Kono haru wa kimi ni wakare no oshiki kana hana no yukue o omoiwasurete

この春は君に別れの惜しきかな
花の行方を思ひ忘れて

Roma-ji: Kono haru wa kimi ni wakare no oshiki kana hana no yukue o omoiwasurete
English Translation: This spring, more than all,
it's parting from you that I
find so hard to bear—
forgetting even to think
where the falling blossoms go.
Meaning: This spring it is parting from you that I find so hard to bear, so much that I forget even to wonder where the blossoms go.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 1143

Headnote: "On the same occasion, seeing the cherry in the inner courtyard scattering, I said that this was how I felt"
On the same occasion, seeing the cherry in the courtyard scattering, Saigyō offered this, saying it was how he felt. This spring, he says, he forgets even to wonder where the blossoms go, so much does he regret parting from her.
By saying that he, who loved blossoms, forgets their fate, he conveys how deeply he feels this farewell to the former priestess. Falling blossoms and parting are laid together, heightening the sorrow of a spring farewell. It pairs with Lady Rokkaku's reply in 1144.

First line, “kono haru wa”: this spring, set against other years.
Second line, “kimi ni wakare no”: parting from you.
Third line, “oshiki kana”: kana is exclamatory; the poem breaks here.
Fourth line, “hana no yukue o”: where the scattering blossoms go, what he would usually worry over.
Fifth line, “omoiwasurete”: forgetting even to think of it, the inversion showing how deep the regret is.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
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