Can anyone here read 古文?

I mean if you could help me get a bit more of a start on it, that would be great because I actually don’t have such a good start

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古文 is a pretty good category here. If you mean post Edo literature than yes I can read those more or less okay. If you mean Edo literature, I’ve read some but they’re not particularly easy, though I’ve only read things typed, I probably couldn’t identify most Hentaigana. If you mean earlier than Edo literature, I’ve only read things like Poems then like the 百人一首

If you mean stuff like the Kojiki or Nihonshoki then I’ve got no idea.

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I’m taking a 古文 class at my university in Japan right now, so ask me again in a few months.

I can’t wait that long, lets get to the hard stuff right away:

わが世をば今日か明日かと待つかひの涙の滝といづれ高けむ

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Can you translate that to modern Japanese? I can’t figure it out with the help of Jisho :sweat_smile:

「私の時代は今日来るか明日来るか」そう言って待っている甲斐もなく流れる私の涙の滝。私の涙の滝と、この滝と、どちらが高いだろう。

It’s also a modern explanation as opposed to the poem being translated into modern language.

And by “me” doing it, I just googled 現代翻訳

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So, how long have you been doing this? Because I am trying to get into it myself

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