Momijiba o waketsutsu yukeba nishiki kite ie ni kaeru to hito ya miruran - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

紅葉葉を分けつつ行けば錦着て
家に帰ると人や見るらん

Roma-ji: Momijiba o waketsutsu yukeba nishiki kite ie ni kaeru to hito ya miruran
English Translation: As I make my way
pushing through the autumn leaves,
will people see me
as one who goes home again
dressed in robes of brocade
Meaning: As I make my way through the autumn leaves, will people see me as one returning home dressed in brocade?
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 404

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet wonders whether, going along the mountain path through the autumn leaves, one will be taken for someone returning home dressed in brocade. It is a witty poem likening the poet, wrapped in autumn leaves on the way home, to one who has risen in the world and returns home in brocade.
It draws on the story in the Chinese Records of the Grand Historian of returning home in brocade after gaining wealth and rank. Taking up the conceit of wearing the brocade of leaves from the preceding poem, it develops it into the figure of one going home in brocade.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us. The text gives the poet as "yomibito mo," which is treated here as "anonymous."

The first line, "Momijiba o," means "the colored leaves."
The second line, "waketsutsu yukeba," means "since I go pushing through them."
The third line, "nishiki kite," means "wearing brocade," taking up "nishiki o kinu hito zo naki" from the preceding poem.
The fourth line, "ie ni kaeru to," means "returning home," drawing on the story of going home in brocade.
In the last line, "ya" is an interrogative particle forming a kakarimusubi pattern with the attributive "ran": "will people see me so?"
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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