Nagaki yo no tsukinu nageki no taezaraba nani ni inochi o kaete wasuren - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

長き世の尽きぬ嘆きの絶えざらば
何に命をかへて忘れん

Roma-ji: Nagaki yo no tsukinu nageki no taezaraba nani ni inochi o kaete wasuren
English Translation: If through the long ages
this grief that has no ending
should never cease,
what could I exchange my life for
that would let me forget you?
Meaning: If this endless grief through the long ages never ceases, for what could I exchange my life that would let me forget?
Commentary: Book Fifteen Love Poems V 1422

Headnote: "Sent to someone long estranged."
This is the fourth poem of the sequence on unforgettable longing. If endless grief never ceases, he says, he could not forget even in exchange for his life. According to the headnote, it was sent to someone long estranged.
The author, "Lord Kentoku," is Fujiwara no Koretada. The eldest son of Minister of the Right Fujiwara no Morosuke, he rose to Regent and Chancellor. Kentoku-kō is the posthumous name given after his death.

The first line, "nagaki yo no," means "through the long ages."
The second line, "tsukinu nageki no," means "a grief that never ends."
The third line, "taezaraba," means "if it does not cease." "Long," "never ending," and "not ceasing" pile up words for what has no end.
The fourth line, "nani ni inochi o," means "for what, my life."
The last line, "kaete wasuren," means "should I exchange it to forget?" It shows a longing so deep it could not be forgotten even at the cost of life. Following the preceding poem's deep heart that stays at the bottom, this one too sings of a longing that does not vanish.
Author: Fujiwara no Koretada
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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