[One of] Four poems composed by guests at a banquet held at Ashiki post station in the province of Tsukushi to celebrate the departure of Ōtomo no Tabito from Dazaifu when he was commanded to return to the capital on his promotion to Major Counsellor.
辛人之 衣染云 紫之 情尓染而 所念鴨
韓人の衣染むといふ紫の心に染みて思ほゆるかも
karabito no koromo somu to ipu murasaki no kokoro ni somite omopoyuru kamo
Cathy folk Dye their garb, they say, With purple hues Just so, my heart is stained I feel!
aki no yo ni hito o mimaku no hoshikereba ama no kawara o tachi mo narasu ka
On an autumn night To see him is All my longing, so On the banks of Heaven’s river Should I be wont to stand?
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[1] A minor variant of this poem occurs in Mandaishū (1801) and Shokugoshūishū (688): 秋の夜に人をみまくのほしければ天の川原を立ちならすかな aki no yo ni / hito o mimaku no / hoshikereba / ama no kawara o / tachinarasu kana ‘On an autumn night / To see him is / All my longing, so / On the banks of Heaven’s river / Is where I ever stand!’ (Anonymous).