Kimi kou to namida ni nururu waga sode to aki no momiji to izure masareri - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

君恋ふと涙に濡るるわが袖と
秋の紅葉といづれまされり

Roma-ji: Kimi kou to namida ni nururu waga sode to aki no momiji to izure masareri
English Translation: My sleeves wet with tears
as I yearn for you, my love,
and autumn's red leaves—
which of these two, tell me,
runs deeper in its color
Meaning: My sleeves, wet with the tears I shed for love of you, and the autumn leaves—which of the two is deeper in color?
Commentary: Book Seven Autumn Poems III 427

Headnote: "Sent to a woman with autumn leaves and a scrap of deep-colored cloth."
The poet asks which is deeper in color, his sleeves wet with tears shed for love of her or the autumn leaves. Comparing sleeves dyed with crimson tears of grief to the autumn leaves, he pleads the depth of his love.
According to the headnote, it was composed when he sent a woman autumn leaves and a scrap of deep-colored cloth. Taking the deep-colored cloth for a sleeve dyed with crimson tears, he sets it beside the leaves for her to compare.
The poet, written in kana as "Minamoto no Totonou," is Minamoto no Totonou, a man of the early Heian period about whom little is known.
The text gives the last line as "izure masareri," which does not match "izure masakeri" in the kana reading line. The wording of the text is followed here.

The first line, "Kimi kou to," means "longing for you."
The second line, "namida ni nururu," means "wet with tears."
The third line, "waga sode to," means "my sleeves and," pointing to sleeves dyed by crimson tears.
The fourth line, "aki no momiji to," means "the autumn leaves," set beside the third line for comparison.
The last line, "izure masareri," means "which is superior," comparing the depth of their colors.
Author: Minamoto no Totonou
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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