秋萩に置きたる露の風吹きて
落つる涙は留めかねつも
落つる涙は留めかねつも
- Roma-ji
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Akihagi ni okitaru tsuyu no kaze fukite otsuru namida wa todomekanetsu mo
- English Translation
-
On the autumn clover
the dew that lay upon it,
when the wind comes blowing,
falls away, and so my tears
I cannot hold back at all
- Meaning
- Like the dew on autumn bush clover spilling down when the wind blows, my falling tears cannot be held back.
- Commentary
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Book Eight Autumn Love Poems 1617
Headnote: "A poem sent by Princess Yamaguchi to Ōtomo no Sukune Yakamochi"
Like the dew on autumn bush clover spilling when the wind blows, the tears she sheds for love cannot be held back. Through the beautiful figure of tears laid over scattering dew, the poem expresses a sorrow of love beyond restraint.
The author, Princess Yamaguchi, was a woman of the imperial family who sent poems to Ōtomo no Yakamochi; little is known of her.
The first line names the autumn clover on which dew lies.
The second line, with the continuative "tari," means "the dew lying on it."
With the third line, the first three lines become a preface leading to "falling," laying spilling tears over dew scattered by the wind.
The fourth line means "my falling tears." Ōtomo no Katami's 1595 in this book also uses dew on clover as a figure for love, so poems entrusting love to dew on clover line the autumn part of the book.
The final line, with the perfective "tsu" and exclamatory "mo," laments that they cannot be held back.
- Author
- Princess Yamaguchi
- Source
- Manyoshu
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