Momijiba no nagaruru aki wa kawa goto ni nishiki arau to hito ya miruramu - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

紅葉葉の流るる秋は川ごとに
錦洗ふと人や見るらむ

Roma-ji: Momijiba no nagaruru aki wa kawa goto ni nishiki arau to hito ya miruramu
English Translation: In the autumn when
the colored leaves float downstream,
in every river
will people think they see
brocade being washed
Meaning: In the autumn, when the colored leaves float downstream, will people think brocade is being washed in every river?
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 415

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet wonders whether, in autumn when the leaves float downstream, people will think brocade is being washed in every river. It likens the many-colored leaves drifting on the water to brocade rinsed in a river.
In Shu in China, it is said that finished brocade was rinsed in the river. Where the two poems before it sang of the leaves of the Tatsuta River, this one sings of an autumn in which leaves flow down every river.
The poet is listed as "anonymous," and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Momijiba no," means "the colored leaves."
The second line, "nagaruru aki wa," means "in the autumn when they flow."
The third line, "kawa goto ni," means "in every river."
The fourth line, "nishiki arau to," means "that brocade is being washed," likening the flowing leaves to brocade.
In the last line, "ya" is an interrogative particle forming a kakarimusubi pattern with the attributive "ramu": "will people see it so?" 404 of this book has the same last line, singing of people's eyes seeing the leaves as brocade.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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