秋萩の下葉を見ずは忘らるる
人の心をいかで知らまし
人の心をいかで知らまし
- Roma-ji
-
Akihagi no shitaba o mizu wa wasuraruru hito no kokoro o ika de shiramashi
- English Translation
-
Had I not seen how
the lower leaves of autumn
clover change their hue,
how could I have ever known
the heart that forgets me so?
- Meaning
- Had I not seen the lower leaves of the autumn bush clover change color, how could I ever have known the heart of the one forgetting me?
- Commentary
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Book Thirteen Love Poems III 838
Headnote: "Sent to the Chūjō Consort, attached to a spray of bush clover"
The poem says that had one not seen the lower leaves of the autumn bush clover changing color, how could one have known the heart of the person forgetting one? The headnote shows it was sent to the Chūjō Consort, attached to a spray of bush clover. In the clover whose lower leaves are first to turn and fade, it lays a heart changing where it is not seen.
The author, "Prince Hirohira," was the first son of Emperor Murakami. His mother was Sukehime, daughter of Fujiwara no Motokata, and he was appointed Minister of Military Affairs.
First line, "akihagi no," means "of the autumn bush clover." It shares autumn bush clover with the fourth line of the preceding poem, 837, "ueshi akihagi."
Second line, "shitaba o mizu wa," means "had I not seen the lower leaves turn," with "zu wa" a negative supposition. It shares "shitaba" with the second line of 840, "shitaba bakari to."
Third line, "wasuraruru," means "forgetting." It is the same word as the first line of 811, "wasuraruru," but where that one speaks of oneself forgetting, here it speaks of the other forgetting.
Fourth line, "hito no kokoro o," means "your heart."
Final line, "ika de shiramashi," means "how could I have known," with "mashi" counterfactual.
- Author
- Prince Hirohira
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Koishiku wa katami ni semu to waga yado ni ueshi akihagi ima sakari nari
- Next Poem
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Shime yuwanu nobe no akihagi kaze fukeba tofushi kakufushi mono o koso omoe