君見むと心やしけむ竜田姫
紅葉の錦色を尽くせり
紅葉の錦色を尽くせり
- Roma-ji
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Kimi mimu to kokoro ya shiken Tatsutahime momiji no nishiki iro o tsukuseri
- English Translation
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Thinking you would see,
did she set her heart to it,
the Tatsuta goddess?
in the brocade of autumn leaves
she has spent every hue
- Meaning
- Did the goddess Tatsutahime set her heart on your coming to see? She has dyed the brocade of autumn leaves in every color there is.
- Commentary
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Book Five Autumn Poems II 357
Headnote: "Composed when the Uji Former Chancellor went to view autumn leaves"
Composed when Fujiwara no Yorimichi, the Uji Former Chancellor, went to view the autumn leaves. Did Tatsutahime, the goddess of autumn, prepare herself thinking that you would come to see, the poet asks, for the brocade of autumn leaves is dyed in every color there is. Attributing the splendor of the leaves to the goddess's care in readying them for Yorimichi's visit, she pays him tribute.
The author, "Koben," was a lady in the household of Princess Yūshi, daughter of Emperor Go-Suzaku, and a poet active in her service.
359 of this book likewise entrusts the leaves to Yamahime, goddess of the mountains.
First line, "kimi mimu to": "kimi" refers to Fujiwara no Yorimichi, the Uji Former Chancellor of the headnote, and the conjectural "mu" gives "thinking that you would see."
Second line, "kokoro ya shiken": the interrogative "ya" closes with the attributive "ken," the past conjecture, "did she prepare herself?" The poem pauses here.
Third line, "Tatsutahime": the goddess who governs autumn, believed to dye the leaves of Mount Tatsuta.
Fourth line, "momiji no nishiki": a phrase likening the many-colored leaves to brocade.
Fifth line, "iro o tsukuseri": "ri" is perfective and continuative, "she has exhausted every color."
- Author
- Koben
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
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