Akigiri no tachi shi kakuseba momijiba wa obotsukanakute chirinu beranari - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

秋霧の立ちし隠せば紅葉葉は
おぼつかなくて散りぬべらなり

Roma-ji: Akigiri no tachi shi kakuseba momijiba wa obotsukanakute chirinu beranari
English Translation: Since autumn mist
rises up and hides them all,
the colored leaves
will scatter, it seems,
before they are clearly seen
Meaning: Since the autumn mist rises and hides them, the colored leaves seem likely to scatter before they can be clearly seen.
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 392

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that because the autumn mist rises and hides the leaves, they seem likely to scatter without ever being clearly seen. It conveys the frustration of being kept by mist from seeing the leaves to the end.
Following the preceding poem on leaves seen only in the mind, this one too sings of leaves that cannot be seen, hidden by mist.
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, "Akigiri no," means "the autumn mist."
In the second line, "shi" is an emphatic particle: "since it rises and hides them."
The third line, "momijiba wa," means "the colored leaves."
The fourth line, "obotsukanakute," means "while still indistinct."
In the last line, "beranari" expresses conjecture: "they seem likely to scatter." 406 of this book has the same last line, "chirinu beranari," singing of the scattering of the leaves.
Author: Ki no Tsurayuki
Source: Gosen Wakashu
Prev Poem: Tamakazura Katsuragiyama no momijiba wa omokage ni nomi miewataru kana
Next Poem: Kagamiyama yama kakikumori shigururedo momiji akaku zo aki wa miekeru