Mayoi-go no
Naku-naku tsukamu
Hotaru kana!
Ah! the lost child! Though crying and crying, still he catches
fireflies!
Kuraki yori
Kuraki hito yobu:
Hotaru kana!
Out of the blackness black people call [to each other]: [they are
hunting] fireflies!
Iu koto no
Kikoëté ya, takaku
Tobu hotaru!
Ah! having heard the voices of people [crying "Catch it!"], the firefly
now flies higher!
Owarété wa
Tsuki ni kakururu
Hotaru kana!
Ah, [the cunning] fireflies! being chased, they hide themselves in the
moonlight!
Ubayoté
Fumi-koroshitaru
Hotaru kana!
[Two firefly-catchers] having tried to seize it [at the same time], the
poor firefly is trampled to death!