秋の月光さやけみ紅葉葉の
落つる影さへ見えわたるかな
落つる影さへ見えわたるかな
- Roma-ji
-
Aki no tsuki hikari sayakemi momijiba no otsuru kage sae miewataru kana
- English Translation
-
The autumn moon
shines so clear and bright
that the colored leaves—
even the shapes of their falling
can be seen all around
- Meaning
- The light of the autumn moon is so clear and bright that even the shapes of the falling leaves can be seen all around.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Autumn Poems III 434
Headnote: "Presented when, in the Engi era, the emperor called for autumn poems."
The poet says that because the light of the autumn moon is so clear and bright, even the shapes of the falling leaves can be clearly seen all around. It captures the beauty of leaves fluttering down in the moonlight.
According to the headnote, it was presented when Emperor Daigo, in the Engi era, called for autumn poems. Answering 428 of this book, which asked whether the brightness of the autumn moon was meant to let us watch the falling leaves by night, this one actually sees the leaves falling in the moonlight.
The poet, called "Tsurayuki," is Ki no Tsurayuki. A son of Ki no Mochiyuki, he was the leading compiler of the Kokin Wakashū and wrote its kana preface. He served as governor of Tosa among other posts, is known as the author of the Tosa Diary, and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
The first line, "Aki no tsuki," means "of the autumn moon."
The second line, "hikari sayakemi," means "since its light is clear and bright," in the mi-construction.
The third line, "momijiba no," means "of the colored leaves."
In the fourth line, "kage" means form or shape, and "sae" means "even": "even the shapes of their falling."
In the last line, "miewataru" means to be seen all around, and "kana" is an exclamatory particle.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Shizuku mote yowai nobu chō hana nareba chiyo no aki ni zo kage wa shigeran
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Aki goto ni tsura o hanarenu karigane wa haru kaeru tomo kaerazaranan