Kokinshu #189

A poem from the poetry contest at the house of Prince Koresada.

    Even though we can
feel this way at any time,
    the autumn nights are,
I find, the culmination
of my brooding upon things.

—6 January 2012

(Original author unknown.) Koresada (d. c.903), a son of Emperor Kôkô (see #21), hosted the contest in 893 or shortly before. The topic seems to have specifically been autumn, as the 23 poems from it in the Kokinshu all refer to the season, including those few included outside the two autumn books. While it may seem odd that the editors (most of whom took participated) wouldn't know the author, apparently this was a so-called "desk" competition, where poems were submitted in writing beforehand, rather than an in-person recital against a member of the other team, poetry-slam style. My rendering is a little idiomatic, in part because I had trouble grasping the literal meaning.


itsu wa to wa
toki wa wakanedo
aki no yo zo
mono omou koto no
kagiri narikeru

---L.