Tsuki sumu to ogi uezaran yado naraba aware sukunaki aki ni ya aramashi

月澄むと荻植ゑざらん宿ならば
あはれ少なき秋にやあらまし

Roma-ji: Tsuki sumu to ogi uezaran yado naraba aware sukunaki aki ni ya aramashi
English Translation: Though the moon shines clear,
in a house where reed grass
was not planted round,
would it not have been autumn
with but little of its grace?
Meaning: However clear the moon might shine, if my house had no reed grass planted by it, would autumn not hold far less of its gentle sadness?
Commentary: Autumn Poems 387

Headnote: "Reed grass before the moon"
The topic is reed grass before the moon. However clear the moon may shine, in a house with no reed grass planted in its garden, would not autumn have far less aware? Only when the sound of the wind rustling the reed leaves is added to the moonlight does the aware of autumn become full.
The aware of the rustling reed grass was sung from 285, and here it is paired with the moon, saying that only when moon and reed grass are both present is autumn's aware complete.

First line, “tsuki sumu to”: even if the moon shines clear.
Second line, “ogi uezaran”: zaran joins the negative zu and the conjectural mu, one where no reed grass is planted.
Third line, “yado naraba”: if it were a house, a supposition.
Fourth line, “aware sukunaki”: with little of the quiet feeling of things.
Fifth line, “aki ni ya aramashi”: ya is a question particle and mashi expresses supposition contrary to fact, would it have been such an autumn.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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