At blossoms never
have I failed in lamenting—
always it was so;
yet on this night alone
there has been no time like this.

Meaning

At the sight of blossoms I have always lamented, never satisfied, wishing to gaze on them forever; yet never before has there been a night like this one.

Commentary

Episode Twenty-Nine: "Never satisfied with blossoms"

Long ago, at the palace of the Crown Prince’s mother, at a celebration of long life known as the Blossom Festival, a certain man composed this poem.

The Crown Prince’s lady was the mother of Prince Sadami, who later became Emperor Yozei, and is said to have been Fujiwara no Takako. The blossoms are cherry blossoms; the regret at their scattering is overlaid with the poet’s longing to remain near the Crown Prince’s lady even as he must part from her. It is thought to express his unfulfilled feelings toward her.

Source

Ise Monogatari

Other

At the water’s mouth, am I perhaps seen there?— even the frogs, beneath the water, raise all their voices as one.
Why has it come to pass that thus our meeting time has grown so hard to gain?— though we had bound our vow as if to let no water leak.
Our meeting seems but like the cord between the gems, so brief it appears; your unfeeling heart seems to stretch on long and long.
If one without sin is made the object of curse, they say that forget- grass will upon one’s own self grow there upon one’s own self.

At blossoms never have I failed in lamenting— always it was so; yet on this night alone there has been no time like this.

At blossoms never
have I failed in lamenting—
always it was so;
yet on this night alone
there has been no time like this.