梢あれば枯れゆく野辺はいかがせん
虫の音残せ秋の山里
虫の音残せ秋の山里
- Roma-ji
-
Kozue areba kareyuku nobe wa ikaga sen mushi no ne nokose aki no yamazato
- English Translation
-
With the treetops still,
what of the moor that withers?
What am I to do?
Leave the insects' voices here,
mountain home in autumn time.
- Meaning
- With the treetops still bright, the hills are well enough, but what can be done for the withering moor? Leave me at least the insects' voices, mountain village in autumn.
- Commentary
-
Autumn Poems 476
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Hearing a pine cricket at the end of autumn"
This poem continues the occasion of hearing a pine cricket at the end of autumn. The mountain village still has its colored treetops to enjoy as autumn's last glory, but on the moor where the grass is withering there is nothing left to see; what is to be done? The poet calls on the autumn mountain village to leave at least the insects' voices. He wishes to keep the last of the passing autumn in the insects' song.
Following the preceding poem's pine cricket that can no longer be made out, this one calls on the autumn mountain village to leave the insects' voices. The closing aki no yamazato is the same as in 302, 318 and 435, and closes the poems on the charm of the mountain village in autumn.
First line, “kozue areba”: since there are colored treetops, the mountain village still keeping something of autumn.
Second line, “kareyuku nobe wa”: the moor where the grass is withering, set against the treetops of the first line.
Third line, “ikaga sen”: what is to be done; the poem breaks after the third line.
Fourth line, “mushi no ne nokose”: nokose is an imperative, leave the insects' voices.
Fifth line, “aki no yamazato”: the village addressed, the same last line as 302 and others.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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Saranu dani koe yowakarishi matsumushi no aki no sue ni wa kiki mo wakarezu
- Next Poem
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Samazama no nishiki arikeru miyama kana hana mishi mine o shigure sometsutsu