五月闇鵜川にともす篝火の
数ますものは蛍なりけり
数ますものは蛍なりけり
- Roma-ji
-
Satsukiyami ukawa ni tomosu kagaribi no kazu masu mono wa hotaru narikeri
- English Translation
-
In the Fifth Month dark
on the river of cormorants,
the fishing fires
seem to grow in number—
they are fireflies, I find.
- Meaning
- In the darkness of the Fifth Month, what seems to multiply the fishing fires lit on the cormorant river turns out to be fireflies.
- Commentary
-
Book Two Summer Poems 74
The poem likens the fireflies darting among the cormorant fishing fires to an increase in the number of fires. Flickering flames and firefly lights merge in a dreamlike summer night scene.
It shares its final line, "they are fireflies," with the preceding poem, 73, forming a pair of firefly poems. Its first line, "Fifth Month dark," is shared with poem 69.
First line, "Fifth Month dark," refers to the dark nights of the rainy season and repeats the first line of poem 69.
Second line shows fires lit on a river where cormorant fishing takes place.
Third line names the fishing fires lit to draw fish, the object of comparison with fireflies.
Fourth line conveys surprise that the fires seem to have multiplied.
Fifth line ends with keri, revealing the comparison. It shares this final line with the preceding poem.
- Author
- Unknown Poet
- Source
- Shika Wakashu
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