暮れてゆく春は残りもなきものを
惜しむ心の尽きせざるらん
惜しむ心の尽きせざるらん
- Roma-ji
-
Kurete yuku haru wa nokori mo naki mono o oshimu kokoro no tsukisezaruran
- English Translation
-
The spring that darkens
and departs has nothing
left of it at all,
so why is it the heart that grieves
should never reach its end?
- Meaning
- The spring now drawing to its close has nothing left, so why is it that the heart that mourns it never runs out?
- Commentary
-
Book Two Spring Poems II 125
Headnote: "Composed on the topic 'Late Spring' when presenting a hundred-poem sequence"
Composed on "Late Spring" for a hundred-poem sequence presented to Retired Emperor Sutoku. The departing spring has nothing left of it, yet why, the poet asks, does the heart that mourns it never run out? Contrasting the spring that is ending with the regret that does not end, the poem intellectually expresses a love for the season that outlasts the season itself.
The author, "Major Counselor Takasue," is Fujiwara no Takasue, son of Middle Counselor Fujiwara no Ienari, who rose to Major Counselor. He is regarded as founder of the Shijō house and was one of the poets of Retired Emperor Sutoku's Kyūan Hundred-Poem Sequence.
First line, "kurete yuku": "drawing to its close," overlaying the end of spring with the darkening of a day.
Second line, "haru wa nokori mo": "spring, with nothing left."
Third line, "naki mono o": "mono o" is concessive: "though there is none."
Fourth line, "oshimu kokoro no": "the heart that grieves for spring." Poem 129 of this book also uses "oshimu kokoro no," depicting the heart that mourns the spring.
Fifth line, "tsukisezaruran": "tsukise" means to come to an end, and "ran" is present conjecture guessing at a reason: why does the heart not end when spring does?
- Author
- Fujiwara no Takasue
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
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Nagamureba omoiyarubeki kata zo naki haru no kagiri no yūgure no sora
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Irihi sasu yama no ha sae zo urameshiki kurezu wa haru no kaeramashi ya wa