Momijiba no nagaruru toki wa Takegawa no fuchi no midori mo iro kawaruramu - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

紅葉葉の流るる時は竹川の
淵の緑も色変はるらむ

Roma-ji: Momijiba no nagaruru toki wa Takegawa no fuchi no midori mo iro kawaruramu
English Translation: When the autumn leaves
come floating down the river,
at the Takegawa
the deep green of the pools
must surely change its color.
Meaning: When the autumn leaves float down, even the green of the deep pools of the Takegawa, the Bamboo River, must change its color.
Commentary: Book Seventeen Miscellaneous Autumn Poems 1131

Headnote: "Topic unknown"
The poet says that when autumn leaves float downstream, even the green of the deep pools of the Takegawa, which bears the name of bamboo, must change to crimson. Imagining the deep pools of a river named for green bamboo changing color with the drifting leaves, it portrays the beauty of the autumn leaves that tint the water.
The author, written as "Mitsune," is Ōshikōchi no Mitsune, one of the compilers of the Kokinshū, who is counted among the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.

First line, "momijiba no," means "the autumn leaves," standing beside the fourth line of the next poem, 1132, "momiji no iro ya," in singing of autumn leaves on the water.
Second line, "nagaruru toki wa," means "when they float down."
Third line, "Takegawa no," means "of the Takegawa," a river flowing through Ise province, whose name, "take," bamboo, draws out the color green.
Fourth line, "fuchi no midori mo," means "even the deep green of the pools," sharing the deep pools with the final line of the next poem, 1132, "fuchise naruran."
Final line, "iro kawaruramu," means "must change its color," with "ramu" an auxiliary of present conjecture.
Author: Oshikochi no Mitsune
Source: Shui Wakashu
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