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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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Dragon-flies 105<br />

Tombo no<br />

Ha-ura ni sabishi,<br />

Aki-shigure.<br />

Lonesomely clings the dragon-fly to the underside <strong>of</strong> the<br />

leaf— Ah I the autumn-rains 1<br />

Tombo no<br />

To bakari tsuku<br />

Kara-e kana<br />

Only ten dragon-flies— all clinging to the same withered<br />

spray I<br />

Yosogoto no<br />

!<br />

Naruko ni nigeru,<br />

Tombo kana<br />

Poor dragon-fly 1 scared away by the clapper i that<br />

never was intended for you I<br />

Ao-zora ya,<br />

—<br />

Ka hodo mure-tobu<br />

Aka-tombo.<br />

High in the azure sky the gathering <strong>of</strong> red dragon-flies<br />

looks like a swarming <strong>of</strong> mosquitoes.<br />

^ Naruko. This clapper, used to frighten away birds from the<br />

crops, consists <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> pieces <strong>of</strong> bamboo, or hard wood, fas-<br />

tened to a rope extended across the field or g:arden. When the end <strong>of</strong><br />

the rope is pulled, the pieces <strong>of</strong> wood rattle loudly.

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