Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
奥山に
Sarumaru Dayū · 猿丸太夫
奥山に
紅葉ふみ分け
なく鹿の
聲きく時ぞ
秋は悲しき
Historical kana
おくやまに
もみぢふみわけ
なくしかの
こゑきくときぞ
あきはかなしき
Original English translation
Deep in the mountains, a deer cries as it parts the autumn leaves; hearing that voice, I feel autumn’s sadness.
History and context
Little is securely known about Sarumaru Dayū. The poem’s attribution is traditional; its reliable literary setting is the autumn section of the Kokinshū rather than a recoverable personal incident.
Imagery and wordplay
Sound carries the season’s emotion. The Japanese leaves open who is moving through the leaves, deer or listener.
Kokinshū · 古今集秋上215
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.