枝も葉もうつろふ秋の花見れば
果ては影なくなりぬべらなり
果ては影なくなりぬべらなり
- Roma-ji
-
Eda mo ha mo utsurou aki no hana mireba hate wa kage naku narinu beranari
- English Translation
-
When I look upon
the autumn flower whose branches
and leaves are fading,
it seems that in the end
not even a shade will remain
- Meaning
- When I look at the autumn flower, its branches and leaves all fading, it seems that in the end not even its shade will remain.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 432
Headnote: "When he was lamenting that he had not risen in the world, Ki no Tomonori sent to ask how he was, and in reply he picked a chrysanthemum and sent it."
The poet says that looking at the autumn flower, its branches and leaves fading, it seems that in the end even its form will be gone. In the declining chrysanthemum, he sees himself sinking without advancement, and voices his fear of losing all shelter to rely on.
According to the headnote, when he was lamenting his lack of advancement, Ki no Tomonori sent to ask how he was, and in reply he sent a picked chrysanthemum. It forms an exchange with the next poem.
The poet, Fujiwara no Tadayuki, was a courtier of the early Heian period. According to the headnote, he was on close terms with Ki no Tomonori.
The first line, "Eda mo ha mo," means "branches and leaves alike."
In the second line, "utsurou" means to fade, to decline: "of autumn, fading."
The third line, "hana mireba," means "when I look at the flower," meaning the chrysanthemum.
In the fourth line, "kage" overlays the form of the flower with the sense of a shade to shelter in, protection.
In the last line, "beranari" expresses conjecture: "it seems it will become so." The presence or absence of "kage" pairs it with "kage wa shigeran," the last line of the next poem.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Tadayuki
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Itazura ni tsuyu ni okaruru hana ka tote kokoro mo shiranu hito ya orikemu
- Next Poem
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Shizuku mote yowai nobu chō hana nareba chiyo no aki ni zo kage wa shigeran