流れくる紅葉葉見れば唐錦
滝の糸もて織れるなりけり
滝の糸もて織れるなりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Nagarekuru momijiba mireba karanishiki taki no ito mote oreru narikeri
- English Translation
-
As I gaze upon
the colored leaves that come flowing,
brocade from Cathay—
woven with the threads of
the waterfall it must be.
- Meaning
- Looking at the autumn leaves flowing down, I see that they are a Chinese brocade woven with the threads of the waterfall.
- Commentary
-
Book Four Winter Poems 221
Headnote: "In the Engi era, for a folding screen at the residence of the Fourth Princess"
The poet likens autumn leaves flowing down from a waterfall to Chinese brocade woven with the white strands of the falls as its thread. The pairing of white water and many-colored leaves is unified through the figure of weaving. According to the headnote, it was written for a folding screen at the residence of the Fourth Princess in the Engi era of Emperor Daigo; she is thought to be Princess Kinshi, the fourth daughter of Emperor Daigo.
The author, written as Tsurayuki, is Ki no Tsurayuki. The leading compiler of the Kokinshū, he wrote its Kana Preface and the Tosa Diary, and he is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.
First line, "nagarekuru," means "flowing down."
Second line, "momijiba mireba," means "when I see the autumn leaves."
Third line, "karanishiki," is fine imported brocade, a figure for the leaves. Following the preceding poem and 216 in this book, it repeats the conceit of seeing the leaves as brocade.
Fourth line, "taki no ito mote," means "with the threads of the waterfall," likening the white streams of falling water to thread. "Mote" is a contracted form of "mochite."
Final line, "oreru narikeri," means "it was woven," with "thread" and "weave" as associated words for brocade and "keri" expressing the exclamation of realization.
- Author
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Shigure yue kazuku tamoto o yosobito wa momiji o harau sode ka to ya min