This is a very iconic poem about Autumn from the Hyakunin Isshu:

Japanese	Romanization	Translation
奥山に	Okuyama ni	When I hear the voice
もみぢじふみわけ	Momiji fumiwake	of the stag crying for his mate
鳴く鹿の	Naku shika no	stepping through the fallen leaves
声こえ聞く時ぞ	Koe kiku toki zo	deep in the mountains— this is the time
秋は悲しき	Aki wa kanashiki	that autumn is saddest.

The poem was composed by one mysterious figure named Sarumaru Dayū (猿丸大夫, dates unknown), whom we know nothing about.

My new book offers a couple theories as to Sarumaru’s identity. One theory is that he could be the son of Emperor Tenmu (mentioned here among others places) named Prince Yuge (弓削皇子, Yuge no Miko). Another theory suggests that he could be the infamous Buddhist monk Dokyo, Japan’s version of Rasputin, who served Empress Shotoku. However, these theories are, as of writing, entirely speculative. We simply don’t have enough information.

Whoever Sarumaru was though, he nonetheless earned a place among the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry.

Even in the Kokinshū where this poem is first found, it is listed as anonymous, according to Professor Mostow, but seems to have been composed for a poetry contest in 893 hosted by Prince Koresada. Mostow further explains that this poem is surprisingly tricky to interpret: who is walking through the leaves, the deer or the author?

Speaking of deer, deer have been an integral part of Japanese poetry since early times. This and poem 83 show how the deer’s cry is a popular poetic symbol of sadness or melancholy.