Thursday, 14 April 2011

Kokinshu #71

Thursday, 14 April 2011 07:07
lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
(Topic unknown.)

    It's precisely for
scattering without remains
    that you are admired:
cherry blossoms, it's hateful,
remaining in this world.

—31 January 2011

(Original author unknown.) The transience of beauty is also the beauty of transience. Being attached to the world is, of course, a failing in Buddhism -- note that nokori naku = "without remains" can also be understood as "without regret." Again, the unmarked cherry blossoms could be address, exclamation, or subject of "exist (to the end)".


nokori naku
chiru zo medetaki
sakurabana
arite yo no naka
hate no ukereba


---L.

About

Warning: contents contain line-breaks.

As language practice, I like to translate poetry. My current project is Chinese, with practice focused on Tang Dynasty poetry. Previously this was classical Japanese, most recently working through the Kokinshu anthology (archived here). Suggestions, corrections, and questions always welcome.

There's also original pomes in the journal archives.

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