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I found a poem by Nagai Kafu entitled 震災 (The Earthquake) in a volume of
Japanese prose and poetry. It's a short poem about the Ansei Edo Earthquake
(安政江戸地震) in 1855 which destroyed the red light district Yoshiwara. I reproduce
the parts of the poem which I have some questions about:

> 今の世の若き人々
>
> われにな問いにそ今の世と
>
> また来る時代の藝術を

What is the structure of われにな問いにそ? I understand it's construed as a negative
imperative ("Do not ask me ...") but I don't recognise the syntax.

> われは明治の兒ならずや

I understand that -ならず is the 未然形 of なり, but what is the correct translation
of ならず + や?

> わが感激の泉とくに枯れたり

Is there an adverb とくに in this line, or am I parsing it incorrectly?
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2015-08-30T22:29:05.903
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question
classical-japanese poetry
Couple of classical Japanese questions
[This article](http://mokuou.blogspot.jp/2010/11/blog-post_16.html) seems to
show what the original poem is like.

> われに **な問ひそ** 今の世と

The original text goes like this. The `な V そ` sandwich (`V` takes 連用形 except
for す and 来 become 未然形, せ and こ) is a common Classical pattern for negative
imperative "please don't", which is given [a detailed
explanation](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%9D) in Japanese dictionary.

> われは明治の兒ならずや

`negative` + 係助詞 [`や`](http://kobun.weblio.jp/content/%E3%82%84) (no
particular order) are combined to be rhetorical question. So here it says "Am
I not a child of Meiji (times)?", or in this context, "Know you not, I am a
child of Meiji?"

> わが感激の泉とくに枯れたり

There is an adverb とくに, means
"[already](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/158236/m0u/)"; not the one
means "[especially](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/158236/m0u/)".
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2015-08-31T12:03:04.873
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answer
I offer my translation, made thanks to the community.

_Note:_ the names mentioned by the poet Nagai -- Dangiku, Ochi, Ichiyo, Koyo,
Ryokuu, Encho, Shicho, Ryuson and Ogai Gyoshi -- were all contemporary poets,
performers and figures of the Meiji period.

For some of them, Nagai describes their falling into oblivion punningly, in a
manner befitting their names.

> 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?
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2015-09-01T05:44:16.803
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answer