Fuku kaze ni chiru mono naraba kiku no hana kumoi nari tomo iro wa mitemashi - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

吹く風に散るものならば菊の花
くもゐなりとも色は見てまし

Roma-ji: Fuku kaze ni chiru mono naraba kiku no hana kumoi nari tomo iro wa mitemashi
English Translation: If by blowing wind
they were things that scattered down,
chrysanthemum flowers,
though they bloom above the clouds,
I could have seen their colors.
Meaning: If chrysanthemums were flowers that scattered in the wind, I could have seen their colors, even though they bloom above the clouds in the palace.
Commentary: Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1121

Headnote: "Presented on the morning after a chrysanthemum banquet in the Tenryaku era"
The poet says that if chrysanthemums scattered in the wind, he could have seen their colors even though they bloom above the clouds in the palace. The headnote shows it was presented on the morning after a chrysanthemum banquet was held at court in the reign of Emperor Murakami. Taking for granted that chrysanthemums do not scatter, it pleads the regret of one who could not join the palace banquet and see the flowers.
The author is Mibu no Tadami, son of Mibu no Tadamine, one of the Kokinshū compilers. He is known for his contest with Taira no Kanemori at the Tentoku Palace Poetry Contest and is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "fuku kaze ni," means "in the blowing wind."
Second line, "chiru mono naraba," means "if they were things that scattered," a supposition contrary to fact, answered by "mashi" in the final line.
Third line, "kiku no hana," means "chrysanthemum flowers," standing with the "sogagiku" of the preceding poem, 1120, and the "kiku" of the next poem, 1122, as chrysanthemum poems side by side.
Fourth line, "kumoi nari tomo," turns on the pivot word "kumoi," joining "kumoi," the sky above the clouds, and "kumoi," the palace, so that it means "even though they bloom in the palace."
Final line, "iro wa mitemashi," means "I could have seen their colors," with "mashi" an auxiliary of counterfactual supposition.
Author: Mibu no Tadami
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: Kano miyuru ikebe ni tateru sogagiku no shigemi saeda no iro no tekorasa
Next Poem: Oi ga yo ni uki koto kikanu kiku dani mo utsurou iro wa arikeri to miyo