Aratama no toshi koekurashi tsune mo naki hatsuuguisu no ne ni zo nakaruru - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

あらたまの年越えくらし常もなき
初鶯の音にぞなかるる

Roma-ji: Aratama no toshi koekurashi tsune mo naki hatsuuguisu no ne ni zo nakaruru
English Translation: With the jeweled year
turned over and days gone by,
in this fleeting world
at the first warbler's song
I find myself in tears
Meaning: The new year has come and the days go by, and in this fleeting world, at the song of the first warbler, I cannot help crying aloud.
Commentary: Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1406

Headnote: "Sent to Taifu in the spring after the former Crown Prince passed away."
The poet says that living on into the new year in this fleeting world, she is moved to cry aloud at the song of the first warbler. With the year turned since the former Crown Prince died, even the first warbler announcing spring brings her to tears for the master she has lost.
According to the headnote, she sent this to Taifu in the spring after the former Crown Prince had died. The former Crown Prince is Prince Yasuakira, Crown Prince to Emperor Daigo, who died young without ever taking the throne. The next poem is Taifu's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, "the daughter of Lord Harukami," is a daughter of Fujiwara no Harukami. Little is known of her life.

The first line, "Aratama no," is a pillow word for "year."
The second line, "toshi koekurashi," means "passing over the year and living through the days."
The third line, "tsune mo naki," means "fleeting," describing with the "first warbler" of the fourth line a changing world.
The fourth line, "hatsuuguisu no," means "of the first warbler" of spring.
The last line, "ne ni zo nakaruru," is a pivot word on "naka," both the warbler singing and a person weeping, with "ruru" spontaneous. "Zo" is closed by the attributive "ruru." It is taken up by "ne ni tatete" in the first line of the next poem.
Author: Daughter of Fujiwara no Harukami
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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