玉の緒

Japanese

Kanji in this term
玉	緒
たま Grade: 1	お Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
玉の緖 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of 玉(たま) (tama, “bead, gem”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 緒(お) (o, “cord, thread”).

The "life" sense comes from the homophone of 玉 (​tama) with its likely derivation 魂 (tama, “soul, spirit”).

Noun

玉(たま)の緒(お) • (tama no o) ^{←たまのを (tamanowo)?}

1. a bead string; a jewelled necklace
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4493:
     , text here (also Shin Kokin Wakashū, poem 708, text here)

     始(はつ)春(はる)乃波都祢乃家布能多麻婆波伎手尓等流可良尓由良久(のはつねのけふのたまばはきてにとるからにゆらく)多麻能乎(たまのを) [Man'yōgana]

     初(はつ)春(はる)の初(はつ)子(ね)の今日(けふ)の玉(たま)箒(ばはき)手(て)に取(と)るからに揺(ゆ)らく玉(たま)の緒(を) [Modern spelling]

     hatsuharu no hatsune no kyö no tamabahaki te ni toru kara ni yuraku tama no o

     At the first of spring on the first Day of the Rat I take in hand the jewel broom, and all my soul tingles with the tinkling gems.

2. (figurative) life, existence
   • 1205, Shin Kokin Wakashū (book 11 poem 1034), text here (also Shokushi-naishinnō-shū, poem 319; Hyakunin Isshu, poem 89)

     玉(たま)の緒(を)よ絶(た)えなば絶(た)えねながらへば忍(しの)ぶることの弱(よわ)りもぞする

     tama no o yo taenaba taene nagaraeba shinoburu koto no yowari mo zo suru

     String of beads, if you must break, break; if you last longer, my endurance is sure to weaken.

   • 1216, Teika-kyō Hyakuban Jika-awase (Lord Teika's One Hundred Round Own Poem Contest, poem 188, right, winner)

     思(おも)ふことむなしき夢(ゆめ)の中(なか)空(ぞら)に絶(た)ゆとも絶(た)ゆなつらき玉(たま)の緒(を)

     omou koto munashiki yume no nakazora ni tayu tomo tayu natsuraki tama no o

     Though all my hopes be shattered, leaving no trace, in the sky of empty dreams, do not shatter, o jeweled strand of life, however sorrows may try you.

   Synonyms: 命 (inochi), 生命 (seimei)

3. Synonym of 見せばや (misebaya): Siebold's stonecrop ()

Derived terms

• 玉(たま)の緒(お)の (tama no o no, pillow word)
• 玉(たま)の緒(お)繰分(くりわけ) (Tama-no-o Kuriwake)
• 玉(たま)の緒(お)柳(やなぎ) (tama-no-o yanagi)

Proverb

玉(たま)の緒(お) • (tama no o) ^{←たまのを (tamanowo)?}

1. by connecting beads into a string thereby making the space shorter, shortness of something
   • 10th century, Ise Monogatari (poem 30)

     逢(あ)ふことは玉(たま)の緒(を)ばかり思(おも)ほえてつらき心(こころ)の長(なが)く見(み)ゆらむ

     au koto wa tama no o bakari omōete tsuraki kokoro no nagaki miyuran

     Our meetings are short as the spaces between the gems of a necklace. Longer-lasting indeed is your heartlessness.