初霜も置きにけらしな今朝見れば
野辺の浅茅も色づきにけり
野辺の浅茅も色づきにけり
- Roma-ji
-
Hatsushimo mo okinikerashi na kesa mireba nobe no asaji mo irozukinikeri
- English Translation
-
The first frost too
must have settled in the night,
for this morning I see
the low reeds across the fields
have taken on their color
- Meaning
- The first frost must have fallen in the night, for this morning I see the low reeds across the fields have turned color.
- Commentary
-
Book Three Autumn Poems 138
Headnote: "Composed on the first frost"
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu composed this on the topic of the first frost.
Seeing this morning that the low reeds in the fields have changed color, he infers that the first frost came in the night. Knowing the unseen frost from the color of the grass, the poem conveys the end of autumn and the approach of winter. Whereas the opening poem, 82, knew autumn's arrival from this morning's wind, this one knows its end from this morning's frost.
The first line, "hatsushimo mo," means "the first frost too," mo setting it alongside the reeds' change of color.
The second line, "okinikerashi na," means "it seems to have settled," kerashi expressing an inference with grounds. The poem pauses here.
The third line, "kesa mireba," means "when I look this morning," giving the grounds. Like "kesa zo" in the fourth line of the opening poem, 82, it sings of a morning discovery.
The fourth line, "nobe no asaji mo," means "even the low reeds of the fields."
The last line, "irozukinikeri," closes with the realization "they have turned color."
- Author
- Onakatomi no Yoshinobu
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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