あるものなれ

Navig · 23 Nov 2015

ことばは沈黙に
光は闇に
生は死の中にこそ
あるものなれ
飛翔せるタカの
虚空にこそ
輝ける如くに

Only in silence the word,
only in dark the light,
only in dying life:
bright the hawk's flight!
on the empty sky.

Text from the movie Tales from Earthsea I have two questions, the first and main question being what does the sentence あるものなれ mean? What is the なれ, is it part of 物慣れる or a conjugation of なる? what does it add to the meaning. The second question what is the せる after the 飛翔 If it is the causative せる, then why is it here?

Majestic · 23 Nov 2015

Hi Navig,

Since it's a poem, you might not find the answer 100% satisfactory because it doesn't conform to everyday spoken/written Japanese. But:

ものなれ - As you guessed, this seems to be 物慣れ, the noun form of 物慣れる. At least, that's how I interpret it. (Or, I should say that's how I interpret it after searching around on the internet for a while...)

飛翔 - normally hishō, but in this context my guess is とば（せる）

Toritoribe · 23 Nov 2015

Navig said:
Text from the movie Tales from Earthsea I have two questions, the first and main question being what does the sentence あるものなれ mean? What is the なれ, is it part of 物慣れる or a conjugation of なる? what does it add to the meaning. The second question what is the せる after the 飛翔 If it is the causative せる, then why is it here?

It's written in classical Japanese.
なれ is 已然形, which is equivalent to 仮定形 (-ba conditional stem) in modern Japanese, of an auxiliary verb for assertion なり. 已然形 is used there because of 係り結び of the particle こそ. You can think it as copula だ/である.

なり
［助動］［なら｜なり・に｜なり｜なる｜なれ｜なれ］
１断定の意を表す。…だ。…である。

なり［助動］の意味 - 国語辞書 - goo辞書

具体的には、･･･「こそ」に対しては結びが已然形になる。

今別れむ（終止形）→今こそ別れめ（已然形）

係り結び - Wikipedia

せ is 未然形 (imperfective form) of す, which is equivalent to する, and る is 連体形(attributive form) of an auxiliary verb for perfect tense り. You can think it as している or した.

す【為】
[二]他動詞サ行変格活用
｛せ／し／す／する／すれ／せよ｝
「愛す」「対面す」「恋す」などのように、体言や体言に準ずる語の下に付いて、複合動詞を作る。

すの意味 - 古文辞書 - Weblio古語辞典

り
[助動］［ら｜り｜り｜る｜れ｜れ］
……四段動詞の已然形、サ変動詞の未然形に付く。
２動作・作用が完了して、その結果が存続している意を表す。…ている。…てある。
３動作・作用が完了したことを表す。…た。…てしまった。

り［助動］の意味 - 国語辞書 - goo辞書

輝ける is also "輝く + り", thus, the verse means as follows in modern Japanese (and therefore the given translation is not correct).
ことばは沈黙に
光は闇に
生は死の中にこそ
あるものである
飛翔しているタカが
虚空でこそ
輝いているように

Majestic · 23 Nov 2015

I was way off.
残念賞でも厳しい・・・

Navig · 23 Nov 2015

Toritoribe said:
It's written in classical Japanese.
なれ is 已然形, which is equivalent to 仮定形 (-ba conditional stem) in modern Japanese, of an auxiliary verb for assertion なり. 已然形 is used there because of 係り結び of the particle こそ. You can think it as copula だ/である.

なり［助動］の意味 - 国語辞書 - goo辞書

 係り結び - Wikipedia

せ is 未然形 (imperfective form) of す, which is equivalent to する, and る is 連体形(attributive form) of an auxiliary verb for perfect tense り. You can think it as している or した.

すの意味 - 古文辞書 - Weblio古語辞典

 り［助動］の意味 - 国語辞書 - goo辞書

輝ける is also "輝く + り", thus, the verse means as follows in modern Japanese (and therefore the given translation is not correct).
ことばは沈黙に
光は闇に
生は死の中にこそ
あるものである
飛翔しているタカが
虚空でこそ
輝いているように

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation.
This is too interesting, I need to get to classical japanese (later on).
Could you please provide a translation for
あるものである
Does it come to show that the the 3 sentences above are each similiar to the following analog of the hawk?

なり is the same as in the sentences such as: 知識は力なり

Toritoribe · 23 Nov 2015

Navig said:
Could you please provide a translation for
あるものである

～ものだ/である is a set phrase.
The difference between ものだ and ことだ | Japan Forum

Navig said:
Does it come to show that the the 3 sentences above are each similiar to the following analog of the hawk?

Yes, it represents;
ことばは沈黙の中にこそあるものである
光は闇の中にこそあるものである
生は死の中にこそあるものである

Navig said:
なり is the same as in the sentences such as: 知識は力なり

Exactly. It still remains in modern Japanese often in set phrases or proverbs like as follows.
時は金なり
Time is money.
義を見てせざるは勇無きなり
Knowing what is right and not doing it is a want of courage.
好きこそものの上手なれ
What one likes, one will do well.

あるものなれ

Navig

後輩

Majestic

先輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Majestic

先輩

Navig

後輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Similar threads