露ながら折りてかざさむ菊の花
老いせぬ秋の久しかるべく
老いせぬ秋の久しかるべく
- Roma-ji
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Tsuyu nagara orite kazasamu kiku no hana
oisenu aki no hisashikarubeku - English Translation
-
still with its dew upon it,
I shall pluck and wear the chrysanthemum—
so that this autumn,
which knows no aging, may endure
and last for long unending days.
- Meaning
- I shall pluck and wear the chrysanthemum still covered with dew, so that this autumn, untouched by age, may long endure.
- Commentary
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Book Five Autumn Poems (Part Two)
Composed at a poetry contest at the residence of Prince Koretada.
The poem alludes to a Chinese legend in which the dew upon chrysanthemums grants longevity. Thus, by wearing the dew-laden flower, the poet expresses a wish for enduring youth and long life. The phrase “an autumn that does not age” suggests a desire for lasting vitality and unchanging vigor.
- Author
- Ki no Tomonori
- Source
- Kokin Wakashu
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