Summer Haiku
Author:
Natsume Sōseki
夏目漱石《なつめそうせき》
Translation and notes:
Dan Bornstein
Natsume Sōseki
夏目漱石《なつめそうせき》
Translation and notes:
Dan Bornstein
> Bilingual text
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(1)
藪陰に涼んで蚊にぞ喰はれける
藪陰《やぶかげ》に涼《すず》んで蚊《か》にぞ喰《く》はれける
Enjoying the cool air here in the shaded bamboo grove, I suddenly realize I've been bitten by a mosquito.
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(2)
涼しさや昼寐の貌に青松葉
涼《すず》しさや昼寐《ひるね》の貌《かお》に青松葉《あおまつば》
How refreshing, this coolness! On my napping face lands a fresh pine needle.
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(3)
夏痩の此頃蚊にもせせられず
夏痩《なつやせ》の此頃《このごろ》蚊《か》にもせせられず
In these days of summer languidness, even the mosquitoes don't bother biting me.
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(4)
蛍狩われを小川に落しけり
蛍狩《ほたるがり》われを小川《おがわ》に落《おと》しけり
Trying to catch fireflies—they have made me fall into the stream.
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(5)
叩かれて昼の蚊を吐く木魚哉
叩《たた》かれて昼《ひる》の蚊《か》を吐《は》く木魚《もくぎょ》哉《かな》
When struck, it spews daytime mosquitoes: a wooden fish.
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(6)
あつ苦し昼寐の夢に蝉の声
あつ苦《くる》し昼寐《ひるね》の夢《ゆめ》に蝉《せみ》の声《こえ》
Suffocating heat; in my midday nap dream—the chirring of cicadas.
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(7)
とぶ蛍柳の枝で一休み
とぶ蛍《ほたる》柳《やなぎ》の枝《えだ》で一休《ひとやす》み
A firefly in flight: on a willow branch it takes a short break.
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(8)
月斜め筍竹にならんとす
月《つき》斜《なな》め筍《たけのこ》竹《たけ》にならんとす
The moon is in decline; a bamboo shoot is striving to become a bamboo.
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(9)
ある画師の扇子捨てたる流かな
ある画師《がし》の扇子《せんす》捨《す》てたる流《ながれ》かな
A stream; floating by is a folding fan with a print by some artist, which has been tossed into the water.
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(10)
独居の帰ればむつと鳴く蚊哉
独居《ひとりい》の帰《かえ》ればむつと鳴《な》く蚊《か》哉《かな》
The recluse returns to his empty house; mosquitoes are buzzing sharply.
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(11)
夕立の湖に落ち込む勢かな
夕立《ゆうだち》の湖《みずうみ》に落《お》ち込《こ》む勢《いきおい》かな
How forceful the evening shower is as it falls into the lake!
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(12)
禅定の僧を囲んで鳴く蚊かな
禅定《ぜんじょう》の僧《そう》を囲《かこ》んで鳴《な》く蚊《か》かな
Mosquitoes—buzzing as they encircle a meditating monk.
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(1)
藪陰に涼んで蚊にぞ喰はれける
藪陰《やぶかげ》に涼《すず》んで蚊《か》にぞ喰《く》はれける
Enjoying the cool air here in the shaded bamboo grove, I suddenly realize I've been bitten by a mosquito.
- 藪陰: A shaded spot in a bamboo grove. Such groves, with their shade and dampness, are favorite breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
- 蚊: Mosquito. Summer season word.
- ぞ: Highlights the mosquito as the new, important fact in the sentence.
- ける: A changed form of けり (the change is due to the presence of ぞ, according to classical Japanese grammar rules). This auxiliary emphasizes the newly-discovered fact of having been stung by a mosquito. The combination with ぞ gives the scene vividness and immediacy and makes the reader feel that the poem was written on the spot, right after the event took place.
- The auxiliary けり is also a haiku cutting word. Such words are usually emphatic particles or auxiliaries that are employed for the purpose of regulating the flow of the poem and creating a certain rhythm as they highlight certain words. They frequently have no definite meaning, but their original emphatic function often remains in effect and contributes to the interpretation of the poem.
- 喰はれける: Pronounced くわれける.
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(2)
涼しさや昼寐の貌に青松葉
涼《すず》しさや昼寐《ひるね》の貌《かお》に青松葉《あおまつば》
How refreshing, this coolness! On my napping face lands a fresh pine needle.
- 涼しさ: Coolness, refreshing cool air in a shaded spot. Summer season word.
- や: Cutting word.
- 昼寐: Lit. "daytime-sleep". A nap taken during the day.
- 貌 = 顔.
- 青松葉: Lit. "green pine leaf". A fresh pine needle, one whose color is bright green.
- The original poem does not contain a verb. The exact manner of the interaction between the pine needle and the poet's face is supposed to be filled in by the reader. The needle obviously fell down on his face; it may have pricked his skin with its sharp tip, briefly waking him from his nap.
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(3)
夏痩の此頃蚊にもせせられず
夏痩《なつやせ》の此頃《このごろ》蚊《か》にもせせられず
In these days of summer languidness, even the mosquitoes don't bother biting me.
- 夏痩: Lit. "summer emaciation". The lack of appetite during the hot summer days results in weight loss and physical weakness. Summer season word.
- せせられず: The verb せせる (to sting, to bite) in a negative passive conjugation.
- 蚊にもせせられず: Lit. "I am not bitten even by mosquitoes".
- The poem suggests that the mosquitoes find the poet's blood unappetizing because of his poor diet during the summer. This unexpected outcome of his languidness is a welcome surprise in a season otherwise known for relentless mosquito activity.
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(4)
蛍狩われを小川に落しけり
蛍狩《ほたるがり》われを小川《おがわ》に落《おと》しけり
Trying to catch fireflies—they have made me fall into the stream.
- 蛍狩: Firefly catching. A traditional summer pastime (and season word). Usually done near streams and rivers, where fireflies can be spotted in large numbers and the air is cooler, allowing for an enjoyable break from the heat.
- われ: Me. First person pronoun.
- It is not explicitly stated who or what made the poet fall into the stream. It could have been either the fireflies or the activity itself. In any case, the scene is the same: the poet was trying to catch fireflies, stumbled and fell into the stream himself. The would-be catcher became the one caught.
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(5)
叩かれて昼の蚊を吐く木魚哉
叩《たた》かれて昼《ひる》の蚊《か》を吐《は》く木魚《もくぎょ》哉《かな》
When struck, it spews daytime mosquitoes: a wooden fish.
- 昼の蚊: Mosquitoes that are active during the day, as opposed to those only active at night. Summer season word.
- 木魚: Lit. "wooden fish"; a wooden percussion instrument that resembles a fish. Used in Buddhist temples to keep the rhythm during chanting by striking the instrument with a wooden mallet. In Japan, the most common variety of this instrument is round and hollow.
- 哉: Cutting word.
- The scene obviously takes place in a Buddhist temple. As the priest struck the wooden fish for the first time, mosquitoes that were hiding inside the hollow instrument were disturbed and came flying out in a flurry. Since these are daytime mosquitoes, the fact that they were hiding there indicates that the scene took place after dark or before sunrise. The mosquitoes were supposed to be inactive, which made their sudden appearance all the more surprising.
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(6)
あつ苦し昼寐の夢に蝉の声
あつ苦《くる》し昼寐《ひるね》の夢《ゆめ》に蝉《せみ》の声《こえ》
Suffocating heat; in my midday nap dream—the chirring of cicadas.
- あつ苦し: Lit. "hot-suffocating". The classical equivalent of the adjective あつくるしい.
- 蝉: Cicadas. Summer season word.
- 声: Lit. "voice", "sound". The appropriate translation of such catch-all words in Japanese is determined by the context.
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(7)
とぶ蛍柳の枝で一休み
とぶ蛍《ほたる》柳《やなぎ》の枝《えだ》で一休《ひとやす》み
A firefly in flight: on a willow branch it takes a short break.
- 蛍: A firefly. Summer season word.
- の: Marks the subject (the firefly).
- 一休み: Lit. "one rest". When the character 一 begins a compound it often means "a little", "a small".
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(8)
月斜め筍竹にならんとす
月《つき》斜《なな》め筍《たけのこ》竹《たけ》にならんとす
The moon is in decline; a bamboo shoot is striving to become a bamboo.
- 斜め: Lit. "diagonal, oblique", this word can also describe the descent of the sun or the moon toward the west after after having passed their highest point in the sky.
- 筍: A bamboo shoot. Summer season word.
- 竹: A full-fledged bamboo, one that has developed from the shoot.
- にならんとす: Striving, aiming to become (the preceding word). ならんとすis the classical equivalent of なろうとする.
- Bamboo is a very fast-growing plant. Here the poet feels as if he can actually see the growth in real time.
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(9)
ある画師の扇子捨てたる流かな
ある画師《がし》の扇子《せんす》捨《す》てたる流《ながれ》かな
A stream; floating by is a folding fan with a print by some artist, which has been tossed into the water.
- 画師: An artist, a painter. In this context it likely indicates a Japanese woodblock print maker.
- 扇子: A folding fan. Summer season word.
- 画師の扇子: Haiku poems rely on the reader to supply information based on the context. The thing possessed or described by the word "artist" is understood as the print on the fan, rather than the fan itself.
- 捨てたる: たる is the classical equivalent of ている or てある. It marks the ongoing state that results from having tossed the fan into the river. In other words, it actually refers to "floating", although this is not explicitly stated.
- かな: Cutting word.
- A literal translation of the poem would be: "A stream—into which a folding fan by a certain artist has been tossed".
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(10)
独居の帰ればむつと鳴く蚊哉
独居《ひとりい》の帰《かえ》ればむつと鳴《な》く蚊《か》哉《かな》
The recluse returns to his empty house; mosquitoes are buzzing sharply.
- 独居: Normally referring to the act or state of living alone, here it expresses the recluse himself, i.e., the person who lives alone. The word 独居 makes it clear that no one—other than the mosquitoes—is present to greet the recluse on his return.
- の: Marks the subject (the recluse). This particle is often used in subordinate clauses. Everything that precedes 蚊 is actually a subordinate clause that qualifies that word.
- 帰れば: When [he] returns. In classical grammar, ば can have the meaning of "when", "as" in addition to the modern sense of "if". The meaning depends on the conjugation of the verb that precedes this particle.
- むつと: Pronounced むっと. Onomatopoeia for the energetic buzzing of the mosquitoes.
- 蚊: Summer season word.
- 哉: Cutting word.
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(11)
夕立の湖に落ち込む勢かな
夕立《ゆうだち》の湖《みずうみ》に落《お》ち込《こ》む勢《いきおい》かな
How forceful the evening shower is as it falls into the lake!
- 夕立: An sudden shower in the afternoon or early evening, characterized by brief but heavy rainfall. Summer season word.
- の: Marks the subject (the shower).
- 勢: Force, energy. The poem is literally "The force of the evening shower as it falls into the lake!" or "The force with which etc." Ending the verse with a noun, especially when it is followed by かな, amounts to an exclamation, hence the translation above.
- かな: Cutting word.
- The observation made in the poem is based on the visible disruption that the rain causes on the surface of the lake. The heavy raindrops agitate the water and make the lake turbulent, and that gives the poet a sense of the force of the shower.
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(12)
禅定の僧を囲んで鳴く蚊かな
禅定《ぜんじょう》の僧《そう》を囲《かこ》んで鳴《な》く蚊《か》かな
Mosquitoes—buzzing as they encircle a meditating monk.
- 禅定: Meditation (in Buddhism). The character 禅 is the same one used in the name of the Zen school, which is based on meditation; but the compound word is a general term for any Buddhist meditation.
- 僧: A Buddhist monk. Can also be interpreted as "priest", since the ordained members in several major schools of Japanese Buddhism do not necessarily live as monks, and many of them marry and have families.
- 蚊: Summer season word.
- かな: Cutting word.
> Original non-annotated text
(1)
藪陰に涼んで蚊にぞ喰はれける
(2)
涼しさや昼寐の貌に青松葉
(3)
夏痩の此頃蚊にもせせられず
(4)
蛍狩われを小川に落しけり
(5)
叩かれて昼の蚊を吐く木魚哉
(6)
あつ苦し昼寐の夢に蝉の声
(7)
とぶ蛍柳の枝で一休み
(8)
月斜め筍竹にならんとす
(9)
ある画師の扇子捨てたる流かな
(10)
独居の帰ればむつと鳴く蚊哉
(11)
夕立の湖に落ち込む勢かな
(12)
禅定の僧を囲んで鳴く蚊かな
(1)
藪陰に涼んで蚊にぞ喰はれける
(2)
涼しさや昼寐の貌に青松葉
(3)
夏痩の此頃蚊にもせせられず
(4)
蛍狩われを小川に落しけり
(5)
叩かれて昼の蚊を吐く木魚哉
(6)
あつ苦し昼寐の夢に蝉の声
(7)
とぶ蛍柳の枝で一休み
(8)
月斜め筍竹にならんとす
(9)
ある画師の扇子捨てたる流かな
(10)
独居の帰ればむつと鳴く蚊哉
(11)
夕立の湖に落ち込む勢かな
(12)
禅定の僧を囲んで鳴く蚊かな