Aware chō nasake ni koi no nagusamaba tou koto no ha ya ureshikaramashi

あはれてふ情けに恋の慰まば
問ふ言の葉や嬉しからまし

Roma-ji: Aware chō nasake ni koi no nagusamaba tou koto no ha ya ureshikaramashi
English Translation: If the kindness of
words like 'how sad for you' could
console a love,
words of comfort sent to me,
how welcome then they would be!
Meaning: If love could be consoled by the kindness of words of pity, how welcome then would words of comfort be.
Commentary: Love Poems 698

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Love"
If the pain of love could be eased by the beloved's kind words of pity, then words of sympathy would surely bring joy. In truth, however, such words do nothing to ease it. The counterfactual expresses the emptiness of words of kindness.
It resonates with 688 in this book, which found words of understanding all the more bitter, singing of a love that cannot be consoled by kindness in words alone.

First line, “aware chō”: chō is a contraction of to iu: saying 'how sad for you.'
Second line, “nasake ni koi no”: nasake is kindness.
Third line, “nagusamaba”: if it could be consoled; this answers mashi at the end.
Fourth line, “tou koto no ha ya”: tou is to inquire after, to send word; the particle ya marks a question and binds with mashi at the end.
Fifth line, “ureshikaramashi”: mashi is counterfactual: they would be welcome.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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