あしひきの山の木の葉の落ちくちば
いろのをしきぞあはれなりける
いろのをしきぞあはれなりける
- Roma-ji
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Ashihiki no yama no konoha no ochikuchiba iro no oshiki zo aware narikeru
- English Translation
-
Of the leaves of trees
in the rugged mountains, those
fallen and decayed—
how their color is regretted,
so deeply moving it is.
- Meaning
- How deeply moving it is to regret the color of the fallen, decaying leaves from the trees of the mountains.
- Commentary
-
Book Seven Names of Things 417
Headnote: "Kuchibairo no oshiki (dry-leaf-colored tray)"
The poet says it is deeply moving to feel regret for the color of the fallen, decaying leaves from the mountain trees. Singing of the late-autumn pathos of regretting the color of leaves that fall and rot, the poem hides the name "kuchibairo no oshiki" given in the headnote in the run of sounds "kuchiba iro no oshiki" from the third to the fourth line. The headnote names the thing hidden in the poem.
The author, written as Sukemi, is Fujiwara no Sukemi. A son of Fujiwara no Hirotsune, he was a mid-Heian poet known as Tōroku. He excelled at poems hiding the names of things, and his personal collection is the Tōrokushū.
First line, "ashihiki no," is a pillow word for mountains.
Second line, "yama no konoha no," means "the leaves of the mountain trees."
Third line, "ochikuchiba," means "fallen, decaying leaves." From its final "kuchiba" the name is hidden across the upper and lower verses.
Fourth line, "iro no oshiki zo," means "that their color is regretted," hiding the name "kuchibairo no oshiki" together with "kuchiba" in the third line. It is emphasized by the particle "zo."
Final line, "aware narikeru," means "how deeply moving it is," with "zo" resolved by the attributive "keru."
- Author
- Fujiwara no Sukemi
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
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Omou dochi tokoro mo kaezu sumihenan tachi hanarenaba koishikaru beshi
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Tsu no kuni no naniwa watari ni tsukuru ta wa ashi ka nae ka to e koso miwakane