今の世の若き人々
Young people of our age,
われにな問ひそ今の世と
ask me not of the arts of our age and
また来る時代の藝術を。
those of the age to come.
われは明治の兒ならずや。
Am I not a child of the Meiji?
その文化歴史となりて葬られし時
When that culture and its history were entombed
わが青春の夢もまた消えにけり。
The dreams of my youth, too, disappeared.
團菊はしをれて桜癡は散りにき。
Dangiku dried up, and Ochi dispersed.
一葉落ちて紅葉は枯れ
Ichiyo fell, Koyo withered,
緑雨の聲も亦絶えたりき。
Ryokuu's voice too was severed.
圓朝も去れり紫蝶も去れり。
Encho passed, Shicho too.
わが感激の泉とくに枯れたり。
My wellspring of emotion too, already withered.
われは明治の兒なりけり。
I was a child of the Meiji.
或年大地俄にゆらめき
One year, the earth shook, and
火は都を燬きぬ。
Fire destroyed the capital.
柳村先生既になく
Master Ryuuson was already gone;
鴎外漁史も亦姿をかくしぬ。
Ougai Gyoshi too, vanished from our sight.
江戸文化の名残烟となりぬ。
Edo, the remnants of its culture, became as smoke.
明治の文化また灰となりぬ。
Meiji, its culture too, became as ash.
今の世のわかき人々
Young people of our age,
我にな語りそ今の世と
speak not to me of the arts of our age and
また来む時代の藝術を。
the age which be to come.
くもりし眼鏡ふくとても
Now though I wipe my clouded glasses,
われ今何をか見得べき。
what is there to see?
われは明治の兒ならずや。
Am I not a child of the Meiji?
去りし明治の世の兒ならずや。
Not a child of the Meiji age, long-gone?
