Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
明けぬれば
Fujiwara no Michinobu · 藤原道信朝臣
明けぬれば
くるるものとは
知りながら
なほ恨めしき
朝ぼらけかな
Historical kana
あけぬれば
くるるものとは
しりながら
なほうらめしき
あさぼらけかな
Original English translation
Though I know that, once day dawns, evening will come, I still resent the light of morning.
History and context
Michinobu’s poem belongs to the Goshuishū love sequence. Dawn’s conventional role as the end of a lovers’ meeting makes the passing of an ordinary day feel emotionally unequal.
Imagery and wordplay
Knowing that night will return does not relieve the present farewell. Reason and feeling pull apart.
Goshuishū · 後拾遺集恋二672
Japanese text and historical kana follow the linked Wikisource transcription. Classical poems can have variant spellings and wording in different anthologies. The source anthology reference identifies the version represented in this collection, not necessarily its earliest surviving text. English prose translations and reading notes are original interpretations; some wordplay permits more than one reading.