Fuetake no moto no furune wa kawaru tomo ono ga yoyo ni wa narazu mo aranan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

笛竹の本のふるねは変はるとも
おのがよよにはならずもあらなん

Roma-ji: Fuetake no moto no furune wa kawaru tomo ono ga yoyo ni wa narazu mo aranan
English Translation: Though the bamboo flute's
old root and its old tone
may change in the end,
let us never come to live
each in a world of our own
Meaning: Though the old root of this flute's bamboo, and the old tone it once had, may change, I hope we never come to live our lives apart, each in a separate world.
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems V 954

Headnote: "Sent with a flute given to Takaakira Ason."
The poet says that though the old root and old tone of the flute's bamboo may change, may they never come to live their lives apart. Through the flute being given, the poet wishes that even if their old bond should change, they will not become separated.
According to the headnote, it accompanied a flute given to Minamoto no Takaakira, a son of Emperor Daigo who was made a commoner with the surname Minamoto. A chain of words tied to the bamboo of a flute is overlaid with the bond of love.
The poet is listed as anonymous, and the composer's name has not come down to us.

The first line, "Fuetake no," means "of the flute's bamboo," pointing to the flute being given.
The second line, "moto no furune wa," means "the old root at its base," with "furune" joining the bamboo's old root and the flute's old tone.
The third line, "kawaru tomo," means "even if it changes," with "tomo" a conjunctive particle of concessive supposition.
The fourth line, "ono ga yoyo ni wa," means "each into a separate life," with "yoyo" joining the joints of bamboo and separate lifetimes.
The last line, "narazu mo aranan," means "I hope it will not become so," with "narazu" also echoing the flute not sounding. "Nan," a form of "namu," is a final particle of desire directed at another.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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