1.
change; shifting; transition; passing
The gradual changing or passing of something, especially seasons, time, feelings, or beauty. Carries a poetic, often melancholic tone.
A literary and poetic noun derived from the verb 移ろう (to change, to shift). Evokes the Japanese aesthetic sense of impermanence (無常), appreciating beauty precisely because it is fleeting. Common in literature, essays, and poetic description.
Common collocations
- 季節の移ろい: the changing of seasons
- 時の移ろい: the passage of time
- 心の移ろい: shifting emotions
- 色の移ろい: the shifting of colors
Cultural note
Deeply connected to the Japanese aesthetic of 無常 (impermanence) and the appreciation of transient beauty (もののあわれ). The concept appears frequently in classical literature, including 百人一首 poetry.