ぬば玉のこの夜な明けそしばしばも
まだふる年のうちぞ思はむ
まだふる年のうちぞ思はむ
- Roma-ji
-
Nubatama no kono yo na ake so shibashiba mo mada furutoshi no uchi zo omowamu
- English Translation
-
Black as the berry,
O this night, do not dawn yet!
for a little while
let me think it still to be
within the passing year.
- Meaning
- O night, do not dawn yet! For a little while longer, let me think it is still within the old year.
- Commentary
-
Winter Poems 404
Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "The year's end"
On the last night of the year, the poet begs the night not to dawn yet, wishing to think for a little while longer that it is still within the old year. Following the preceding poem, he sings his reluctance to let the year's last night go.
This poem was included in the Gyokuyō Wakashū. The Ruijū text gives line 5 as uchi to omowan. According to the source's note, the original manuscript reads uchi so omowan, which is judged a miscopying. This edition follows the source text.
Line 1, nubatama no, is a pillow word for "night."
Line 2 uses na … so to forbid, "O night, do not dawn," and the poem pauses here.
Line 3 means "even for a little while."
Line 4: furutoshi is the departing year, the old year.
Line 5 concludes the binding particle zo with the attributive of the volitional mu, "let me think it is still within the year." Taking up the preceding poem's lament "if this night should dawn," this poem asks the night not to dawn.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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