人心たとへて見れば白露の
消ゆる間もなほ久しかりけり
消ゆる間もなほ久しかりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Hitogokoro tatoete mireba shiratsuyu no kiyuru ma mo nao hisashikarikeri
- English Translation
-
When I liken it,
the heart of another, to
the white dew, I find
even the time it takes to fade
is longer still than theirs
- Meaning
- If I liken the human heart to something, even the brief moment before the white dew fades seems long by comparison.
- Commentary
-
Book Eighteen Miscellaneous Poems IV 1263
Headnote: "Topic unknown."
The poet says that, compared with the human heart, even the time it takes white dew to vanish seems long. Measuring it against dew, the very emblem of transience, the poet laments that the heart changes faster still and cannot be relied upon.
From this poem on, the book gathers poems on the frailty of human hearts and of the world.
The poet is anonymous and the name is not known.
The first line, "Hitogokoro," means "the human heart." Poem 1282 of this book opens with the same first line and sings of a heart grown cold.
The second line, "tatoete mireba," means "when I liken it."
The third line, "shiratsuyu no," is white dew, an emblem of what fades easily. Poem 1294 of this book also takes dew as a figure for a fragile life.
The fourth line, "kiyuru ma mo nao," means "even the time it takes to vanish, still."
The last line, "hisashikarikeri," means "is long by comparison, I find," with "keri" for realization.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
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Ashi no ura no ito kitanaku mo miyuru kana nami wa yorite mo arawazarikeri
- Next Poem
-
Yo no naka to iitsuru mono ka kagerou no aru ka naki ka no hodo ni zo arikeru