On fireflies.
己が火を木々の螢や花の宿
ono ga hi o kigi no hotaru ya hana no yado |
With their own fires Do the fireflies among the trees Make them a flowered bower? |
(1690-91)
On fireflies.
己が火を木々の螢や花の宿
ono ga hi o kigi no hotaru ya hana no yado |
With their own fires Do the fireflies among the trees Make them a flowered bower? |
(1690-91)
On fireflies.
此ほたる田ごとのつきにくらべみん
kono hotaru tagoto no tsuki ni kurabemin |
These fireflies To the autumn moon above the rice-fields Do compare. |
(1688)
Topic unknown.
はるゝよのほしかゝはべの螢かもわがすむかたのあまのたくひか
haruru yo no hoshi ka kawabe no hotaru kamo wa ga sumu kata no ama no taku hi ka |
On this fine night, Are those stars? Or, by the riverbank Fireflies, perhaps? Or even, near my home, Fires kindled by the fisherfolk? |
Ariwara no Narihira
在原業平
Composed watching fireflies flying upwards.
いづちとかよるは蛍のゝぼるらんゆくかたしらぬ草の枕に
izuchi to ka yoru wa hotaru no noboruran yuku kata shiranu kusa no makura ni |
Whither bound? At night the fireflies Ascend; Destination unknown, Pausing briefly, pillowed on the grasses. |
Mibu no Tadami
Topic unknown.
哀にもみさをにもゆる螢かな聲たてつべき此世と思ふに
aFare ni mo misawo ni moyuru Fotaru kana kowe tatetubeki kono yo to omoFu ni |
It moves me to see, Burning above the mooring poles, Fireflies For I could cry out loud At this world of ours. |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Composed as a firefly poem, when he presented a hundred-poem sequence.
昔わがあつめし物を思ひ出てみなれがほにも來る螢かな
mukasi wa ga atumesi mono wo omoFi’idete minaregaFo ni mo kuru Fotaru kana |
In my youth I Gathered them– How well I do recall The familiar sight Of approaching fireflies. |
Fujiwara no Suemichi
When she had been forgotten by a man, she went to Kibune, and composed this on seeing fireflies flitting about by the Mitarashi River.
物思へば澤の螢も我身よりあくがれ出づる玉かとぞみる
mono’omoFeba saFa no Fotaru mo wa ga mi yori akugare iduru tama ka to zo miru |
I’m at such a loss; Fireflies by the marsh: From my breast Wanders out My soul, or so it seems. |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部
Composed on fireflies.
おともせで思ひにもゆる螢こそなく虫よりも哀なりけれ
oto mo sede omoFi ni moyuru Fotaru koso naku musi yori mo aFare narikere |
Making no sound Yet burning with love, Fireflies far More than chirping insects, Move me. |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
Topic unknown.
ゆく螢雲の上までいぬべくは秋風吹くと雁に告げこせ
yuku Fotaru kumo no uFe made inubeku Fa aki kaze Fuku to kari ni tugekose |
O, flitting fireflies, Beyond the clouds Should you ascend, then say, ‘ The Autumn wind is blowing!’ To the geese. |
Narihira
業平
A poem composed at a competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress during the Kampyô era (889-898).
ゆふされば螢よりけにもゆれどもひかりみねばや人のつれなき
yuFu sareba Fotaru yori ke ni moyuredomo Fikari mineba ya Fito no turenaki |
With the fall of evening, The fireflies’ are as nothing beside My burning, yet I cast no light, so Will my love stay chill? |
Ki no Tomonori
紀友則