What does 母を恋はずや mean?


What is the meaning of 母を恋はずや in the film title?

Edit: the meaning of "恋う" according to the dictionary is "romantic love" as in
"koi suru". E.g.
<http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/all/%E6%81%8B%E3%81%86/m1u/> says
"特定の異性に心ひかれて、その人を思い慕う。また、特別な人物や場所などを強く慕う。恋する。" So my query is partly about the
grammar but also why it is 母を恋する. I can't believe it is some kind of
incestuous relationship.




Dono already explained the grammar. I will try to explain why 母を恋う does not
describe an incestuous relationship.

Although the meanings of 恋う and 恋する have some overlap, 恋う is broader and it
does not necessarily refer to a romantic emotion, unlike 恋する or 恋をする. Daijirin
is clearer on this:

[恋う](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0ss&p=%E6%81%8B%E3%81%86):

> 1 (動ワ五［ハ四］)
>
> 思い慕う。愛する。懐かしく思う。
>

>> 母を―・う  
>  故郷を―・う気持ちがつのる  
>  妻―・ふ鹿の音〔出典： 松の葉〕
>
> 2 (動ハ上二)
>
> ［1］ 人、特に異性を恋する。ほれる。 …  
>  ［2］ 慕わしく思う。 …  
>  ［3］ （ある場所や物を）懐かしく思う。 …

[恋する](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0ss&p=%E6%81%8B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B):

> 男女の間で、相手に愛情を寄せる。異性を愛する。
>

>> ―・する乙女

By the way, in modern Japanese, verb 恋う is rare except in compound words such
as 恋い慕う and 恋い焦がれる, and [恋]{こい}しく思う is more common. 恋しい as in 恋しく思う also has
the broader meaning which is not necessarily related to a romantic emotion.




  * 母: mother
  * を: grammar, marks a direct object
  * 恋はず: the verb 恋ふ in classical spelling. In modern Japanese, this is 恋う. (kop-u > koɸ-u > ko[w]-u > ko-u). Conjugated to こは (modern こわ) so that the negative suffix -zu can attach. "not love"
  * や: grammar, interrogative particle asking a question. Often rhetorical. 

Should one not love a mother? (=Yes, one should love a mother.)

