Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
八重葎
Egyō Hōshi · 恵慶法師
八重葎
しげれる宿の
さびしきに
人こそ見えね
秋はきにけり
Historical kana
やへむぐら
しげれるやどの
さびしきに
ひとこそみえね
あきはきにけり
Original English translation
In the lonely dwelling thick with tangled weeds, no person can be seen—yet autumn has arrived.
History and context
The Shūishū headnote associates this poem with a gathering at the Kawara mansion. A social occasion can produce a scene of abandonment; the ruined dwelling is a crafted poetic setting.
Imagery and wordplay
People fail to visit, but the season does not. Autumn becomes the one faithful arrival.
Shūishū · 拾遺集秋140
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.