秋萩の上に置きたる白露の
消かもしなまし恋ひつつあらずは
消かもしなまし恋ひつつあらずは
- Roma-ji
-
Akihagi no ue ni okitaru shiratsuyu no ke kamo shinamashi koitsutsu arazu wa
- English Translation
-
The autumn clover,
upon it lies the white dew
settled lightly there:
would I might vanish like it,
rather than go on longing
- Meaning
- Like the white dew lying on the autumn bush clover, I would rather vanish away than go on longing like this.
- Commentary
-
Book Eight Autumn Love Poems 1608
Headnote: "A poem by Prince Yuge"
As the white dew on the autumn bush clover vanishes so easily, the poet wishes he might vanish too, rather than go on suffering in love. Entrusting himself to the fragility of dew, he expresses the inescapable pain of love in vehement words.
The author, Prince Yuge, was a son of Emperor Tenmu.
The first line names the autumn clover on which dew lies.
The second line, with the continuative "tari," means "lying upon it."
With the third line, the first three lines become a preface leading to "vanish."
The fourth line, with the interrogative "ka" and counterfactual "mashi," expresses a heart wavering over whether it would be better to vanish, and the poem pauses here. Heki no Nagae no Otome's 1564 in this book likewise lays love over the fragility of dew, "as if I would vanish."
In the final line, "zu wa" means "rather than," giving at the end by inversion the reason: rather than go on longing.
- Author
- Prince Yuge
- Source
- Manyoshu
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