Momiji mite kimi ga tame to ya shigururan mukashi no aki no iro o shitaite

紅葉見て君がためとや時雨るらん
昔の秋の色を慕ひて

Roma-ji: Momiji mite kimi ga tame to ya shigururan mukashi no aki no iro o shitaite
English Translation: Seeing the red leaves,
is it for your sake, I wonder,
that the cold rain falls,
longing for the colors of
the autumns of days long gone?
Meaning: Seeing the autumn leaves, does the cold rain fall for your sake, longing for the colors of autumns long ago?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 797

Headnote: "In the middle of the tenth month, when I went to see the autumn leaves at Hōkongōin and heard that Jōsaimon'in was there, I recalled the days of Taikenmon'in and had this left with the Lady Hyōe"
In mid-tenth month the poet went to see the autumn leaves at Hōkongōin and heard that Jōsaimon'in was there; recalling the days of her mother Taikenmon'in, he had this left with the Lady Hyōe, who served Jōsaimon'in. Seeing the autumn leaves, does the cold rain fall for your sake, longing for the colors of autumns past? he asks, laying tears of remembrance over the showers.

First line, “momiji mite”: seeing the autumn leaves of Hōkongōin.
Second line, “kimi ga tame to ya”: kimi may be the Lady Hyōe or Jōsaimon'in; ya is answered by ran in the third line.
Third line, “shigururan”: shiguru is for cold showers to fall, hinting at tears of remembrance; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “mukashi no aki no”: of the autumns of Taikenmon'in's days.
Fifth line, “iro o shitaite”: longing for the color of the leaves, inverted to follow the third line.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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