Konoha dani irozuku hodo wa aru mono o akikaze fukeba chiru namida kana - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

木の葉だに色づくほどはあるものを
秋風吹けば散る涙かな

Roma-ji: Konoha dani irozuku hodo wa aru mono o akikaze fukeba chiru namida kana
English Translation: Even the leaves
are given time enough
to take on color,
yet at a breath of autumn wind
my tears scatter and fall
Meaning: Even the leaves are given time to take on their color before they fall, yet as soon as the autumn wind blows, my tears scatter at once.
Commentary: Book Four Autumn Poems I 231

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on the feeling of early autumn"
Like the preceding poem, this was composed on the feeling of "early autumn." Even tree leaves have time to take on color before they fall, the poet says, yet his tears scatter the moment the autumn wind blows. Comparing leaves with tears, the poem expresses the depth of a sorrow that wells up as soon as autumn arrives.
The author is unknown, and the poem is included as anonymous.
Up to this point the book has told of autumn's coming through wind and dew, but this poem shows tears scattered by the autumn wind, presenting the sorrow of autumn from the side of the human heart.

First line, "konoha dani": "dani" means "even," naming a lesser case to suggest a greater one.
Second line, "irozuku hodo wa": "the time it takes to turn color."
Third line, "aru mono o": "mono o" is concessive: "though there is."
Fourth line, "akikaze fukeba": the realized condition, "when the autumn wind blows." Following the wind through the reeds in the preceding poem, 230, it speaks of the autumn wind.
Fifth line, "chiru namida kana": "kana" is exclamatory. Using "chiru," to scatter, of tears as of leaves, it says the tears fall before the leaves.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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