露つゆ霜じも

noun

frozen dew

Refers to dew that has frozen into ice crystals, often seen on cold mornings.

• 今朝けさは冷ひえ込こんで、草くさの上うえに露つゆ霜じもが降おりていた。

  It was cold this morning, and frozen dew had formed on the grass.

noun

frost and dew

Poetic or literary term for frost and dew together, often symbolizing the transience of life.

• 露つゆ霜じもの消きえやすいように、人ひとの命いのちもはかない。

  Just as frost and dew vanish easily, so too is human life fleeting.

noun

years; time

Archaic metaphorical use; dew and frost were associated with the passage of time. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 古こ歌かでは「露つゆ霜じも」を年ねん月げつの意い味みで詠よむことがある。

  In classical poetry, 露霜 is sometimes used to mean years or time.