< Page:Insect Literature by Lafcadio Hearn.djvu
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— 154 —

Owarete wa
Tsuki ni kakururu
Hotaru kana!

Ah,[the cunning] fireflies! being chased, they hide themselves in the moonlight!

Ubaiote
Fumi-koroshitaru
Hotaru kana!

[Two firefly-catchers] having tried to seize it [at the same time], the poor firefly is trampled to death!

The Light of Fireflies

Hotarubi ya!
Mada kureyaranu
Hashi no uri.

Fireflies already sparkling under the bridge,—and it is not yet dark!

Mizu-gusa no
Kururu to miete
Tobu hotaru.

When the water-grasses appear to grow dark, the fireflies begin to fly.

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