Kusamakura momiji mushiro ni kaetaraba kokoro o kudaku mono naramashi ya - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

草枕紅葉むしろに代へたらば
心をくだくものならましや

Roma-ji: Kusamakura momiji mushiro ni kaetaraba kokoro o kudaku mono naramashi ya
English Translation: If the grass pillow
of the road could be exchanged
for a mat of leaves,
would traveling still be a thing
that breaks the heart in pieces
Meaning: If one could trade the grass pillow of the road for a mat of crimson leaves, would travel still be something that wears the heart to pieces?
Commentary: Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1364

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet asks whether, if the grass pillow were exchanged for a mat of autumn leaves, travel would still break the heart. Even a hard night on the road, pillowed on grass, he suggests, would no longer trouble the heart if spread with beautiful autumn leaves, finding solace for the journey in their beauty.
The poet, "Teiji-in," is Emperor Uda. A son of Emperor Kōkō, he abdicated in favor of Emperor Daigo and later took holy orders as Cloistered Emperor. Because he made the Teiji-in his residence, he was also called the Teiji-in Emperor.

The first line, "Kusamakura," is a pillow of tied grass for sleeping on the road, an image of hard travel.
The second line, "momiji mushiro ni," means "for a mat of autumn leaves," seeing the fallen leaves as a straw mat.
The third line, "kaetaraba," means "if one exchanged it," with "ba" a supposition.
The fourth line, "kokoro o kudaku," means "that breaks the heart."
The last line, "mono naramashi ya," means "would it be so? Surely not," answering "taraba" as a counterfactual, with "ya" rhetorical.
Author: Emperor Uda
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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