How brief a thing—no
sooner is the robe of haze
cut out than the time
has come round for the flowers
to loosen and open out

Meaning

How brief a thing: no sooner is the robe of haze cut out than the season has come for the flowers to loosen and open.

Commentary

Part Three: Sawarabi

　The new year came, the year of mourning for her sister ended, and Naka no Kimi put off her dark robes and performed the purification. Kaoru sent this on that day. For him too the year had been the year of losing Oigimi, and he could only be startled at how quickly it had gone. The date of her removal to the capital was fixed for early in the Second Month, and the day of leaving the villa at Uji drew near. Attending to the preparations as her guardian, Kaoru could not cut off his feeling for the sister in whom Oigimi's likeness lived.

　"The robe of haze" is mourning dress, named for the colour of spring haze. Tatsu is to cut cloth. Hana no himotoku is a bud loosening and opening, and cutting a robe and untying a cord keep the words of clothing at work through both halves. The speed with which a year of mourning gives way to the season of flowers is stated by nothing but the contrast of two solid things, a robe and a flower. That so little feeling-language is needed to convey the indifference of time is the mark of Kaoru's skill.

Author

Murasaki Shikibu

Source

Genji Monogatari

Other

How brief a thing—no sooner is the robe of haze cut out than the time has come round for the flowers to loosen and open out

How brief a thing—no
sooner is the robe of haze
cut out than the time
has come round for the flowers
to loosen and open out