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Kokinshu #53
Tuesday, 10 November 2009 10:08 If in this world
there were no quickly fading
cherry blossoms,
then in spring the heart
might become tranquil.
yo no naka ni
taete sakura no
nakariseba
haru no kokoro wa
nodokekaramashi
---L.
there were no quickly fading
cherry blossoms,
then in spring the heart
might become tranquil.
—8 November 2009
Original by Ariwara no Narihira, and yes it was also included in Ise monogatari (as #82). Translation notes: I would just like to point out that that's one fiendish final verb -- a pile-up of aspects in bonus archiac forms. Despite Nirihara's poetic reputation, this one insisted on being as spare as I could make it -- though I did add "quickly," not explicit in the original, because it sounds stupid without it. Haru no kokoro could be either "our hearts in spring" or "the heart of spring" -- I've tried to convey the ambiguity without straining too hard. Original:yo no naka ni
taete sakura no
nakariseba
haru no kokoro wa
nodokekaramashi
---L.