世の中の悲しきことをきくの上に
置く白露ぞ涙なりける
置く白露ぞ涙なりける
- Roma-ji
-
Yo no naka no kanashiki koto o kiku no ue ni oku shiratsuyu zo namida narikeru
- English Translation
-
Hearing of the grief
that has come into this world,
the white dew that falls
on the chrysanthemum's leaves—
that, I find, is my tears
- Meaning
- Hearing of this sorrow in the world, I find that the white dew settling on the chrysanthemums is my own tears.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1409
Headnote: "Sent to Kiyotada when he was in seclusion for the mourning of the Biwa Minister."
The poet says that the white dew settling on the chrysanthemums upon hearing of the sorrow of the world is his tears. Hearing the sad news of a death, he sees the white dew on the chrysanthemums as his own tears, and conveys his sympathy to Kiyotada in mourning.
According to the headnote, it was sent to Fujiwara no Kiyotada when he was in seclusion for the mourning of the Biwa Minister. The Biwa Minister is Fujiwara no Nakahira, called the Biwa Minister of the Left. The next poem is Kiyotada's reply, and the two form an exchange.
The poet, Fujiwara no Morifumi, seems to have lived in the mid-Heian period, though little is known of his life.
The first line, "Yo no naka no," means "of this world."
The second line, "kanashiki koto o," means "the sorrowful thing," a death.
The third line, "kiku no ue ni," is a pivot word on "kiku," both hearing the sad news and the chrysanthemum.
The fourth line, "oku shiratsuyu zo," means "the white dew that settles," with "zo" an emphatic binding particle.
The last line, "namida narikeru," means "is my tears, I find," closing the "zo" with the attributive "keru." It is taken up by "kiku ni dani" in the first line of the next poem.
- Author
- Fujiwara no Morifumi
- Source
- Gosen Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Morotomo ni okiishi aki no tsuyu bakari kakaramu mono to omoikakeki ya
- Next Poem
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Kiku ni dani tsuyukekaruran hito no yo o me ni mishi sode o omoiyaranan