憂き世にはある身も憂しと嘆きつつ
涙のみこそふる心地すれ
涙のみこそふる心地すれ
- Roma-ji
-
Ukiyo ni wa aru mi mo ushi to nagekitsutsu namida nomi koso furu kokochi sure
- English Translation
-
In this world of grief,
even living, I lament
that I am wretched,
and nothing but my tears
fall as I pass my days.
- Meaning
- In this sorrowful world, lamenting that even being alive is wretched, I feel that only my tears fall, as I pass my days in them.
- Commentary
-
Book Twenty Lament Poems 1306
Headnote: "Reply"
The poet says that in this sorrowful world, lamenting that even being alive is painful, he feels as if only tears fall as he passes his days. It is Fujiwara no Asamitsu's reply to the preceding poem, 1305, by the wife of Fujiwara no Tomomasa. As one who has lost a daughter, he laments that even surviving is painful, and pivoting on "furu," to fall and to pass time, he conveys the grief of spending his days in tears.
The author, written as "Major Counselor Asamitsu," is Fujiwara no Asamitsu. A son of the Regent Fujiwara no Kanemichi, he rose to Major Counselor. He is one of the Thirty-Six Later Immortal Poets.
First line, "ukiyo ni wa," means "in this sorrowful world," taking up the second line of the preceding poem, 1305, "kono yo wa uki to."
Second line, "aru mi mo ushi to," means "that even living is wretched," repeating "uki" from the first line.
Third line, "nagekitsutsu," means "lamenting," taking up the fourth line of the preceding poem, 1305, "kimi mo nageku to."
Fourth line, "namida nomi koso," means "only tears," with the binding particle "koso" resolved by the perfective "sure" in the final line.
Final line, "furu kokochi sure," is a pivot word: "furu" means tears "falling" and days "passing."
- Author
- Fujiwara no Asateru
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
-
Ware nomi ya kono yo wa uki to omoedomo kimi mo nageku to kiku zo kanashiki
- Next Poem
-
Shide no yama koete kitsuran hototogisu koishiki hito no ue kataranan