うち過ぐる人なき道の夕されば
声にて送るくつわ虫かな
声にて送るくつわ虫かな
- Roma-ji
-
Uchisuguru hito naki michi no yūsareba koe nite okuru kutsuwamushi kana
- English Translation
-
On the empty road
where no passerby is seen,
when the evening comes,
with its voice it sees me off,
the bridle-bit cricket sings.
- Meaning
- On the road where no one passes, when evening comes, the bridle cricket sends me on my way with its song.
- Commentary
-
Autumn Poems 463
Headnote: "Insects on the road at dusk"
The topic is insects singing on the road at dusk. When evening comes on a lonely road with no passerby in sight, the kutsuwamushi sings as though seeing the traveller off with its voice. It portrays the heart of one on a lonely evening road whose only companion is an insect's voice.
The kutsuwamushi is named for its song, which resembles the jingling of a horse's bridle, so the association of a voice sending off one who rides on horseback is at work.
First line, “uchisuguru”: uchi is a prefix, passing by.
Second line, “hito naki michi no”: of the road with no one on it.
Third line, “yūsareba”: when evening comes, the perfective form with ba.
Fourth line, “koe nite okuru”: seeing off with its voice, likening the insect to one who sends a traveller on his way.
Fifth line, “kutsuwamushi kana”: the kutsuwamushi, named because its song resembles a jingling bridle, closing with kana.
- Author
- Saigyō
- Source
- Sankashu
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