あしひきの山の紅葉は散りにけり
嵐の先に見てましものを
嵐の先に見てましものを
- Roma-ji
-
Ashihiki no yama no momiji wa chirinikeri arashi no saki ni mitemashi mono o
- English Translation
-
On the mountainside,
the leaves have scattered down—
had I only gone
before the storm wind came
and seen them while I could
- Meaning
- The autumn leaves of the mountain have scattered—if only I had gone to see them before the storm wind came.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 411
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that the mountain's leaves have scattered, and laments not having seen them before the storm wind blew. It regrets leaves scattered by the storm before they could be seen, and not having gone to look.
Where the poems before it likened strewn leaves to brocade, this one sings of regret over leaves already fallen. The next poem also sings of lingering regret over the leaves with "kuyashiki," regrettable.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.
The first line, "Ashihiki no," is a pillow word for "yama," mountain.
The second line, "yama no momiji wa," means "the leaves of the mountain."
In the third line, "keri" expresses realization: "they have scattered." The poem pauses here.
The fourth line, "arashi no saki ni," means "before the storm wind."
In the last line, "mashi" is the counterfactual auxiliary and "mono o" an adversative exclamation: "I should have seen them."
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Akikaze ni chiru momijiba wa ominaeshi yado ni orishiku nishiki narikeri
- Next Poem
-
Momijiba no furishiku aki no yamabe koso tachite kuyashiki nishiki narikere