物の哀れ Mononoaware- is "the pathos of things." It is the awareness of the impermanence of all things and the gentle sadness and wistfulness at their passing.
There comes a time in every man's life
When it's better to admit defeat,
And walk away into the darkness
To tread the bleak vale of tears alone,
Leaving the field to the stronger man.
Love is a battleground without rules
Where deceit and lies are the weapons
Employed by an unscrupulous foe
To win the hand of a fair lady,
Against which true love cannot prevail.
Honest pledges of devotion,
Worthy and sincere though they may be,
Are dull and boring, insipid fare
When compared to the thrill of danger,
And the mystery of the unknown.
It is a hard and bitter lesson
That to triumph in this deadly game
One must assume the gaudy mantle
Of guileful words and insincere smiles,
And by base flattery win the prize.