Kannazuki matade shigure ya furinikemu miyama ni fukaki momiji shinikeri

神無月待たで時雨や降りにけむ
深山に深き紅葉しにけり

Roma-ji: Kannazuki matade shigure ya furinikemu miyama ni fukaki momiji shinikeri
English Translation: Not waiting for the month
when the gods are gone, have showers
already fallen?
In the mountains deep within,
deep the leaves have turned to red.
Meaning: Have the showers fallen already, without waiting for the tenth month? Deep in the mountains the leaves have turned a deep color.
Commentary: Autumn Poems 297

Headnote: "Autumn leaves deep in the mountains"
The poet wonders whether the showers that properly fall in the tenth month, at winter's start, have fallen already without waiting for it, for deep in the mountains the leaves have turned a deep color. In the leaves of the deep mountains that turn earlier than those of the village, he senses the season running ahead of itself.

Line 1, kannazuki, is the tenth month of the lunar calendar, the first month of winter.
Line 2: de is a negative conjunction, "without waiting," and ya is an interrogative binding particle.
Line 3 concludes ya with the attributive of the past conjectural kemu, and the poem pauses here. Resting on the idea that showers dye the leaves, it takes up "the showers have been falling" in 295.
Line 4 means "deep within the deep mountains," doubling "deep" in miyama and fukaki to intensify the depth of color.
Line 5 means "have turned to autumn color," with keri expressing realization. From the next poem, 298, the last line "have taken on color" continues, carrying on the deepening of the autumn leaves.
Author: Minamoto no Sanetomo
Source: Kinkaishu
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