Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
秋の田の
Emperor Tenji · 天智天皇
秋の田の
かりほの庵の
とまをあらみ
わが衣手は
露にぬれつつ
Historical kana
あきのたの
かりほのいほの
とまをあらみ
わがころもでは
つゆにぬれつつ
Original English translation
In the autumn fields, the harvest hut’s thatch is loosely woven; my sleeves keep growing wet with dew.
History and context
Traditionally attributed to Emperor Tenji, this poem opens the collection with agricultural labour rather than court splendour. Its speaker shelters beside a rice field; the attribution does not establish that the emperor personally lived this scene.
Imagery and wordplay
The rough thatch lets dew reach the sleeves. Clothing makes exposure and discomfort tangible.
Gosenshū · 後撰集秋中302
Japanese text and historical kana follow the linked Wikisource transcription. Classical poems can have variant spellings and wording in different anthologies. The source anthology reference identifies the version represented in this collection, not necessarily its earliest surviving text. English prose translations and reading notes are original interpretations; some wordplay permits more than one reading.