Utsuriyuku iro oba shirazu koto no ha no na sae ada naru tsuyukusa no hana

移りゆく色をば知らず言の葉の
名さへあだなる露草の花

Roma-ji: Utsuriyuku iro oba shirazu koto no ha no na sae ada naru tsuyukusa no hana
English Translation: Its color that fades
so swiftly, let that be, still
even the word, its name,
speaks of all that is fleeting,
this flower called the dew-grass.
Meaning: Leaving aside its color, so quick to fade, even the name of the dayflower speaks of transience, for it is called the dew-grass.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1027

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The dayflower is known for its quickly fading color, but leaving that aside, even its name, which contains tsuyu, dew, is fleeting, the poet says, doubling the transience of its color with the transience in its name.

First line, “utsuriyuku”: fading, changing.
Second line, “iro oba shirazu”: leaving its color aside.
Third line, “koto no ha no”: of the words, its name.
Fourth line, “na sae ada naru”: ada is fleeting; even its name is fleeting.
Fifth line, “tsuyukusa no hana”: ending on a noun, the flower whose name holds the word for dew.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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