Translation
By Retired Emperor Sanjo (976-1017)
My heart, my will
So roughly treated,
A floating world—
But if I should stay long
I’ll yearn for the midnight moon
Original Japanese | Original Japanese |
三条院 | Sanjo In |
心にも | Kokoro ni mo |
あらで浮世に | Arade ukiyo ni |
ながらへば | Nagaraeba |
恋しかるべき | Koishikaru beki |
夜半の月かな | Yowa no tsuki kana |
Literal Notes
Heart/will
[Crude/rough/flaw] [floating-world/fleeting-world/transitory-world/sad-life]
[Though/notwithstanding/during/while/both OR long-if]
Yearn-for/miss should
Midnight/dead-of-night ’s moon how!/alas!
It is said that the retired Emperor Sanjo wrote this poem upon his forced abdication, resulting from the powerful Fujiwara family taking control. He thought he wouldn’t live long in this world, but if he should be forced to live in the sad world a long time, he didn’t want to be reminded of his happy former life, symbolized by the midnight moon.
Year:
2012
Reviews
No reviews yet.