Cuckoo, you cry
in so many villages,
so many places—
though I am drawn to you,
still I find you wearisome.
- Meaning
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O cuckoo, you cry in so many places that, though I am drawn to you, I cannot help but find you tiresome.
- Commentary
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Book III, Summer Poems
The cuckoo is likened to a woman; by crying in many places, it suggests inconstancy in love.
The poem expresses both attraction and a sense of distaste.
It is also included in a passage of The Tales of Ise.
- Author
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Unknown Poet
- Source
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Kokin Wakashu
- Other
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In summer mountains,
the cuckoo that cries aloud—
if it has a heart,
let it not let its voice
reach me, lost in thought.
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When I hear the cry
of the cuckoo calling,
I am drawn to think
of the home I left behind,
and long for it again.
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When I call to mind,
Mount Tokiwa’s cuckoo
cries out aloud,
as though crimson dye were
poured forth from its breast.
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Your voice I hear,
but never see your tears,
o cuckoo crying—
take, then, my sleeves instead,
soaked through with falling tears.