玉かづら葛城山の紅葉葉は
面影にのみ見えわたるかな
面影にのみ見えわたるかな
- Roma-ji
-
Tamakazura Katsuragiyama no momijiba wa omokage ni nomi miewataru kana
- English Translation
-
The autumn leaves
of Mount Katsuragi,
twined like jeweled vines,
only as a phantom image
go on appearing to me
- Meaning
- The autumn leaves of Mount Katsuragi go on appearing to me, but only as an image in my mind.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 391
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that the autumn leaves of Mount Katsuragi cannot be seen in fact, and go on appearing only as an image in the mind. Picturing the leaves of a distant famous place, it conveys the frustration of being unable to go and see them.
Where the poems before it sang of leaves before the eyes or seen from afar, this one sings of leaves that rise in the mind.
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, "Tamakazura," an elegant name for a vine, is a pillow word for "Katsuragi" through the sound "kazura."
The second line, "Katsuragiyama no," means "of Mount Katsuragi," on the border of Yamato and Kawachi.
The third line, "momijiba wa," means "the colored leaves."
The fourth line, "omokage ni nomi," means "only as an image in the mind," showing that they cannot actually be seen.
In the last line, "miewataru" means to go on appearing, and "kana" is an exclamatory particle.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Ada nari to ware wa minaku ni momijiba o iro no kawareru aki shi nakereba
- Next Poem
-
Akigiri no tachi shi kakuseba momijiba wa obotsukanakute chirinu beranari