炭を焼く人の心もあはれなり
さてもこの世を過ぐるならひは
さてもこの世を過ぐるならひは
- Roma-ji
-
Sumi o yaku hito no kokoro mo aware nari sate mo kono yo o suguru narai wa
- English Translation
-
Those who burn charcoal—
how moving are their hearts
to think upon:
and yet, this is the way of things
for all who pass through this world.
- Meaning
- How moving it is to think of the hearts of those who burn charcoal—and yet, such is the way of all who pass through this world.
- Commentary
-
Winter Poems 388
Headnote: "On seeing charcoal being burned in the mountains"
This poem was composed on seeing charcoal being burned in the mountains. The hearts of those who live shut away in the mountains burning charcoal move him deeply, the poet sings, and yet such is the way of living in this world. Seeing the life of the charcoal burners, he turns his thoughts to the toil of making one's way through the world.
The Ruijū text gives the headnote as "Composed on seeing charcoal burned in the deep mountains" and places the poem in the miscellaneous section.
Line 1 refers to those who live by burning charcoal in the mountains. The next two poems also sing of charcoal burning, so three follow in a row.
Line 2 means "the hearts of those people too."
Line 3 means "deeply moving," and the poem pauses here.
Line 4: sate mo means "and yet, even so."
Line 5 means "the custom of passing through this world," left unfinished to linger in the mind.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
- Prev Poem
-
Haru machite kasumi no sode ni kasaneyo to shimo no koromo no okite koso yuke
- Next Poem
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Yuki furite kyō tomo shiranu okuyama ni sumi yaku okina aware hakanami