoto narikeri
- Next Poem
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Karanishiki Tatsuta no yama mo ima yori wa momiji nagara ni tokiwa naranan