Ima wa tote utsurihatenishi kiku no hana kaeru iro o ba tare ka mirubeki - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

今はとてうつり果てにし菊の花
かへる色をば誰か見るべき

Roma-ji: Ima wa tote utsurihatenishi kiku no hana kaeru iro o ba tare ka mirubeki
English Translation: Saying, "This is the end,"
it has faded through and through,
the chrysanthemum—
its color turning back again,
who is there who would look
Meaning: The chrysanthemum that has faded completely, saying this is the end—who would ever look upon its color turning back again?
Commentary: Book Twelve Love Poems IV 853

Headnote: "Reply."
The poet asks who would look upon the returning color of a chrysanthemum that has faded completely, saying this is the end. To the man who says her heart might return, she coldly answers that even if the color came back after fading entirely, no one would care any longer.
It is the reply to the preceding poem, 852, taking up its "chrysanthemum," "utsuru," and "kaeru."
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Ima wa tote," means "saying this is the end." 803 in this book shares the same opening line.
The second line, "utsurihatenishi," means "that has faded completely," taking up "utsuru kokoro" in the preceding poem.
The third line, "kiku no hana," takes up the first line of the preceding poem unchanged.
The fourth line, "kaeru iro o ba," means "its returning color," answering "kaerinubeku mo" in the preceding poem.
The last line, "tare ka mirubeki," means "who would look," with "ka" a rhetorical binding particle closed by the attributive "beki."
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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