Yomogiu wa sama koto nari ya niwa no omo ni karasuōgi no nazo shigeruran

蓬生はさま異なりや庭の面に
烏扇のなぞ茂るらん

Roma-ji: Yomogiu wa sama koto nari ya niwa no omo ni karasuōgi no nazo shigeruran
English Translation: Overgrown with mugwort,
how strange this garden looks now;
across its surface,
why should blackberry lilies
grow so thickly everywhere?
Meaning: The garden overgrown with mugwort looks strange indeed; why is it that the blackberry lily grows so thick across its face?
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1017

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The garden overgrown with mugwort looks strange; why does the karasuōgi grow so thick across it? the poet asks. Karasuōgi is another name for the blackberry lily, and he pictures an unexpected plant flourishing in a neglected garden.

First line, “yomogiu wa”: yomogiu is a waste overgrown with mugwort.
Second line, “sama koto nari ya”: how strange it looks; ya is exclamatory; the poem breaks here.
Third line, “niwa no omo ni”: across the face of the garden.
Fourth line, “karasuōgi no”: karasuōgi is another name for the blackberry lily.
Fifth line, “nazo shigeruran”: nazo is why; ran is conjecture about the present.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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