Though I grieve, there is no help;
Vainly I long to see her.
Men tell me that my wife is
In the mountains of Hagai-
Thither I go,
Toiling along the stony path;
But it avails me not,
For of my wife, as she lived in this world,
I find not the faintest shadow.

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

More information about this quote

Topic

Missing someone Losing a loved one Grief Loss

Author

Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

Source

The Manyoshu

Medium

Poem

Language

Japanese

Time

759 750s 8th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Man'yōshū. Compiled by Otomo no Yakamochi. c. 759, bk. 2, poem 210-2.

Current Citation

Anonymous. 1000 Poems from the Manyoshu: The Complete Nippon Gakujutsu Shinko Translation, selected and translated by Iwanami Shoten. Dover Publications, 2005, bk. 2, poem 210-2.

Illustrated Quote

A quote from The Manyoshu about missing someone: “Though I grieve, there is no help; Vainly I long to see her. Men…”
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A quote from The Manyoshu about missing someone: “Though I grieve, there is no help; Vainly I long to see her. Men…”
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A quote from The Manyoshu about missing someone: “Though I grieve, there is no help; Vainly I long to see her. Men…”
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Another quote originally in Japanese

Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maples, singing songs, drinking water and diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; caring not a whit for the poverty staring us in the face, refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call ukiyo.

Asai Ryoi

Tales of the Floating World

More information about this quote
Topic
Enjoying life

Author

Asai Ryoi
Source
Tales of the Floating World
Language
Japanese
Time
1661 1660s 17th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Asai, Ryoi. 浮世物語 [Tales of the Floating World]. c. 1666, bk. 1, ch. 1.