Akikaze ni chiru momijiba wa ominaeshi yado ni orishiku nishiki narikeri - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

秋風に散る紅葉葉は女郎花
宿におりしく錦なりけり

Roma-ji: Akikaze ni chiru momijiba wa ominaeshi yado ni orishiku nishiki narikeri
English Translation: The colored leaves
that scatter on the autumn wind
are a brocade, I find,
woven and spread at the house
where the maiden flower dwells
Meaning: The autumn leaves that scatter on the autumn wind are, I find, a brocade woven and spread at the house of the maiden flower.
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 410

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that the leaves scattering on the autumn wind turn out to be a brocade woven and spread at the house of the maiden flower. Likening the maiden flower to the mistress of a house, it sees the leaves strewn in her garden as brocade laid out for her.
Where 408 of this book sang of the brocade spread in the autumn forest, this one sings of brocade spread at the house of the maiden flower.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Akikaze ni," means "on the autumn wind."
The second line, "chiru momijiba wa," means "the scattering leaves."
The third line, "ominaeshi," is one of the seven flowers of autumn, likened to a woman through the "woman" in its name.
In the fourth line, "orishiku" is a pivot word meaning both to "weave and spread" brocade and to "break and spread" branches.
In the last line, "keri" expresses realization: "it is brocade, I find." "Nishiki," brocade, is an associated word with "oru," to weave, in the fourth line.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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