(Province of Kii,—village of Ogawa)
Koë wa surédomo
Sugata wa miénu—
Fuka-no no kirigirisu!
Though I hear the voice [of the beloved], the form I cannot see—a kirigirisu[98] in the high grass.
[98] ] The kirigirisu is a kind of grasshopper with a very musical note. It is very difficult to see it, even when it is singing close by, for its color is exactly the color of the grass. The song alludes to the happy peasant custom of singing while at work in the fields.
LOVE-SONG
(Province of Mutsu,—district of Sugaru)
Washi no kokoro to
Oki kuru funé wa,
Raku ni misétémo,
Ku ga taënu.
My heart and a ship in the offing—either seems to move with ease; yet in both there is trouble enough.