真菅生ふる山田に水をまかすれば
嬉し顔にも鳴く蛙かな
嬉し顔にも鳴く蛙かな
- Roma-ji
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Masuge ouru yamada ni mizu o makasureba ureshigao ni mo naku kawazu kana
- English Translation
-
Where the sedges grow,
to the mountain paddy field
when the water's led,
with a look of great delight
how the frogs begin to sing.
- Meaning
- When water is let into the mountain paddy where the sedges grow, how gleefully the frogs begin to sing!
- Commentary
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Spring Poems 167
Headnote: "Frogs"
This is the first of two poems on frogs. When water is channelled into a mountain paddy where sedges grow, the frogs begin to sing as if overjoyed.
Likening the frogs' voices, seemingly delighted at the water flowing into the field, to a human expression, the poem conveys a peaceful late-spring scene of farm country. Following the kerria of Ide in the preceding poem, it turns to frogs, Ide's other famed emblem.
First line, “masuge ouru”: where sedges grow, a line with an extra syllable; ma is an honorific prefix.
Second line, “yamada ni mizu o”: water, to the mountain paddy.
Third line, “makasureba”: when it is led in.
Fourth line, “ureshigao ni mo”: with a look of delight, personifying the frogs.
Fifth line, “naku kawazu kana”: the singing frogs, closing with the exclamatory kana.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
- Prev Poem
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Yamabuki no hana saku sato ni narinureba koko ni mo Ide to omooyuru kana
- Next Poem
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Misabi ite tsuki mo yadoranu nigorie ni ware suman tote kawazu naku nari