Aki ni aezu sa koso wa kuzu no irozukame ana urameshi no kaze no keshiki ya - Senzai Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

秋にあへずさこそは葛の色づかめ
あなうらめしの風のけしきや

Roma-ji: Aki ni aezu sa koso wa kuzu no irozukame ana urameshi no kaze no keshiki ya
English Translation: Unable to bear autumn,
no wonder the arrowroot leaves
take on their color,
but how hateful, turning them,
the manner of the wind
Meaning: It is natural that the arrowroot leaves should color, unable to bear the autumn, but how hateful is the way the wind turns them over.
Commentary: Book Five Autumn Poems II 352

Headnote: "Composed on the topic 'Wind on the Moor' at a poetry contest held at the banquet after the dedication of sutras by the holy man Senzai at Ungoji"
Composed on the topic "Wind on the Moor" at a poetry contest held at the banquet after the holy man Senzai dedicated sutras for forming karmic bonds at Ungoji. It is natural, the poet says, that the arrowroot leaves should color, unable to withstand the autumn cold, but how hateful the wind that blows them over to show their white undersides. Using the time-honored conceit that joins "urami," showing the leaves' backs, with "urami," resentment, he voices resentment at the wind that sweeps the moor.
The author, "Fujiwara no Mototoshi," was the son of Minister of the Right Fujiwara no Toshiie. A leading figure of the poetry world of the cloistered-rule period alongside Minamoto no Toshiyori, he was the teacher of Fujiwara no Shunzei. A poem of his is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.
305 of this book was also composed on the topic "Wind on the Moor" and sang of the loneliness of the wind on the moor. This poem takes the same topic as resentment at the wind that turns the arrowroot leaves.

First line, "aki ni aezu": "au" means to withstand, and "zu" is negative, "unable to bear the autumn."
Second line, "sa koso wa kuzu no": "sa koso" means "so, as is natural." The kuzu, or arrowroot, is one of the seven flowers of autumn, and shows the white undersides of its leaves when the wind blows.
Third line, "irozukame": closing the "koso" of the second line in the perfective form. "Me" is the perfective of the conjectural "mu," and "koso ... me" runs on concessively, "it is natural that they color, but."
Fourth line, "ana urameshi no": "urameshi" is a pivot word joining "urami," the leaves showing their backs, with "urameshi," hateful. "Ana" is an exclamation, "ah."
Fifth line, "kaze no keshiki ya": "keshiki" is look or manner, and "ya" is exclamatory, naming at last the topic, the wind on the moor.
Author: Fujiwara no Mototoshi
Source: Senzai Wakashu
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