Ah, the firefly-lights! As the darkness begins to break, they bury themselves in the grass.
Love-Poems
Muréyo, hotaru,
Mono iu kao no
Miyuru hodo!
O fireflies, gather here long enough to make visible the face of the person who says these things to me![9]
Oto mo sédé,
Omoi ni moyuru,
Hotaru koso,
Naku mushi yori mo
Awaré nari-kéri!
Not making even a sound [yet] burning with desire,—for this the firefly indeed has become more worthy of pity than any insect that cries![10]
Yū sareba,
Hotaru yori ki ni
Moyurédomo,
Hikari minéba ya
Hito no tsurénaki!
When evening falls, though the soul of me burn more than burns the firefly, as the light [of that burning] is viewless, the person [beloved] remains unmoved.[11]
Miscellaneous
Suito yuku,
Mizu-gi wa suzushi,
Tobu-hotaru!
Here at the water's edge, how pleasantly cool!—and the fireflies go shooting by—suito!
Midzu é kité,
Hikuu naritaru
Hotaru kana!