Japanese to English translation needed please...

[AStar617]

Originally written by: Asano Naganori (the daimyo avenged by the legendary Forty-Seven Ronin)

kaze sasou hana yori mo nao ware wa mata haru no nagori o ika ni toyasen

Thanks in advance.

 

[AStar617]

East coast middle of the night bump for our japanese ATOTers 🙂

 

[theblackbox]

Is that his edict?

 

[jarfykk]

http://okwave.jp/qa757703.html

Did a good job explaining it there, both the background of it and the meaning it tried to get across. Quite succinctly in fact.

I still think it is remarkable how even Japanese people don't understand their own language sometimes, though I figure many Americans can't understand the Bard.

 

[AStar617]

Originally posted by: theblackbox
Is that his edict?

After being provoked by and attacking a shogunate official then being ordered to commit seppuku, it's the death poem he wrote as customary part of the ritual suicide process. His death would later be avenged by the 47 masterless retainers who posed as ordinary craftsmen and even drunkards for an entire year so that the official would let his guard down and they could finally attack and kill him in his home. They did this knowing that it would result in their own deaths--indeed, after offering the official's head at their dead master's grave, All 47 were sentenced to commit seppuku themselves.

Allegedly the poem exemplifies the very immaturity that got Asano into the situation which resulted in his seppuku. I'm curious to know how it translates.

Originally posted by: jarfykk
http://okwave.jp/qa757703.html

Did a good job explaining it there, both the background of it and the meaning it tried to get across. Quite succinctly in fact.

I still think it is remarkable how even Japanese people don't understand their own language sometimes, though I figure many Americans can't understand the Bard.

Thanks for the link, but I can barely make out a handful of katakana, nevermind translate that page. 🙂 Care to relate just an English translation of the original text?

And you're right--the average American knows nothing of Shakespeare, nor the relevance his works still carry today. MacBeth is my personal favorite.

 

[theblackbox]

how about:

I wish I could enjoy,: the rest of Spring,: as the cherry blossoms are yet in bloom,: in spite of the spring breeze: which is attempting to blow off all their petals.

like pissing away your life

 

[imported_cheapdude]

Text

 

[Kaieye]

I have been to the grave site in Tokyo where the 47 Ronin are buried and remembered. I still remember the smell of the incense burning to this day. It wasn't too far from my Japanese teacher's home and she suggested we take a short walk to see it.