Ukiyo o ba izuru hi goto ni itoedomo itsuka wa tsuki no iru kata o mimu - Shin Kokin Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

憂き世をば出づる日ごとに厭へども
いつかは月の入る方を見む

Roma-ji: Ukiyo o ba izuru hi goto ni itoedomo itsuka wa tsuki no iru kata o mimu
English Translation: This world of sorrow
I loathe with each new day
as the sun comes up,
but when will I come to see
the place where the moon goes down?
Meaning: Each day as the sun rises I loathe this wretched world, but when will I see the place in the west where the moon goes down?
Commentary: Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems III 1841

Headnote: "Topic unknown."
A poem loathing the sorrowful world. Each day as the sun rises she loathes this world, but when will she see the west where the moon sets, the Pure Land? Setting the rising sun against the setting moon, it tells of a heart that loathes the world day by day and longs for rebirth in the Pure Land. The headnote gives no topic, and the circumstances of composition are not recorded.
The author, "Hachijō-in no Takakura," was a lady-in-waiting who served Hachijō-in. Hachijō-in was Princess Akiko, a daughter of Emperor Toba.

The first line, "ukiyo o ba," means "this sorrowful world." "O ba" singles it out strongly.
The second line, "izuru hi goto ni," means "each time the sun rises, every day." The sun rising in the east pairs with the moon setting in the west in the fourth and last lines.
The third line, "itoedomo," means "though I loathe it." "Domo" is concessive.
The fourth line, "itsuka wa tsuki no," means "when will I, the moon's." "Ka wa" expresses a question.
The last line, "iru kata o mimu," means "shall I see the place where it sets?" Laying the Western Paradise over the west where the moon sinks, it closes with the longing for rebirth there.
Author: Hachijoin no Takakura
Source: Shin Kokin Wakashu
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