夕涼み芦の葉亂れ寄る波に螢數そふあまのいさり火
yū suzumi
ashi no ha midare
yoru nami ni
hotaru kazu sou
ama no isaribi |
As the evening cools
The reed fronds are in disarray,
Brushed by the waves, as
A multitude of fireflies
Appear like fishing lights. |
下くゆるむかひの森の蚊遣火に思ひ燃えそひ行螢かな
shita kuyuru
mukai no mori no
kayaribi ni
omoi moe soi
yuku hotaru kana |
Smouldering beneath
Yonder forest,
The smudge pots
Draw the embers of my passion
Like floating fireflies. |
On fireflies.
手習の顔にくれ行ほたるかな
tenarai no
kao ni kureyuku
hotaru kana |
Hard at letter practice
Their faces fade
In the fireflies’ light. |
On mosquito nets.
蚊屋の内にほたる放してああ樂や
kaya no uchi
hotaru hanashite
aa raku ya |
Within the mosquito nets
Loosing fireflies:
So pleasant to see. |
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
'Simply moving and elegant'