何事

1. (literary) what is it; what is the matter

何事

1. (literary) why

   • 人生若只如初見，何事秋風悲畫扇。
     人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。

     From: circa 1655-1685, Nara Singde (納蘭性德),《木蘭花·擬古決絕詞柬友》

     Rénshēng ruòzhǐ rú chūjiàn, héshì qiūfēng bēi huàshàn.

     If life remained the same as in th’ days we first met, Why should autumn wind make th’ painted fan grieve and fret?

   • 不應有恨，何事偏向別時圓？
     不应有恨，何事偏向别时圆？

     From: c. 1076, Su Shi (蘇軾),《水調歌頭·中秋》, translated by Xu Yuanchong

     Bùyīng yǒu hèn, héshì piān xiàng bié shí yuán?

     Against man she should have no spite, Why then when people part is she oft full and bright?

   • 寂寂江山搖落處，憐君何事到天涯！
     寂寂江山摇落处，怜君何事到天涯！

     From: c. 773-777, Liu Changqing (劉長卿),《長沙過賈誼宅》

     Jìjì jiāngshān yáoluò chù, lián jūn héshì dào tiānyá!

     You were left with lonely river and mountain amidst falling leaves. I pity you (along with myself) for being relegated to such a remote place without knowing why!

• (Tokyo) なにごと (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

何(なに)事(ごと) • (nanigoto) 

1. what sort of matter
   • c. late 9th-mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari:

     かぐや姫「なにごとをか、のたまはん事は、うけたまはらざらむ。 」

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2018, 新幹線、無数の血痕…逮捕の男「むしゃくしゃした」 in 『産経ニュース』 (Sankei News)

     何(なに)事(ごと)かと思(おも)った。まさか事(じ)件(けん)とは

     Nanigoto ka to omotta. Masaka jiken to wa

     I was wondering if something had happened. I would have never imagined that it would be a crime…

   • 2018, 豪雨、猛暑に台風　被災住民「くたびれた」 in 『毎日新聞』 (Mainichi Shimbun)

     何(なに)事(ごと)もなく台(たい)風(ふう)が過(す)ぎることを願(ねが)っている

     nanigoto mo naku taifū ga sugiru koto o negatteiru

     I am hoping that the typhoon will go away without any incidents

2. unspecified matter
   • c. late 9th-mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari:

     竹取の翁、「この匠が申ことはなに事ぞ」と傾きをり。

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • c. late 9th-mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari:

     これを見て、「あが佛、なに事（ごと）思ひたまふぞ。思すらんこと何（なに）ごとぞ」と言へば

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• 何(なに) (nani)
• 何(なに)物(もの) (nanimono)
• 何(なに)者(もの) (nanimono)

• Sakakura, Atsuyoshi with Yūichi Ōtsu, Hiroshi Tsukishima, Toshiko Abe, and Imai Gen'e (1957) Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 9: Taketori Monogatari, Ise Monogatari, Yamato Monogatari (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN.