君住まば訪はましものを津の国の
生田の森の秋の初風
生田の森の秋の初風
- Roma-ji
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Kimi sumaba towamashi mono o Tsu no kuni no Ikuta no mori no aki no hatsukaze
- English Translation
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If you still lived here,
I would have come calling, but
in the land of Tsu
through the forest of Ikuta
blows the first wind of autumn
- Meaning
- If you were still living here, I would have come to visit you. Through the forest of Ikuta in the land of Tsu, the first wind of autumn is blowing.
- Commentary
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Book Three Autumn Poems 83
Headnote: "When I was living in the province of Tsu, Ōe no Tamemoto finished his term and went up to the capital, so I sent this to him"
The author is listed here as an unnumbered poet, but the Shikashu attributes the poem to the Bishop Seiin. While living in the province of Tsu, he sent it to Ōe no Tamemoto, who had completed his term and returned to the capital.
As the first autumn wind blows through the forest of Ikuta, the poet expresses the loneliness of a friend's absence through a contrary-to-fact wish: I would have visited you. Continuing from the preceding poem, it captures how the autumn wind awakens longing for others.
The first line, "kimi sumaba," is a supposition, "if you lived here," pointing to Tamemoto, who has already gone to the capital.
The second line, "towamashi mono o," uses the counterfactual mashi with mono o to express regret: "I would have visited." The poem pauses here.
The third line, "Tsu no kuni no," refers to the province of Settsu where the poet lives.
The fourth line, "Ikuta no mori no," is a famous poetic place in Settsu, often linked with autumn wind and colored leaves.
The last line, "aki no hatsukaze," ends on a noun, leaving a lingering echo of the wind that heralds autumn. It takes up "the autumn wind is blowing" of the preceding poem, 82, and continues the opening theme.
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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Yamashiro no Tobata no omo o miwataseba honoka ni kesa zo akikaze wa fuku
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Hagi no ha ni sugaku ito o mo sasagani wa tanabata ni to ya kesa wa hikuramu