雲の上の楽しみとてもかひぞなき
さてしもやがて住みし果てねば
さてしもやがて住みし果てねば
- Roma-ji
-
Kumo no ue no tanoshimi tote mo kai zo naki sate shimo yagate sumishi hateneba
- English Translation
-
The delights above
the clouds, even they in the end
are worth nothing at all,
for there too one cannot stay
and dwell on to the end.
- Meaning
- Even the joys of the heavens above the clouds are of no worth, for one cannot go on dwelling there forever.
- Commentary
-
Miscellaneous Poems 902
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "When composing poems on the six realms: Gods"
This is the last of the six-realm poems, on the realm of the gods. The heavens are full of delight, but even the gods suffer the five signs of decay when their span ends, and must wander the six realms again. Even the joys of the heavens above the clouds are of no worth, since one cannot dwell there forever, the poet says, closing the six-realm poems by showing that the heavens too belong to the world of delusion.
First line, “kumo no ue no”: above the clouds, the heavens; a line of six syllables.
Second line, “tanoshimi tote mo”: even its joys.
Third line, “kai zo naki”: zo is answered by the attributive naki; there is no worth in them; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “sate shimo yagate”: just so, forever.
Fifth line, “sumishi hateneba”: since one cannot go on dwelling there, inverted to give the reason.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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