GSS 684

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Text

「月をあはれといふはいむなり」といふ人のありければ

よみ人しらず

ひとりねの　わびしきまゝに　おきゐつゝ　月をあはれと　いみぞかねつる

Translation

Someone said "It is unlucky to say that the moon is affecting."

Poet unknown

While in sadness from sleeping alone, I wake up and stand repeatedly, and I cannot think that saying the moon is affecting is unlucky.

Textual Notes

• 月をあはれ] 月をうつくしみあはれ（雲）
• いむなり] いむぞ（荒）
• といふ人の] と人の（中）、と申す人の（堀・雲・標ィ・新ィ）、と申す人（荒・片）
• ありければ] 侍りければ（堀）
• よみ人しらず] 小町（慶・新ィ）
• ままに] ときは（堀・雲）
• かねつる] わびぬる（堀）、かねつる（安ィ）

Other Sources

• 小町集３６. Prose preface 中たえたるをとこの、しのびてきてかくれて見けるに、月のいとあはれなるを見て、ねんことこそいとくちをしけれとすのこにながむれば、をとこいむなる物をといへば
• 定家八代抄

Notes

月をあはれといふいむなり

This might be related to looking at the moon shortening your life (九代). There are other examples of this in Genji, in Bai Juyi's poetry, and in waka (八代), also in Taketori (標注).　The なり is 伝聞.

かねつる

I cannot avoid (or I forget) the unluckiness of looking at the moon.

Analysis

The woman is staring at the moon in sadness throughout the night, and can do nothing about it (九代). SIS 1195 (増抄). KKS 大方は月をもめでじ...

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