山川のみなぎる水の音聞けば
せむる命ぞ思ひ知らるる
せむる命ぞ思ひ知らるる
- Roma-ji
-
Yamakawa no minagiru mizu no oto kikeba semuru inochi zo omoishiraruru
- English Translation
-
When I hear the sound
of water surging in full
down the mountain stream,
I come to know how life is
pressed and hurried on its way.
- Meaning
- When I hear the roar of the water surging through the mountain stream, I come to know how life is pressed on and hurried away.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 873
Headnote: "On the meaning of the passage 'human life does not stay, swifter than the mountain stream'"
The topic is a sutra passage saying that human life does not stay, passing more swiftly than a mountain stream. Hearing the roar of water surging through the mountain stream, I come to know how life is pressed and hurried away, the poet says, sensing the swiftness of life in the rushing water.
First line, “yamakawa no”: of the mountain stream, answering the stream of the topic.
Second line, “minagiru mizu no”: of the brimming, surging water.
Third line, “oto kikeba”: when I hear its sound.
Fourth line, “semuru inochi zo”: semu is to press, to hurry, answering 'does not stay, swifter'; zo is a binding particle.
Fifth line, “omoishiraruru”: the attributive closing zo; I am made to realize.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
-
Nishi e yuku tsuki o ya yoso ni omouran kokoro ni iranu hito no tame ni wa
- Next Poem
-
Ada naranu yagate satori ni kaerikeri hito no tame ni mo sutsuru inochi wa