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Other / flower essence | | Japanese term or phrase: もののあわれ、うつろいゆく美の儚さ | | もののあわれ、うつろいゆく美の儚さ、時間のながれと共に変わらないものはない。 |
| merurusaKudoZ activityQuestions: 5 (none open) ( 1 without valid answers) Answers: 0
| Local time: 13:23
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| | English translation:How sad, the fading of transient beauty | Explanation:
And altogether, something like:
How sad, the fading of transient beauty, nothing is untouched by the passage of time.
もののあわれ is of course notoriously difficult to translate. I've opted for something simple.
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Note added at 24 mins (2010-10-01 04:48:57 GMT)
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On reflection, I think I would prefer "How sad is the fading of transient beauty..." |
| Selected response from:
 Kieran Bradley
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:23
| Grading comment Thank you for your very good suggestion.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Summary of reference entries provided | | FYI | |
| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
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1 hr confidence:  
57 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +3 The pathos of things, and the ephemeral nature of beauty,
Explanation:
--- The "もの" in the phrase もののあわれ needs to be translated.
--- I am translating it as "The pathos of things."
--- Actually, this translation is taken from my dictionary which, I feel, express it poetically and very well.
You cannot appreciate this poem unless you are sensitive to the pathos of things.
ものの哀れを感じる人でなくてはこの詩は理解できない。(Source: Shogakukan Japanese to English Dictionary)
Also, I used "ephemeral" for 儚さ as it is also something that is not permanent.
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Note added at 7 hrs (2010-10-01 12:04:24 GMT)
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--- Just a thought.....
--- I personally like using the "The pathos of things" since it's the closest to the original Japanese, but the part "the ephemeral nature of beauty" (うつろいゆく美の儚さ) can alternatively be translated as "the fleeting nature of beauty".
--- They both mean the same thing, and it's a matter of preference, but I find them both to be poetic.
| Joyce A
Thailand
Local time: 11:23
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 31
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The translation workplace 
