Karakoromo Tatsuta no yama no momijiba wa hatamono mo naki nishiki narikeri - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

唐衣たつたの山の紅葉葉は
はた物もなき錦なりけり

Roma-ji: Karakoromo Tatsuta no yama no momijiba wa hatamono mo naki nishiki narikeri
English Translation: The autumn leaves
of Tatsuta, where robes
of Cathay are cut,
are a brocade, I find,
woven with no loom at all
Meaning: The autumn leaves of Mount Tatsuta, I see, are a brocade woven without any loom.
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 386

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that the autumn leaves of Mount Tatsuta turn out to be a brocade woven without any loom. It praises the splendor of the leaves as a brocade woven by nature, not by human hands.
It places "karakoromo Tatsuta no yama no momijiba wa" in its upper verse, as 383 of this book does; where 383 saw the leaves as the sleeves of one in sorrow, this one sees them as brocade woven without a loom.
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, "Karakoromo," Chinese robe, is a pillow word for "tatsu," since robes are cut, "tatsu."
In the second line, "tatsu" is a pivot word meaning both "to cut" cloth and the place name "Tatsuta."
The third line, "momijiba wa," means "the colored leaves," and the first three lines are the same as those of 383 of this book.
In the fourth line, "hatamono" is a loom: "without a loom."
In the last line, "keri" expresses realization: "it is brocade, I see." "Nishiki," brocade, is an associated word with "karakoromo" in the first line and "hatamono" in the fourth.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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