降る雨の足とも落つる涙かな
こまかにものを思ひ砕けば
こまかにものを思ひ砕けば
- Roma-ji
-
Furu ame no ashi tomo otsuru namida kana komaka ni mono o omoikudakeba
- English Translation
-
Like the streaks of rain
that fall from the sky above,
so my tears fall down,
for I am breaking my heart
over every little thing
- Meaning
- My tears fall like streaks of pouring rain, for my heart is shattered with brooding over every little thing.
- Commentary
-
Book Nine Miscellaneous Poems I 323
The poet sings of tears falling endlessly like streaks of driving rain. Likening a mind troubled over every small matter to fine falling rain, she overlays the turmoil of the heart with the abundance of tears.
The first line, "furu ame no" (of falling rain), names the pouring rain.
The second line, "ashi tomo otsuru," means falling like streaks of rain, likening the tears to them.
The third line, "namida kana," ends with the exclamatory "kana," with a break after the third line.
The fourth line, "komaka ni mono o" (in fine detail), overlays the fineness of the rain with the fine turmoil of the heart.
The final line, "omoikudakeba," is a conditional of certainty giving the reason by inversion: because my thoughts are shattered.
- Author
- The Mother of Fujiwara no Michitsuna
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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Sumiyoshi no hosoe ni saseru miotsukushi fukaki ni makenu hito wa araji na
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Kannazuki ariake no sora no shigururu o mata ware naranu hito ya miruramu