身の憂さも花見しほどは忘られき
春の別れを嘆くのみかは
春の別れを嘆くのみかは
- Roma-ji
-
Mi no usa mo hana mishi hodo wa wasurareki haru no wakare o nageku nomi ka wa
- English Translation
-
Even my own sorrows
while I gazed upon the flowers
were quite forgotten:
is it only parting from the spring
that I am grieving for?
- Meaning
- While I gazed upon the blossoms, even my own sorrows were forgotten. Is it only my parting from spring that I grieve? Surely not.
- Commentary
-
Book Two Spring Poems II 128
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Composed on the topic 'The End of the Third Month'"
Like the preceding poem, this was composed on "The End of the Third Month." While he gazed at the blossoms, the poet could forget even his own sorrows; so now that spring is leaving, it is not only the parting from spring that he grieves, but also the return of those sorrows. Recalling how the blossoms let him forget his troubles, he layers a lament for his own circumstances onto his farewell to spring.
The author, "Minamoto no Nakatsuna," was the son of Minamoto no Yorimasa, and served as Governor of Izu among other posts. In 1180 he joined his father in raising arms against the Taira under Prince Mochihito, and took his own life after their defeat at Uji.
First line, "mi no usa mo": "even the sorrows of my life."
Second line, "hana mishi hodo wa": "shi" is the attributive past auxiliary: "while I was looking at the blossoms."
Third line, "wasurareki": "rare" is spontaneous and "ki" past: "I had forgotten without trying." The poem pauses here.
Fourth line, "haru no wakare o": "my parting from spring."
Fifth line, "nageku nomi ka wa": "ka wa" is rhetorical: "is it only this I grieve? Surely not." Ending with "nomi ka wa" like "suguru nomi ka wa" in the preceding poem, 127, it layers personal lament onto regret for spring.
- Author
- Minamoto no Nakatsuna
- Source
- Senzai Wakashu
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Ikukaeri kyō ni waga mi no ainuran oshiki wa haru no suguru nomi ka wa
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Izukata to haru no yukue wa shiranedomo oshimu kokoro no saki ni tatsuran