虫の音は浅茅がもとに埋もれて
秋は末葉の色にぞありける
秋は末葉の色にぞありける
- Roma-ji
-
Mushi no ne wa asaji ga moto ni uzumorete aki wa sueba no iro ni zo arikeru
- English Translation
-
The insects' voices
lie buried at the roots
of the cogon grass,
and autumn I have found
is the color of the leaf tips
- Meaning
- The insects' voices lie buried at the roots of the cogon grass, and autumn, I find, remains only in the color of the leaf tips.
- Commentary
-
Book Five Autumn Poems II 328
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The insects' voices, the poet says, have sunk out of hearing as if buried at the roots of the cogon grass, and autumn now lingers only in the color of the grass tips. He depicts the passing of late autumn, in which the autumn heard by the ear has faded and remains only in color seen by the eye.
The author, "Jakuren Hōshi," was the son of Fujiwara no Shunkai. Adopted by his uncle Fujiwara no Shunzei, he later took holy orders. He was named one of the compilers of the Shin Kokin Wakashū, and a poem of his is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.
From this poem through 334 insect poems follow. 335 of this book sings of "aki no sueba," sharing the word "sueba," leaf tips, with this poem.
First line, "mushi no ne wa": presenting the subject. 331, 333 and 334 of this book also sing of insects' voices fading.
Second line, "asaji ga moto ni": "asaji" is low cogon grass, and this is its roots.
Third line, "uzumorete": the voices falling out of hearing as if buried at the roots.
Fourth line, "aki wa sueba no": "sueba" are the leaves at the tips of plants, where they color and wither in late autumn. 335 of this book also sings of "aki no sueba."
Fifth line, "iro ni zo arikeru": "zo" closes with the attributive "keru," and "keri" expresses realization, "autumn was in the color after all."
- Author
- Jakuren
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
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Waga kado no okute no hita ni odorokite muro no karita ni shigi zo tatsu naru
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Aki no yo no aware wa tare mo shiru mono o ware nomi to naku kirigirisu kana