Akiyama ni madou kokoro o Miyataki no taki no shiraawa ni kechi ya hatetemu - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

秋山に惑ふ心を宮滝の
滝の白泡に消ちや果ててむ

Roma-ji: Akiyama ni madou kokoro o Miyataki no taki no shiraawa ni kechi ya hatetemu
English Translation: The heart that wanders
lost amid the autumn hills—
in the falls of Miyataki,
in the white foam of the falls,
shall I quench it utterly
Meaning: This heart that wanders lost among the autumn hills—shall I quench it completely in the white foam of the falls at Miyataki?
Commentary: Book Nineteen Parting Poems 1367

Headnote: "At the Cloistered Emperor's command, when he visited the place called Miya no Taki."
The poet asks whether he should utterly quench, in the white foam of the Miyataki falls, the heart that wanders lost in the autumn hills. Bewitched by the autumn mountains in their glory, he wonders whether to extinguish his straying heart in the furious white foam of the falls, praising the beauty of the scene.
According to the headnote, it was composed at the command of Cloistered Emperor Uda when he visited the place called Miya no Taki. Poem 1356 of this book was likewise composed in attendance on the Cloistered Emperor's excursion to Miya no Taki. The book of parting poems, which ends with poems from the road, closes with this poem of Miya no Taki.
The poet, the priest Sosei, was a son of Archbishop Henjō and is counted among the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals. He also attended Cloistered Emperor Uda on his excursion to Miyataki in Yoshino. The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu includes his poem "Ima komu to iishi bakari ni nagatsuki no."

The first line, "Akiyama ni," means "in the autumn hills," bright with autumn leaves.
The second line, "madou kokoro o," means "the heart that wanders," a heart captivated and lost among the leaves.
The third line, "Miyataki no," means "of Miyataki," on the Yoshino River in Yamato.
The fourth line, "taki no shiraawa ni," means "in the white foam of the falls," with an extra syllable, repeating "taki" from the third line.
The last line, "kechi ya hatetemu," means "shall I quench it utterly," with the interrogative binding particle "ya" closed by the attributive "mu." "Foam" and "quench" are associated words.
Author: Sosei
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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