Hotarubi ya!
Mada kuréyaranu,
Hashi no uri.
Fireflies already sparkling under the bridge,--and it is not yet dark!
Mizu-gusa no
Kururu to miété
Tobu hotaru.
When the water-grasses appear to grow dark, the fireflies begin to
fly.[5]
Oku-no-ma yé
Hanashité mitaru
Hotaru kana!
Pleasant, from the guest-room,[6] to watch the fireflies being set free
in the garden!
Yo no fukuru
Hodo ōkinaru
Hotaru kana!
Ever as the night grows [deeper, the light of] the firefly also grows
[brighter]!
Kusakari no
Sodé yori idzuru,
Hotaru kana!
See! a firefly flies out of the sleeve of the grass-cutter!
Koko kashiko,
Hotaru ni aoshi
Yoru no kusa.
Here and there the night-grass appears green, because of the light of
the fireflies.
Chōchin no
Kiyété, tōtoki
Hotaru kana!
How precious seems [the light of] the firefly, now that the
lantern-light has gone out!
Mado kuraki,
Shōji wo noboru
Hotaru kana!
The window itself is dark, but see!--a firefly is creeping up the paper
pane!
Moë yasuku,
Mata kéyé yasuki,
Hotaru kana!
How easily kindled, and how easily put out again, is the light of the
firefly!
Hitotsu kité,
Niwa no tsuyukéki,
Hotaru kana!
Oh! a single firefly having come, one can see the dew in the garden!
Té no hira wo
Hau ashi miyuru
Hotaru kana!
Oh, this firefly!--as it crawls on the palm of my hand, its legs are
visible [by its own light]!
Osoroshi no
Té ni sukitōru,
Hotaru kana!
It is enough to make one afraid! See! the light of this firefly shows
through my hand![7]
Sabéshisaya!
Isshaku kiyété
Yuku hotaru!
How uncanny! The firefly shoots to within a foot of me, and--out goes
the light!
Yuku saki no
Sawaru mono naki
Hotaru kana!
There goes a firefly! but there is nothing in front of it to take hold
of [nothing to touch: what can it be seeking--the ghostly creature?].
Hōki-gi ni
Ari to wa miyété,
Hotaru kana!
In this hoki-bush it certainly appeared to be,--the firefly! [but where
is it?]
Sodé é kité,
Yōhan no hotaru
Sabishi kana!
This midnight firefly coming upon the sleeve of my robe--how
weird[8]!...
Yanagi-ba no
Yami saki kaësu
Hotaru kana!
For this willow tree the season of budding would seem to have returned
in the dark--look at the fireflies!
Mizu soko no
Kagé wo kowagaru
Hotaru kana!
Ah, he is afraid of the darkness under the water,--that firefly!
[Therefore he lights his tiny lantern!]
Sugitaru wa!
Mé ni mono sugoshi
Tobu hotaru!
Ah, I am going too far!... The flitting of the fireflies here is a
lonesome sight!
Hotarubi ya!
Kusa ni osamaru
Yoäkégata.
Ah, the firefly-lights! As the darkness begins to break, they bury
themselves in the grass.