Kiku ni dani tsuyukekaruran hito no yo o me ni mishi sode o omoiyaranan - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

きくにだに露けかるらむ人の世を
目に見し袖を思ひやらなむ

Roma-ji: Kiku ni dani tsuyukekaruran hito no yo o me ni mishi sode o omoiyaranan
English Translation: If merely to hear
of it, like chrysanthemums,
leaves you wet with dew,
think then of my sleeves, which saw
this world's parting with their eyes
Meaning: If merely hearing of it leaves you as dew-drenched as the chrysanthemums, then imagine my sleeves, which saw this parting of human life with their own eyes.
Commentary: Book Twenty Congratulatory Poems 1410

Headnote: "Reply."
Kiyotada asks his friend to imagine the sleeves of one who saw with his own eyes the passing of life, if merely hearing of it brings dewy tears. Taking up "kiku" from the preceding poem, he answers that if one who only hears weeps so, he should guess how much more wet are the sleeves of one who witnessed the death.
It is the reply to the preceding poem by Fujiwara no Morifumi.
The poet, "Kiyotada," is Fujiwara no Kiyotada. A son of Fujiwara no Kanesuke, he is counted among the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals.

The first line, "Kiku ni dani," is a pivot word on "kiku," both hearing and the chrysanthemum, taking up "kiku" in the preceding poem's third line. "Dani" names a lesser case to imply a greater.
The second line, "tsuyukekaruran," means "must be wet with dew," taking up "white dew" in the preceding poem.
The third line, "hito no yo o," means "the parting of human life."
The fourth line, "me ni mishi sode o," means "the sleeves that saw it with their eyes," set against "hearing" in the first line.
The last line, "omoiyaranan," means "I would have you imagine," with "nan" a particle of request.
Author: Fujiwara no Kiyotada
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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