Yamamori yo ono no oto takaku hibiku nari mine no momiji wa yokite kiraseyo - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

山守よ斧の音高く響くなり
峰の紅葉はよきて切らせよ

Roma-ji: Yamamori yo ono no oto takaku hibiku nari mine no momiji wa yokite kiraseyo
English Translation: O mountain warden,
the sound of the axe rings out
loudly through the hills;
spare the bright leaves on the peaks
when you have the trees cut down
Meaning: Mountain warden, I hear the sound of axes ringing loud. When you have trees felled, let the autumn leaves on the peaks be spared.
Commentary: Book Three Autumn Poems 249

Hearing the sound of axes ringing through the mountain, the poet calls on the mountain warden to have the cutting spare the trees of autumn leaves on the peaks. Amid the real work of felling trees, he expresses his love for the leaves in a frank command.
In poem 245 in this book the author likewise calls out to a raftsman, and the two share a fondness for autumn leaves voiced as commands.
From poem 243 through poem 253 in this book come poems on autumn leaves, from trees just beginning to turn to leaves scattering until they fill rivers and waterfalls.
The author, Tsunenobu, is Minamoto no Tsunenobu. A son of Minamoto no Michikata, he rose to Major Counselor and was called the Katsura Counselor. In his last years he died at his post as Provisional Governor-General of Dazaifu. He was the father of the compiler, Minamoto no Toshiyori.

First line, 'yamamori yo', calls out to the warden of the mountain.
Second line, 'ono no oto takaku', means the sound of axes, loud. The line has an extra syllable.
Third line, 'hibiku nari', uses the auditory inferential nari: I hear it ringing. The poem breaks after the third line.
Fourth line, 'mine no momiji wa', means the trees of autumn leaves on the peaks; 'the leaves on the peaks' also appear in poems 247 and 250 in this book.
Final line, 'yokite kiraseyo', uses yoku, to avoid: have them cut, avoiding these. Like 'do not let your eyes stray' in poem 245 in this book, it voices love for the leaves as a command.
Author: Minamoto no Tsunenobu
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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