Verses on Red Leaves

The poems in the 14th fascicle of Staatsbibliothek 34981 often focus on a single concrete theme, like a still life painting, and reveal little or nothing about the poet’s inner mind except the emotional response to the scene. With autumn setting in, I thought I would share Verses on Red Leaves. Like all of the Staatsbibliothek poems, no author is named. This is a seven-syllable couplet poem with an -an rhyme.

I imagine the setting to be a clear, crisp autumn day. The poet, looking out from his carriage, sees the wooded slopes and is astonished by the brilliance of the fall colors.

	fulgiyan abdaha be irgebuhengge	A Composition on Red Leaves
	Staatsbibliothek 14.5 (View Online)
	jing sigara erin fon,	The season of the ever falling leaves,
	alin bira mongniohon.	mountains and rivers are breathtaking.
	gūnihakū gūwaliyapi,	They have unexpectedly transformed
	elemangga gincihiyan.	to become all the more bright.
5	umai agahakūbi,	It has not rained at all,
	aide kejine talkiyan.	so how is there so much lightning?
	maka tulhušehenio,	Could it really be cloudy?
	ainci gocika nioron.	It seems rainbows have appeared.
	dekjin tuwa ai tayahao,	Has a forest fire broken out?
10	ainu akū ai šanggiyan.	Why is there no smoke?
	tugi šun de fosokoo,	Are the clouds lit by the sun?
	abai daruhai jaksan.	How is it like a constant morning sky?
	cincilame tuwaha de,	If you look closely
	dule jamu moo bujan.	it is really a pink wood.
15	dubei bolori fonde,	At the end of autumn
	tuwabun nememe saikan.	the scene is even more beautiful.
	toro guilege waka,	It is neither peach nor apricot
	encu hacin nilgiyan.	but another kind of glow.
	abka dembei faksi,	Nature is an artisan of high degree
20	boco soningga hihan.	its colors are precious and rare.
	gecen eniken dame,	The frost has only begun to bite,
	bahabuha nurei fiyan.	like the drunken flush of wine.
	yala tuwamehanggai ten,	So exceedingly lovely,
	beikuwen erin sabugan.	the experience of the cool season.
25	aga silenggi aibi,	How can the rain and the dew
	ini cisui gincihiyan.	shine of their own accord?
	sejen ilinjicina,	Let the carriage come to a stop,
	ilha sarašara ton.	at the flower-strolling half-month.