classic waka stream

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
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
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