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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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92 <strong>Japanese</strong> Miscellany<br />

Dragon-flies. It is said that the yellow-mariied<br />

insects are the earliest to appear ; that the green,<br />

blue, and black varieties first show themselves in<br />

the Period <strong>of</strong> Greatest Heat; and that the red<br />

kinds are the last to come and the last to go, —<br />

vanishing only with the close <strong>of</strong> autumn. In a<br />

vague and general way, these statements can be<br />

accepted as results <strong>of</strong> observation. Nevertheless,<br />

the dragon-fly is popularly spoken <strong>of</strong> as a crea-<br />

ture <strong>of</strong> autumn :<br />

indeed one <strong>of</strong> its many names,<br />

Akitsu-mushi, signifies " autumn insect." And<br />

the appellation is really appropriate ; for it is not<br />

until the autumn that dragon-flies appear in such<br />

multitude as to compel attention. For the poet,<br />

however, the true dragon-fly <strong>of</strong> autumn is the red<br />

dragon-fly<br />

:<br />

Aki no ki no<br />

Aka-tombo ni<br />

Sadamarinu.<br />

That the autumn season has begun is decided by the<br />

[appearance <strong>of</strong> tie'] red dragon-fly.<br />

O the dragon-fly ! —<br />

[ the color <strong>of</strong>] autumn I<br />

Onoga mi ni<br />

!<br />

Aki wo sonienuku<br />

Tombo kana<br />

he has dyed his own body with

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