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"_Shinne-Shinne_" also called _Yama-Zemi_, and
"_Kutsu-kutsu-Boshi_," etc. (_Cosmopsaltria
Il avait vu bruler d'etranges pierres,
Jadis, dans les brasiers de la pensee ...
 The original story is to be found in the curious volume
entitled _Konseki-Monogatari_
sliding-screen that closed it, he was startled to perceive a glow
forgiveness over and over again. She answered him, with loving
 From the old story-book, _Jikkun-sho_
 The priest's desire was probably inspired by the promises
recorded in the chapter entitled "The Encouragement of
Samantabhadra" (see Kern's translation of the Saddharma
Pundarika in the _Sacred Books of the East_,--pp.
said to the Lord: ... 'When a preacher who applies himself
to this Dharmaparyaya shall take a walk, then, O Lord, will
I mount a white elephant with six tusks, and betake myself
to the place where that preacher is walking, in order to
protect this Dharmaparyaya. And when that preacher, applying
himself to this Dharmaparyaya, forgets, be it but a single
word or syllable, then will I mount the white elephant with
six tusks, and show my face to that preacher, and repeat
this entire Dharmaparyaya."--But these promises refer to
"the end of time."
 The _Kyosoku_ is a kind of padded arm-rest, or arm-stool,
upon which the priest leans one arm while reading. The use
of such an arm-rest is not confined, however, to the
Buddhist clergy.
 A yujo, in old days, was a singing-girl as well as a
courtesan. The term "Yujo-no-Choja," in this case, would
mean simply "the first (or best) of yujo."
_Within the sacred water-tank of Murozumi in Suwo,
Even though no wind be blowing,
The surface of the water is always rippling._
 _Mitarai_. _Mitarai_ (or _mitarashi_) is the name
especially given to the water-tanks, or water-fonts--of
stone or bronze--placed before Shinto shrines in order
that the worshipper may purify his lips and hands before
making prayer. Buddhist tanks are not so named.
never blow,
Yet the surface of that deep is always covered
With the billowings of Attainment to the Reality-in-Itself._
class which have been known to everybody from ancient times. But
 He died in the eighteenth year of Kyoho (1733). The painter
to whom he refers--better known to collectors as Hishigawa
Kichibei Moronobu--flourished during the latter part of the
seventeenth century. Beginning his career as a dyer's
apprentice, he won his reputation as an artist about 1680,
when he may be said to have founded the _Ukiyo-ye_ school of
illustration. Hishigawa was especially a delineator of what
are called _furyu_, ("elegant manners"),--the aspects of
life among the upper classes of society.
He then proceeds to relate the following story about one of the
so-called portraits:--
There was a young scholar of Kyoto whose name was Tokkei. He
used to live in the street called Muromachi. One evening,
while on his way home after a visit, his attention was attracted
by an old single-leaf screen (_tsuitate_), exposed for sale
before the shop of a dealer in second-hand goods. It was only
a paper-covered screen; but there was painted upon it the
full-length figure of a girl which caught the young man's
fancy. The price asked was very small: Tokkei bought the
screen, and took it home with him.
When he looked again at the screen, in the solitude of his
own room, the picture seemed to him much more beautiful than
before. Apparently it was a real likeness,--the portrait of a
girl fifteen or sixteen years old; and every little detail
in the painting of the hair, eyes, eyelashes, mouth, had
been executed with a delicacy and a truth beyond praise. The
_manajiri_ seemed "like a lotos-blossom courting favor"; the
lips were "like the smile of a red flower"; the whole young face
was inexpressibly sweet. If the real girl so portrayed had been
equally lovely, no man could have looked upon her without losing
his heart. And Tokkei believed that she must have been thus
lovely;--for the figure seemed alive,--ready to reply to anybody
who might speak to it.
 Also written _mejiri_,--the exterior canthus of the
Arabian poets) have many curious dainty words and
similes to express particular beauties of the hair,
eyes, eyelids, lips, fingers, etc.
Gradually, as he continued to gaze at the picture, he felt
himself bewitched by the charm of it. "Can there really have
been in this world," he murmured to himself, "so delicious a
creature? How gladly would I give my life--nay, a thousand
years of life!--to hold her in my arms even for a moment!" (The
enamoured of the picture,--so much enamoured of it as to feel
that he never could love any woman except the person whom it
represented. Yet that person, if still alive, could no longer
resemble the painting: perhaps she had been buried long before
he was born!
Day by day, nevertheless, this hopeless passion grew upon
him. He could not eat; he could not sleep: neither could he
occupy his mind with those studies which had formerly delighted
him. He would sit for hours before the picture, talking to
it,--neglecting or forgetting everything else. And at last he
fell sick--so sick that he believed himself going to die.
Now among the friends of Tokkei there was one venerable scholar
who knew many strange things about old pictures and about young
hearts. This aged scholar, hearing of Tokkei's illness, came to
visit him, and saw the screen, and understood what had happened.
Then Tokkei, being questioned, confessed everything to his
friend, and declared:--"If I cannot find such a woman, I shall
The old man said:--
"That picture was painted by Hishigawa Kichibei,--painted from
life. The person whom it represented is not now in the world.
But it is said that Hishigawa Kichibei painted her mind as well
as her form, and that her spirit lives in the picture. So I
think that you can win her."
Tokkei half rose from his bed, and stared eagerly at the
speaker.
"You must give her a name," the old man continued;--"and you
must sit before her picture every day, and keep your thoughts
constantly fixed upon her, and call her gently by the name which
you have given her, _until she answers you_...."
"Answers me!" exclaimed the lover, in breathless amazement.
"Oh, yes," the adviser responded, "she will certainly answer
you. But you must be ready, when she answers you, to present her
with what I am going to tell you...."
"I will give her my life!" cried Tokkei.
"No," said the old man;--"you will present her with a cup of
wine that has been bought at one hundred different wine-shops.
Then she will come out of the screen to accept the wine. After
that, probably she herself will tell you what to do."
With these words the old man went away. His advice aroused
Tokkei from despair. At once he seated himself before the
picture, and called it by the name of a girl--(what name the
again, very tenderly. That day it made no answer, nor the next
day, nor the next. But Tokkei did not lose faith or patience;
and after many days it suddenly one evening answered to its
Then quickly, quickly, some of the wine from a hundred different
wine-shops was poured out, and reverentially presented in a
little cup. And the girl stepped from the screen, and walked
upon the matting of the room, and knelt to take the cup from
Tokkei's hand,--asking, with a delicious smile:--
"How could you love me so much?"
also in heart and temper,--lovelier than anybody else in the
world." What answer Tokkei made to her question is not recorded:
it will have to be imagined.
"But will you not soon get tired of me?" she asked.
"Never while I live!" he protested.
satisfied with love for one life-time only.
"Let us pledge ourselves to each other," he entreated, "for the
time of seven existences."
"If you are ever unkind to me," she said, "I will go back to the
They pledged each other. I suppose that Tokkei was a good
boy,--for his bride never returned to the screen. The space that
she had occupied upon it remained a blank.
"How very seldom do such things happen in this world!"
lose.
time, began at about eight o'clock in the morning.
 _Inyoshi_, a professor or master of the science of
_in-yo_,--the old Chinese nature-philosophy, based upon the
theory of a male and a female principle pervading the
universe.
 The original story is in the _Otogi-Hyaku-Monogatari_
Shirushi areto
Iwai zo somuru
Tama hoki,
Torute bakari no
Chigiri naretomo.
 The word _tanjo_ (birth) should here be understood in its
mystical Buddhist meaning of new life or rebirth, rather
than in the western signification of birth.
 _Tanzaku_ is the name given to the long strips or ribbons
of paper, usually colored, upon which poems are written
perpendicularly. Poems written upon _tanzaku_ are suspended
to trees in flower, to wind-bells, to any beautiful object
in which the poet has found an inspiration.
 It is difficult for the inexperienced European eye to
characteristics implied by our term "hand"--in the sense of
the peculiarities of a handwriting once seen; and he can
even guess at the approximate age of the writer. Chinese
ink used tells something of the character of the writer. As
every person grounds or prepares his or her own ink, the
deeper and clearer black would at least indicate something
of personal carefulness and of the sense of beauty.
 There are many kinds of religious exercises called _mairi_.
The performer of a _nanuka-mairi_ pledges himself to pray
at a certain temple every day for seven days in succession.
 The term _chigo_ usually means the page of a noble
household, especially an Imperial page. The _chigo_ who
appears in this story is of course a supernatural
being,--the court-messenger of the Goddess, and her
mouthpiece.
"There is a person here who has been praying for a love-union not
On receiving this command, the old man bowed respectfully to the
Old-Man-under-the-Moon to make you acquainted with the writer of
that _tanzaku_. She is now beside you."
 _Gekkawo_. This is a poetical appellation for the God
of Marriage, more usually known as _Musubi-no-kami_.
Throughout this story there is an interesting mingling of
Shinto and Buddhist ideas.
"I have a daughter, about sixteen years old, who can write rather
depreciatingly of their children's accomplishments the
phrase "rather well" in this connection would mean, for the
visitor, "wonderfully well." For the same reason the
expressions "common way" and "ordinary nature," as
subsequently used, would imply almost the reverse of the
literal meaning.
_The same,--yet not the same._
Benten had wrought this miracle for the sake of her worshippers.
 The original of this story may be found in the book called
One day, as he was passing over the Long Bridge of Seta, he saw a
 The Long Bridge of Seta (_Seta-no-Naga-Hashi_), famous in
and commands a beautiful view. This bridge crosses the
waters of the Setagawa near the junction of the stream with
Lake Biwa. Ishiyamadera, one of the most picturesque
distance from the bridge.
 Literally, "a Shark-Person," but in this story the
_Samebito_ is a male. The characters for _Samebito_ can
also be read _Kojin_,--which is the usual reading. In
dictionaries the word is loosely rendered by "merman" or
"mermaid;" but as the above description shows, the
_Samebito_ or _Kojin_ of the Far East is a conception
having little in common with the Western idea of a merman
or mermaid.
 _Ryugu_ is also the name given to the whole of that
fairy-realm beneath the sea which figures in so many
sea-creatures like.
referred to, not as a monster, but as a sympathetic Person of
the male sex._]
Now, in the seventh month of the same year, there was a female
 _Tama_ in the original. This word _tama_ has a multitude of
meanings; and as here used it is quite as indefinite as our
is more indefinite, for it signifies also a bead of coral,
a ball of crystal, a polished stone attached to a hairpin,
etc., etc. Later on, however, I venture to render it by
"ruby,"--for reasons which need no explanation.
The doctor, after having made a careful examination, uttered an
Totaro joyfully assented.
... Life ere long
Came on me in the public ways, and bent
Eyes deeper than of old: Death met I too,
And saw the dawn glow through.
Koe ni mina
Naki-shimote ya--
Semi no kara!
The voice having been all consumed by crying, there remains only
the shell of the _semi!_
"I.--The Cicada has upon its head certain figures or signs.
These represent its [written] characters, style, literature.
 The curious markings on the head of one variety of
are names of souls.
"II.--It eats nothing belonging to earth, and drinks only dew.
This proves its cleanliness, purity, propriety.
"III.--It always appears at a certain fixed time. This proves
its fidelity, sincerity, truthfulness.
"IV.--It will not accept wheat or rice. This proves its probity,
uprightness, honesty.
"V.--It does not make for itself any nest to live in. This
proves its frugality, thrift, economy."
"_We deem thee happy, O Cicada, because, having drunk, like a
king, only a little dew, thou dost chirrup on the tops of trees.
For all things whatsoever that thou seest in the fields are
thine, and whatsoever the seasons bring forth. Yet art thou
the friend of the tillers of the land,--from no one harmfully
taking aught. By mortals thou art held in honor as the pleasant
harbinger of summer; and the Muses love thee. Phoebus himself
loves thee, and has given thee a shrill song. And old age does
not consume thee. O thou gifted one,--earth-born, song-loving,
free from pain, having flesh without blood,--thou art nearly
equal to the Gods!_"
 In this and other citations from the Greek
anthology, I have depended upon Burges'
translation.
"_Thou Attic maiden, honey-fed, hast chirping seized a chirping
stranger, the stranger,--thou, a summer-child, the summer-child!
Wilt thou not quickly cast it from thee? For it is not right, it
is not just, that those engaged in song should perish by the
mouths of those engaged in song._"
Ana kanashi!
Tobi ni toraruru
Semi no koe.
Ah! how piteous the cry of the semi seized by the kite!
"_No more shall I delight myself by sending out a sound from my
quick-moving wings, because I have fallen into the savage hand
of a boy, who seized me unexpectedly, as I was sitting under the
green leaves._"
associated with simple forms of emotion, as are the notes of a
"_O thou that art with shrill wings the self-formed imitation of
the lyre, chirrup me something pleasant while beating your vocal
wings with your feet!_ ..."
Hatsu-semi ya!
"Kore wa atsui" to
Iu hi yori.
The day after the first day on which we exclaim, "Oh, how hot
it is!" the first semi begins to cry.
Also called _Yama-Zemi_, and _Kuma-Zemi_.]
THE _shinne-shinne_--also called _yama-zemi_, or "mountain-semi";
THE _aburazemi_, or "oil-semi," makes its appearance early in the
Ano koe de
Tsuyu ga inochi ka?--
Speaking with that voice, has the dew taken life?--Only the
THE _mugi-kari-zemi_, or "barley-harvest semi," also called
THIS insect, whose name signifies "day-darkening," is the most
_tsuku-tsuku-boshi_. It is the special minstrel of twilight,
singing only at dawn and sunset; whereas most of the other semi
make their music only in the full blaze of day, pausing even when
O Higurashi!--even if you let it alone, day darkens fast
enough!
Kyo no ketai wo
Omou-toki.
Already, O Higurashi, your call announces the evening!
Alas, for the passing day, with its duties left undone!
Western calendar in regard to nature-changes and manifestations),
Tsuku-tsuku-uisu,
Tsuku-tsuku-uisu,
Ui-osu
Ui-osu
Ui-osu
 That is to say, upon the 16th day of the 7th month.
Another version runs,--
Tsuku-tsuku-uisu,
Tsuku-tsuku-uisu,
Chi-i yara!
Chi-i yara!
Chi-i yara!
Chi-i, chi, chi, chi, chi, chiii.
fell sick and died while far away from home, and that the
ghost of him became an autumn cicada, which cries unceasingly,
It is a curious fact that the earlier semi have the harshest and
 This semi appears to be chiefly known in Shikoku.
"In the sultry period, feeling oppressed by the greatness of the
heat, I made this verse:--
"Semi atsushi
Matsu kirabaya to
Omou-made.
to cut down the pine-tree on which it sings.]
"But the days passed quickly; and later, when I heard the crying
of the semi grow fainter and fainter in the time of the autumn
winds, I began to feel compassion for them, and I made this
second verse:--
"Shini-nokore
Hitotsu bakari wa
Aki no semi."
But a single one
Of the semi of autumn!]
poem containing a fancy not altogether dissimilar:--
Shimikomu gotoshi
Semi no koe.
Into the wood of the pine-tree
Seems to soak
The voice of the semi.
 Speaking of his own attempt to make a drawing of the
interior, he observes: "Il manque a ce logis dessine son
air frele et sa sonorite de violon sec. Dans les traits de
crayon qui representent les boiseries, il n'y a pas la
precision minutieuse avec laquelle elles sont ouvragees, ni
leur antiquite extreme, ni leur proprete parfaite, _ni les
vibrations de cigales qu' elles semblent avoir emmagasinees
pendant des centaines d'etes dans leurs fibres
dessechees_."
Ware hitori
Atsui yo nari,--
Semi no koe!
Meseems that only I,--I alone among mortals,--
Ever suffered such heat!--oh, the noise of the semi!
Ushiro kara
Tsukamu yo nari,--
Semi no koe.
Oh, the noise of the semi!--a pain of invisible seizure,--
Clutched in an enemy's grasp,--caught by the hair from behind!
Mimi no yamai ka?--
Semi no koe!
What ails the divinity's ears?--how can the God of the Mountain
Suffer such noise to exist?--oh, the tumult of semi!
Atsusa ya kumo ni
Semi no koe!
Fathomless deepens the heat: the ceaseless shrilling of semi
Mounts, like a hissing of fire, up to the motionless clouds.
Mizu karete,
Semi wo fudan-no
Taki no koe.
Water never a drop: the chorus of semi, incessant,
Mocks the tumultuous hiss,--the rush and foaming of rapids.
Kumo mata satte,
Semi no koe.
Gone, the shadowing clouds!--again the shrilling of semi
Rises and slowly swells,--ever increasing the heat!
Ha mo ugokasazu,--
Semi no koe!
Somewhere fast to the bark he clung; but I cannot see him:
He stirs not even a leaf--oh! the noise of that semi!
Tonari kara
Kono ki nikumu ya!
Semi no koe.
All because of the Semi that sit and shrill on its branches--
Oh! how this tree of mine is hated now by my neighbor!
Kaze wa mina
Semi ni suwarete,
Hito-ki kana!
Alas! poor solitary tree!--pitiful now your lot,--every breath
of air having been sucked up by the semi!
Sometimes the noise of the semi is described as a moving force:--
Ki-gi ni ugoite,
Kaze mo nashi!
Every tree in the wood quivers with clamor of semi:
Motion only of noise--never a breath of wind!
Take ni kite,
Yuki yori omoshi
Semi no koe.
More heavy than winter-snow the voices of perching semi:
See how the bamboos bend under the weight of their song!
inspiration in the spectacle of bamboos bending
under the weight of snow clinging to their tops.
Yama ya ugokasu,
Ki-gi no semi.
All shrilling together, the multitudinous semi
Make, with their ceaseless clamor, even the mountain move.
Ugoku yo nari,
Semi no koe.
Even the camphor-tree seems to quake with the clamor of semi!
Sometimes the sound is compared to the noise of boiling water:--
Nietatsu semi no
Hayashi kana!
In the hour of heaviest heat, how simmers the forest with semi!
Mizu bakari nari--
Semi no koe.
Simmers all the air with sibilation of semi,
Ceaseless, wearying sense,--a sound of perpetual boiling.
Ki ni hibiki-keri
Semi no koe.
How many soever the trees, in each rings the voice of the semi.
Ichi ri wa kitari,
Semi no koe.
Alone I walked for miles into the wood of pine-trees:
Always the one same semi shrilled its call in my ears.
Occasionally the subject is treated with comic exaggeration:--
Ki yori mo futoshi
Semi no koe.
The voice of the semi is bigger [_thicker_] than the tree on
which it sings.
Sugi takashi
Saredomo semi no
Amaru koe!
High though the cedar be, the voice of the semi is incomparably
higher!
Koe nagaki
Semi wa mijikaki
Inochi kana!
How long, alas! the voice and how short the life of the semi!
Semi ni dete,
Hotaru ni modoru,--
Suzumi kana!
When the semi cease their noise, and the fireflies come
out--oh! how refreshing the hour!
Semi no tatsu,
Ato suzushisa yo!
Assistant: Sure, a continuation for this poem could be:
  Matsu no koe.
When the semi cease their storm, oh, how refreshing the
stillness!
Gratefully then resounds the musical speech of the pines.
Hama-matsu no oto wa,--
The sound of the pines of the shore,--
Mori no semi
Atsuki koe.
Sometimes sultry the sound; sometimes, again, refreshing:
The chant of the forest-semi accords with the hearer's mood.
Atsusa mo semi no
Tokoro kana!
Sometimes we think it cool,--the resting-place of the
semi;--sometimes we think it hot (it is all a matter of fancy).
Omoeba, suzushi
Semi no koe.
If we think it is cool, then the voice of the semi is cool
(that is, the fancy changes the feeling).
Waga-ko no koe wa
Takai mori-ki no
Semi no koe!
Sweet to the ear is the voice of one's own child as the voice
of a semi perched on a tall forest tree.
 There is another version of this poem:--
Waga-ko no naku wa
Sembu-segaki no
Kyo yori mo!
"More sweetly sounds the crying of one's own child
than even the chanting of the sutra in the service
for the dead." The Buddhist service alluded to is
held to be particularly beautiful.
Ichi-nichi naite
Yoru no tsuyu.
Hear the semi shrill! So, from earliest dawning,
All the summer day he cries for the dew of night.
Yu-tsuyu no
Kuchi ni iru made
Naku semi ka?
Will the semi continue to cry till the night-dew fills its
mouth?
Nushi ni tatakare,
Washa matsu no semi
Sugaritsuki-tsuki
Naku bakari!
Beaten by my jealous lover,--
Like the semi on the pine-tree
I can only cry and cling!
Semi hitotsu
Matsu no yu-hi wo
Kakae-keri.
Lo! on the topmost pine, a solitary cicada
Vainly attempts to clasp one last red beam of sun.
Man sheds his body only as the semi sheds its skin. But each
Ware to waga
Kara ya tomuro--
Semi no koe.
Methinks that semi sits and sings by his former body,--
Chanting the funeral service over his own dead self.
Yo no naka yo
Kaeru no hadaka,
Semi no kinu!
Naked as frogs and weak we enter this life of trouble;
Shedding our pomps we pass: so semi quit their skins.
Ukiyo ni naite,
Semi no kara.
Here the forsaken shell: above me the voice of the creature
Shrills like the cry of a Soul quitting this world of pain.
Yagate shinu
Keshiki wa miezu,
Semi no koe.
Never an intimation in all those voices of semi
How quickly the hush will come,--how speedily all must die.
Yet how few of our modern poets have given heed to the voices of
insects!
NOTE.--For the pictures of semi accompanying this paper, I am
indebted to a curious manuscript work in several volumes,
preserved in the Imperial Library at Uyeno. The work is
entitled _Chufu-Zusetsu_,--which might be freely rendered as
"Pictures and Descriptions of Insects,"--and is divided into
twelve books. The writer's name is unknown; but he must have
been an amiable and interesting person, to judge from the naive
preface which he wrote, apologizing for the labors of a
lifetime. "When I was young," he says, "I was very fond of
catching worms and insects, and making pictures of their
shapes,--so that these pictures have now become several hundred
in number." He believes that he has found a good reason for
studying insects: "Among the multitude of living creatures in
this world," he says, "those having large bodies are familiar:
we know very well their names, shapes, and virtues, and the
poisons which they possess. But there remain very many small
creatures whose natures are still unknown, notwithstanding the
fact that such little beings as insects and worms are able to
injure men and to destroy what has value. So I think that it is
very important for us to learn what insects or worms have
special virtues or poisons." It appears that he had sent to him
"from other countries" some kinds of insects "that eat the
leaves and shoots of trees;" but he could not "get their exact
names." For the names of domestic insects, he consulted many
names with the proper Chinese characters;" but he tells us that
he did not fail "to pick up also the names given to worms and
insects by old farmers and little boys." The preface is dated
thus:--"_Ansei Kanote, the third month--at a little cottage_"
With the introduction of scientific studies the author of the
_Chufu-Zusetsu_ could no longer hope to attract attention. Yet
his very modest and very beautiful work was forgotten only a
moment. It is now a precious curiosity; and the old man's ghost
might to-day find some happiness in a visit to the Imperial
comparatively uncommon. One reason for the fact may be that very
Occidental, but in the Confucian sense of the term. _Ume_
(Plum-blossom) is a name referring to wifely devotion and virtue.
illustrate several of the facts to which I have already called
attention.
students
so named.
 Probably a place-name originally.
_Bun_      ("Composition"--in the literary sense)
 Might we not quaintly say, "A Fair Writing"?
 Probably in the sense of "near and dear"--but not
certainly so.
_Fuji_     ("Wistaria-flower")
_Fuki_     ("Fuki,"--name of a plant, _Nardosmia
 _Fumi_ signifies here a letter written by a woman
only--a letter written according to the rules of
feminine epistolary style.
_Harue_    ("Spring-time Bay")
_Hatsu_    ("The First-born")
 _Jun suru_ means to be obedient unto death. The
word _jun_ has a much stronger signification than
that which attaches to our word "obedience" in
these modern times.
_Kameyo_   ("Generations-of-the-Tortoise")
 The tortoise is supposed to live for a thousand
years.
 Abbreviation of _kannin_, "forbearance,"
"self-control," etc. The name might equally well
be translated "Patience."
_Kana_     ("Character"--in the sense of written
character)
characters with which the language is written. The
reader may imagine, if he wishes, that the name
signifies the Alpha and Omega of all feminine
charm; but I confess that I have not been able to
find any satisfactory explanation of it.
_Kazashi_  ("Hair-pin,"--or any ornament worn
in the hair)
_Kikue_    ("Chrysanthemum-branch")
_Kikuno_   ("Chrysanthemum-field")
_Ko_       ("Chime,"--the sound of a bell)
_Kura_     ("Treasure-house")
_Kurano_   ("Storehouse-field")
_Masa_     ("Straightforward,"--upright)
_Masue_    ("Branch-of-Increase")
 The word "service" here refers especially to
attendance at meal-time,--to the serving of rice,
 Perhaps in the hopeful meaning of extending the
family-line; but more probably in the signification
that a daughter's care prolongs the life of her
parents, or of her husband's parents.
_Nobue_    ("Lengthening-branch")
 Abbreviation of _sakubun_, a literary composition.
 As a matter of fact, we have no English equivalent
for the word "sen," or "sennin,"--signifying a
being possessing magical powers of all kinds and
living for thousands of years. Some authorities
consider the belief in _sennin_ of Indian origin,
and probably derived from old traditions of the
_Setsu_     ("True,"--tender and true)
_Shime_     ("The Clasp,"--fastening)
 Such a name may signify that the parents resolved,
after the birth of the girl, to have no more
children.
_Tomiju_    ("Wealth-and-Longevity")
_Tsugi_     ("Next,"--i. e., second in order of birth)
_Tsune_     ("The Constant,"--or, as we should say,
_Umegae_    ("Plumtree-spray")
_Umeno_     ("Plumtree-field")
 This extraordinary name is probably to be explained
as a reference to date of birth. According to the
old Chinese astrology, years, months, days, and
hours were all named after the Signs of the Zodiac,
and were supposed to have some mystic relation to
those signs. I surmise that Miss Ushi was born at
_Wakana_    ("Young _Na_,"--probably the rape-plant
is referred to)
_Yo_        ("The Positive,"--as opposed to Negative
philosophy;--therefore, perhaps,
_Yone_      ("Rice,"--in the old sense of wealth)
It will be observed that in the above list the names referring to
The great majority of these _yobina_ are words of two syllables.
 Under certain conditions of intimacy, both prefix and title
are dropped. They are dropped also by the superior in
addressing an inferior;--for example, a lady would not
address her maid as "_O-Yone San_," but merely as "_Yone_."
"frith,"--sometimes "river." Thus we find such names as _Namie_
 This suffix must not be confused with the suffix "_e_,"
signifying "branch," which is also attached to many popular
names. Without seeing the Chinese character, you cannot
decide whether the name _Tamae_, for example, means
"San" (abbreviation of _Sama_, a word originally meaning "form,"
 "Ayame Sama," however, is rather familiar; and this form
cannot be used by a stranger in verbal address, though a
letter may be directed with the name so written. As a
rule, the _ko_ is the more respectful form.
So much having been said as regards the etiquette of prefixes
and suffixes, I shall now attempt a classification of female
names,--beginning with popular _yobina_. These will be found
_O-Jin_          "Tenderness,"--humanity.
_O-Jun_          "Faithful-to-death."
_O-Kaiyo_        "Forgiveness,"--pardon.
_O-Ken_          "Wise,"--in the sense of moral discernment.
_O-Michi_        "The Way,"--doctrine.
_Misao_          "Honor,"--wifely fidelity.
_O-Nao_          "The Upright,"--honest.
_O-Rei_          "Propriety,"--in the old Chinese sense.
_O-Ryo_          "The Generous,"--magnanimous.
_O-Shin_         "Faith,"--in the sense of fidelity, trust.
_O-Shizu_        "The Tranquil,"--calm-souled.
_O-Setsu_        "Fidelity,"--wifely virtue.
_O-Tame_         "For-the-sake-of,"--a name suggesting
unselfishness.
_O-Tei_          "The Docile,"--in the meaning of virtuous
obedience.
_O-Tomo_         "The Friend,"--especially in the meaning of
mate, companion.
_O-Yasu_         "The Amiable,"--gentle.
_O-Atsu_        "The Generous,"--liberal.
_O-Cho_         "The Long,"--probably in reference to life.
_O-En_          "Prolongation,"--of life.
_O-Etsu_        "The Playful,"--merry, joyous.
_O-Gen_         "Source,"--spring, fountain.
_O-Haya_        "The Quick,"--light, nimble.
_Isamu_         "The Vigorous,"--spirited, robust.
_Kameyo_        "Generations-of-the-Tortoise."
 From the strange verb _kaneru_, signifying, to do two
things at the same time.
_O-Kimi_        "The Sovereign,"--peerless.
_O-Kiyo_  }    {"The Clear,"--in the sense of
_Kiyoshi_ }    { bright, beautiful.
 One is reminded of, "O whistle, and I'll come to you,
implied signification. More probably the reference is
to household obedience.
_Masayo_        "Generations-of-the-Just."
_O-Miwa_        "The Far-seeing."
 Such is the meaning of the characters. I cannot
understand the name. A Buddhist explanation suggests
itself; but there are few, if any, Buddhist _yobina_.
 This beautiful name refers to the silence and calm
it is an aesthetic name also--suggesting both
tranquillity and beauty.
 The name seems curious, in view of the common proverb,
_Raku wa ku no tane_,--"Pleasure is the seed of pain."
_O-Sei_         "The Refined,"--in the sense of "clear."
_O-Shime_       "The Total,"--_summum bonum_.
_O-Shina_       "Goods,"--possessions.
_Shirushi_      "Proof,"--evidence.
_O-Sumi_        "The Refined,"--in the sense of "sifted."
_O-Sute_        "The Forsaken,"--foundling.
 Not necessarily a real foundling. Sometimes the name
may be explained by a curious old custom. In a certain
family several children in succession die shortly after
birth. It is decided, according to traditional usage,
that the next child born must be exposed. A girl is the
next child born;--she is carried by a servant to some
lonely place in the fields, or elsewhere, and left
there. Then a peasant, or other person, hired for the
occasion (it is necessary that he should be of no kin
to the family), promptly appears, pretends to find the
babe, and carries it back to the parental home. "See
this pretty foundling," he says to the father of the
girl,--"will you not take care of it?" The child is
received, and named "Sute," the foundling. By this
innocent artifice, it was formerly (and perhaps in some
places is still) supposed that those unseen influences,
which had caused the death of the other children, might
be thwarted.
_Takara_        "Treasure,"--precious object.
 Lit., "Everlasting-Rock,"--but the ethical meaning is
"Constancy-everlasting-as-the-Rocks." "Tokiwa" is a
name famous both in history and tradition; for it was
the name of the mother of Yoshitsune. Her touching
story,--and especially the episode of her flight
through the deep snow with her boys,--has been a source
of inspiration to generations of artists.
_O-Toshi_       "The Deft,"--skilful.
Place-names, or geographical names, are common; but they are
_O-Iyo_            "Iyo,"--province of Iyo, in Shikoku.
_O-Kyo_            "Capital,"--metropolis,--Kyoto.
_Matsue_           "Matsue,"--chief city of Izumo.
 I must confess that in classing this name as a
place-name, I am only making a guess. It seems to me
that the name probably refers to the _ichi no miya_, or
chief Shinto temple of some province.
 I fancy that this name, like that of O-Seki, must
have originated in the custom of naming children after
the place, or neighborhood, where the family lived. But
here again, I am guessing.
 This classification also is a guess. I could learn
nothing about the name, except the curious fact that it
is said to be unlucky.
_Naniwa_           "Naniwa,"--ancient name of Osaka.
_O-Sato_           "Native Place,"--village,--also, home.
_O-Seki_           "Toll-Gate,"--barrier.
_Shigeki_          "Thickwood,"--forest.
_O-Sono_           "Flower-garden."
_O-Taki_           "Cataract,"--or Waterfall.
_Ayako_ or }       "Damask-pattern."
 _Aya-Nishiki_,--the famous figured damask brocade of
Kyoto,--is probably referred to.
_O-Fumi_           "Woman's Letter."
 _O-Kama_ (Sickle) is a familiar peasant-name. _O-Kama_
(caldron, or iron cooking-pot), and several other
ugly names in this list are servants' names. Servants
in old time not only trained their children to become
servants, but gave them particular names referring
to their future labors.
_Kazashi_          "Hair-pin."
_O-Kinu_           "Cloth-of-Silk."
_O-Nabe_           "Pot,"--or cooking-vessel.
_O-Shime_          "Clasp,"--ornamental fastening.
trodden,--except by the gardener.
 I cannot find any explanation of this curious name.
of aesthetic sensation as the name Esmeralda. The _ruri_
is not usually green, but blue; and the term "ruri-iro"
(emerald color) commonly signifies a dark violet.
 Such a name may record the fact that the girl was a
first-born child, and the father fifty years old at
the time of her birth.
 The "O" before this trisyllable seems contrary to rule;
but _Hyaku_ is pronounced almost like a dissyllable.
 "Better half?"--the reader may query. But I believe
that this name originated in the old custom of taking
a single character of the father's name--sometimes
also a character of the mother's name--to compose
the child's name with. Perhaps in this case the name
of the girl's father was HANyemon, or HANbei.
 _Cyprinus carpio._
 _Chrysophris cardinalis._
 Sometimes this name is shortened into _O-Tsu_. In
Tokyo at the present time it is the custom to drop
the honorific "O" before such abbreviations, and to
add to the name the suffix "chan,"--as in the case
of children's names. Thus a young woman may be
caressingly addressed as "Tsu-chan" (for O-Tsuru),
Even _yobina_ which are the names of flowers or fruits, plants or
feminine grace.
 _Iris setosa, or Iris sibrisia._
 _Wistaria chinensis._
_Kaede_      "Maple-leaf."
 _Imperata arundinacea._
 _Torreya nucifera._
 _Podocarpus chinensis._
 Yet this name may possibly have been written with
the wrong character. There is another _yobina_,
"Momo" signifying "hundred,"--as in the phrase
_momo yo_, "for a hundred ages."
 _Scirpus maritimus._
 A flower-name certainly; but the _yae_ here is probably
an abbreviation of _yae-zakura_, the double-flower of a
particular species of cherry-tree.
 _Brassica chinensis._
 _Mika_ is an abbreviation of Mikazuki, "the moon of the
third night" [of the old lunar month].
_O-Tsuya_       "The Glossy,"--lustrous.
 _Midori_ and _Murasaki_, especially the latter,
should properly be classed with aristocratic _yobina_;
and both are very rare. I could find neither in the
collection of aristocratic names which was made for me
from the records of the Peeresses' School; but I
discovered a "Midori" in a list of middle-class names.
Color-names being remarkably few among _yobina_, I
thought it better in this instance to group the whole of
them together, independently of class-distinctions.
"Angeline--they call me so--
Now a ship, one time a maid,
(Ah, and evermore a maid!)
Love the steersman, to and fro,
Turns the wheel so finely made."
 Possibly this name belongs to the same class as _O-Nui_
sure.
 Probably a name of caress. The word _hina_ is applied
especially to the little paper dolls made by hand for
amusement,--representing young ladies with elaborate
coiffure; and it is also given to the old-fashioned
dolls representing courtly personages in full
ceremonial costume. The true doll--doll-baby--is
called _ningyo_.
_O-Nari_        "Thunder-peal."
 Perhaps this name is given because of the sweet sound
of the _suzu_,--a tiny metal ball, with a little stone or
other hard object inside, to make the ringing.--It is a
in the silk charm-bag (_mamori-bukero_) which is attached
to a child's girdle. The _suzu_ rings with every motion
that the child makes,--somewhat like one of those tiny
bells which we attach to the neck of a pet kitten.
_Suzue_         "Branch-of-Little-Bells."
_Tamaki_        "Armlet,"--bracelet.
_O-Tami_        "Folk,"--common people.
_O-Toshi_       "Arrowhead,"--or barb.
a,   i,   u,   e,   o.
na,  ni,  nu,  ne,  no.
ya,  i,   yu,  ye,  yo.
ra,  ri,  ru,  re,  ro.
*                                                          *
*   In the table above, there were lines connecting the    *
*   syllabary:                                             *
*       The Wood element was associated with the           *
*           ka/ga lines,                                   *
*       the Fire element was associated with the           *
*           ta/da, na, and ra lines,                       *
*       the Earth element was associated with the          *
*           a, ka/ga, ya, and wa lines,                    *
*       the Metal element was associated with the          *
*           sa/za lines, and                               *
*       the Water element was associated with the          *
*           ha/ba/pa, and ma lines.                        *
_Aki-ko_           "Autumn."
_Aki-ko_           "The Clear-Minded."
_Aki-ko_           "Dawn."
_Asa-ko_           "Fair Morning."
_Aya-ko_           "Silk Damask."
_Chiharu-ko_       "A Thousand Springs."
_Chitsuru-ko_      "A Thousand Storks."
_Chiyo-ko_         "A Thousand Generations."
_Ei-ko_            "Bell-Chime."
_Etsu-ko_          "Delight."
_Fuji-ko_          "Wistaria."
_Fuku-ko_          "Good-Fortune."
_Fumi-ko_          "A Woman's Letter."
_Fuyo-ko_          "Lotos-flower."
_Fuyu-ko_          "Winter."
_Hana-ko_          "Flower."
_Hana-ko_          "Fair-Blooming."
_Haru-ko_          "The Tranquil."
_Haru-ko_          "Spring,"--the season of flowers.
_Haru-ko_          "The Far-Removed,"--in the sense, perhaps, of
superlative.
_Hatsu-ko_         "The First-born."
_Hide-ko_          "Excelling."
_Hide-ko_          "Surpassing."
_Hiro-ko_          "Magnanimous,"--literally, "broad,"
"large,"--in the sense of beneficence.
_Hiro-ko_          "Wide-Spreading,"--with reference to family
prosperity.
_Hisa-ko_          "Long-lasting."
_Hisa-ko_          "Continuing."
_Hoshi-ko_         "Star."
_Iku-ko_           "The Quick,"--in the sense of living.
_Ima-ko_           "Now."
_Iho-ko_           "Five Hundred,"--probably a name of
felicitation.
_Ito-ko_           "Sewing-Thread."
_Kame-ko_          "Tortoise."
_Kane-ko_          "Going around" (?).
 It is possible that this name was made simply by
taking one character of the father's name. The
girl's name otherwise conveys no intelligible
meaning.
_Kane-ko_          "Bell,"--the character indicates a large
suspended bell.
_Kata-ko_          "Condition"?
_Kazu-ko_          "First."
_Kazu-ko_          "Number,"--a great number.
_Kazu-ko_          "The Obedient."
_Kiyo-ko_          "The Pure."
 The suffix "_ko_" is sometimes dropped for reasons
of euphony, and sometimes for reasons of good
taste--difficult to explain to readers unfamiliar
consists of only one syllable or of two syllables.
_Ko-ko_            "Stork."
_Kuni-ko_          "Province."
_Kuni_             "Country,"--in the largest sense.
_Kyo-ko_           "Capital,"--metropolis.
_Masa-ko_          "The Trustworthy,"--sure.
_Masa-ko_          "The Upright."
_Masu-ko_          "Increase."
_Mata-ko_          "Completely,"--wholly.
_Matsu-ko_         "Pine-tree."
_Michi-ko_         "Three Thousand."
_Mine-ko_          "Mountain-Range."
_Mitsu-ko_         "Light,"--radiance.
_Miyo-ko_          "Beautiful Generations."
_Moto-ko_          "Origin,"--source.
_Naga-ko_          "Long,"--probably in reference to time.
_Naga-ko_          "Long Life."
_Nami-ko_          "Wave."
_Nao-ko_           "Correct,"--upright.
_Nyo-ko_       "Gem-Treasure."
 This name is borrowed from the name of the sacred
gem _Nyoihoju_, which figures both in Shinto and in
Buddhist legend. The divinity Jizo is usually
represented holding in one hand this gem, which is
said to have the power of gratifying any desire
that its owner can entertain. Perhaps the _Nyoihoju_
may be identified with the Gem-Treasure _Veluriya_,
mentioned in the Sutra of The Great King of Glory,
chapter i. (See _Sacred Books of the East_, vol.
_Nobu-ko_          "Faithful."
_Nobu-ko_          "Abundance,"--plenty.
_Nobu-ko_          "The Prolonger."
_Nori-ko_          "Precept,"--doctrine.
_Nui_              "Embroidery,"--sewing.
_Oki_              "Offing,"--perhaps originally a place-name.
 A naval officer named Oki told me that his family
had originally been settled in the Oki Islands
("Islands of the Offing"). This interesting
coincidence suggested to me that the above _yobina_
might have had the same origin.
_Sada-ko_          "The Chaste."
_Sada-ko_          "The Sure,"--trustworthy.
_Sakura-ko_        "Cherry-Blossom."
_Sato-ko_          "Home."
_Sato-ko_          "The Discriminating."
_Seki-ko_          "Great."
_Setsu-ko_         "The Chaste."
_Shige-ko_         "Flourishing."
_Shige-ko_         "Exuberant,"--in the sense of rich growth.
_Shige-ko_         "Upgrowing."
_Shige-ko_         "Fragrance."
_Shiki-ko_         "Prudence."
_Shima-ko_         "Island."
_Shin-ko_          "The Fresh,"--new.
_Shizu-ko_         "The Quiet,"--calm.
_Sono-ko_          "Garden."
_Sue-ko_           "Last,"--in the sense of youngest.
_Suke-ko_          "The Helper."
_Sumi-ko_          "The Clear,"--spotless, refined.
_Sumi-ko_          "The Veritable,"--real.
_Sumie-ko_         "Clear River."
_Suzu-ko_          "Tin."
_Suzu-ko_          "Little Bell."
_Taka-ko_          "High,"--lofty, superior.
_Taka-ko_          "Filial Piety."
_Taka-ko_          "Precious."
_Take-ko_          "Bamboo."
_Taki-ko_          "Waterfall."
_Tama-ko_          "Gem,"--written with a different character.
_Tame-ko_          "For the Sake of--"
_Tane-ko_          "Successful."
_Tatsu-ko_         "Attaining."
_Tatsuru-ko_   "Many Storks."
 So written, but probably pronounced as two syllables
only.
_Tatsuru-ko_       "Ricefield Stork."
_Teru-ko_          "Beaming,"--luminous.
_Tetsu-ko_         "Iron."
_Toki-ko_          "Time."
_Tome-ko_          "Cessation."
_Tomi-ko_          "Riches."
_Tomo-ko_          "Friendship."
_Toshi-ko_         "The Quickly-Perceiving."
_Toyo-ko_          "Fruitful."
_Tsune-ko_         "Ordinary,"--usual, common.
_Tsune-ko_         "Ordinary,"--written with a different
character.
_Tsune-ko_         "Faithful,"--in the sense of wifely fidelity.
_Tsuru-ko_         "Stork."
_Tsuya-ko_         "The Lustrous,"--shining, glossy.
_Ume-ko_           "Plum-Blossom."
_Yachi-ko_         "Eight Thousand."
_Yaso-ko_          "Eighty."
_Yasoshi-ko_       "Eighty-four."
_Yasu-ko_          "The Maintainer,"--supporter.
_Yasu-ko_          "The Respectful."
_Yasu-ko_          "The Tranquil-Minded."
_Yone-ko_          "Rice."
_Yori-ko_          "The Trustful."
_Yoshi_            "Eminent,"--celebrated.
_Yoshi-ko_         "Fragrance."
_Yoshi-ko_         "The Good,"--or Gentle.
_Yoshi-ko_         "The Lovable."
_Yoshi-ko_         "The Lady-like,"--gentle in the sense of
refined.
_Yoshi-ko_         "The Joyful."
_Yoshi-ko_         "Congratulation."
_Yoshi-ko_         "The Happy."
_Yoshi-ko_         "Bright and Clear."
_Yuki-ko_          "The Lucky."
_Yuki-ko_          "Snow."
_Yuku-ko_          "Going."
_Yutaka_           "Plenty,"--affluence, superabundance.
A large proportion of such names can be distinguished by certain
(1) By the prefix _Waka_, signifying "Young";--as in the names
(5) By the suffix _suke_, signifying "help";--as in the names
(6) By the suffix _kichi_, signifying "luck", "fortune";--as
"Doll-Chrysanthemum"; _Ko-giku_, "Little Chrysanthemum".
Au jardin de mon pere--
_Vole, mon coeur, vole!_
Il y a un pommier doux,
(_Probably from the eleventh century_)
Kano yuku wa,
Kari ka?--kugui ka?
Kari naraba,--
_Hareya toto!_
Kari nara
Nanori zo semashi;--
Nao kugui nari-ya!--
That which yonder flies,--
Wild goose is it?--swan is it?
Wild goose if it be,--
_Hareya toto!_
_Hareya toto!_
Wild goose if it be,
Its name I soon shall say:
Wild swan if it be,--better still!
Isora ga saki ni
Tai tsuru ama mo,
Tai tsuru ama mo,--
Wagimoko ga tame to,
Tai tsuru ama mo,
Tai tsuru ama mo!
Even the fisherman catching _tai_,
Even the fisherman catching _tai_,--
Even the fisherman catching _tai_,
Even the fisherman catching _tai_!
 _Chrysopbris cardinalis_, a kind of
sea-bream,--generally esteemed the best of
(_Old lyrical drama--date uncertain_)
Waseda ni yarite ya!
So omou to,
So omou to,
So omou to,
So omou to,
So omou to,--
So omou to,
Nani-mo sezushite,--
Harubi sura,
Harubi sura,
Harubi sura,
Harubi sura,
Harubi sura!
My darling boy!--
Oh! they have sent him to the ricefields!
When I think about him,--
When I think,
When I think,
When I think,
When I think,--
When I think about him!
I--doing nothing at all,--
Even on this spring-day,
Even this spring-day,
Even this spring-day,
Even this spring-day,
Even on this spring-day!--
 It was formerly the custom to shave the heads of
boys, leaving only a tuft or lock of hair on either
temple. Such a lock was called _agemaki_, a word
also meaning "tassel"; and eventually the term came
to signify a boy or lad. In these songs it is used
as a term of endearment,--much as an English girl
might speak of her sweetheart as "my dear lad," or
"my darling boy."
Other forms of repetition and of refrain are furnished in the two
Ayugaseba koso,
Ayugaseba koso,
Aikyo zuitare!
_Yareko toto,
Yareko toto!_
With loosened hair,--
Only because of having tossed it,
Only because of having shaken it,--
Oh, sweet she is!
_Yareko toto!
Yareko toto!_
(_Probably from the sixteenth century_)
Sama wa tennin!
Otome no sugata
Kumo no kayoiji
Chirato mita!
Otome no sugata
Kumo no kayoiji
Chirato mita!
My beloved an angel is!
The maiden's form,
In the passing of clouds,
In a glimpse I saw!
The maiden's form,
In the passage of clouds,
In a glimpse I saw!
 Lit., "a Tennin";--that is to say, an inhabitant
of the Buddhist heaven. The Tennin are usually
represented as beautiful maidens.
Makoto yara,
Kashima no minato ni
Miroku no mifune ga
Tsuite gozarimosu.
Kogane no hobashira;
Ho niwa Hokkekyo no
Go no man-makimono.
I know not if 't is true
That to the port of Kashima
The august ship of Miroku has come!
 Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreya Bodhisattva) is the next
great Buddha to come.
As for the mast,
It is a mast of gold;--
The sail is the fifth august roll
_Sa iyoe, iyoe_
Buddhist scriptures were written upon long scrolls,
called _makimono_,--a name also given to pictures
printed upon long rolls of silk or paper.
(_Probably from the sixteenth century_)
Hiro bakari ya--
Sakarite netaredomo,
Marobi-ainikeri,--
Kayori-ainikeri,
Oh! my darling boy!
Though a fathom apart,
Sleeping separated,
By rolling we came together!
By slow approaches we came together,
 Lit., "_hiro_." The _hiro_ is a measure of about
five feet English, and is used to measure breadth
as well as depth.
Hana ka?--chocho ka?
Chocho ka?--hana ka?
Kite wa chira-chira mayowaseru,
Kite wa chira-chira mayowaseru!
_Sokane don-don!_
Flower is it?--butterfly is it?
Butterfly or flower?
When you come thus flickering, I am deluded!--
When you come thus twinkling, I am bewitched!
_Sokane don-don!_
(_Province of Kii,--village of Ogawa_)
Koe wa suredomo
Sugata wa mienu--
Fuka-no no kirigirisu!
Though I hear the voice [_of the beloved_], the form I cannot
see--a _kirigirisu_ in the high grass.
 _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.
(_Province of Mutsu,--district of Sugaru_)
Washi no kokoro to
Oki kuru fune wa,
Raku ni misetemo,
Ku ga taenu.
My heart and a ship in the offing--either seems to move with
ease; yet in both there is trouble enough.
(_Province of Suwo,--village of Iseki_)
Namida koboshite
Shinku wo kataru,
Kawairashi-sa ga
As she tells me all the pain of her toil, shedding tears,--ever
her sweetness seems to increase.
(_Province of Suruga, village of Gotemba_)
Sho aru naraba,
Hito ga fusagu ni
Naze hiraku?
O flower, hear me well if thou hast a soul! When any one sorrows
as I am sorrowing, why dost thou bloom?
Iya-na o-kata no
Shinsetsu yori ka
Suita o-kata no
Muri ga yoi.
Better than the kindness of the disliked is the violence of the
beloved.
Kawairashi-sa ya!
Hotaru no mushi wa
Shinobu nawate ni
Hi wo tomosu.
Ah, the darling!... Ever as I steal along the ricefield-path
the way.
Ano yama kage de
Hikaru wa nanja?--
Tsuki ka, hoshi ka, hotaru no mushi ka?
Tsuki demo naiga;
Hoshi demo naiga;--
Shuto no o-uba no me ga hikaru,--
(Chorus) _Me ga hikaru!_
In the shadow of the mountain
What is it that shines so?
Moon is it, or star?--or is it the firefly-insect?
Neither is it moon,
Nor yet star;--
It is the old woman's Eye;--it is the Eye of my
mother-in-law that shines,--
(Chorus) _It is her Eye that shines!_
 I am not sure of the real meaning of the name
Oh! the cruelty, the cruelty of my mother-in-law!--
(Chorus) _Oh! the cruelty!_
Even tells me to paint a picture on running water!
If ever I paint a picture on running water,
You will count the stars in the night-sky!
_Count the stars in the night-sky!_
--_Come! let us dance the Dance of the Honorable
Who cuts the bamboo at the back of the house?--
(Chorus) _Who cuts the bamboo?_--
My sweet lord's own bamboo, the first he planted,--
_The first be planted?_
--_Come! let us dance the Dance of the Honorable Garden!_--
Oh! the cruelty, the cruelty of my mother-in-law!--
_Oh! the cruelty!_
Tells me to cut and make a hakama out of rock!
If ever I cut and sew a hakama of rock,
Then you will learn to twist the fine sand into thread,--
_Twist it into thread._
--_Come! let us dance the Dance of the Honorable
 A divided skirt of a peculiar form, worn formerly
by men chiefly, to-day worn by female students
also.
(_Province of Iga, village called Uenomachi_)
Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the august gate,
The august gate I find to be of silver, the panels of gold.
Noble indeed is the gate of the honorable temple,--
_The honorable temple!_
Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the garden,
I see young pinetrees flourishing in the four directions:
On the first little branch of one the _shijugara_ has
made her nest,--
_Has made her nest_.
Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the water-tank,
I see little flowers of many colors set all about it,
Each one having a different color of its own,--
_A different color._
Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the parlor-room,
I find many kinds of little birds gathered all together,
Each one singing a different song of its own,--
_A different song._
Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the guest-room,
There I see the priest, with a lamp beside him,
Reading behind a folding-screen--oh, how admirable it is!--
_How admirable it is!_
 The Manchurian great tit. It is said to bring good
fortune to the owners of the garden in which it
builds a nest,--providing that the nest be not
disturbed and that the brood be protected.
(_Province of Shimosa,--town of Choshi_)
 Choshi, a town of some importance, is situated at
the mouth of the Tonegawa. It is celebrated for
its _iwashi_-fishery. The _iwashi_ is a fish about
the size of the sardine, and is sought chiefly for
the sake of its oil. Immense quantities of
_iwashi_ are taken off the coast. They are boiled
to extract the oil; and the dried residue is sent
inland to serve as manure.
Ichiban bune e tsumi-konde,
Kawaguchi oshikomu o-yagoe.
Futaba no oki kara Togawa made
Tsuzuite oshikomu o-yagoe.
Mina ichido-ni maneki wo age,
Kayowase-bune no nigiyakasa
Yoru-hiru taitemo taki-amaru,
San-bai itcho no o-iwashi!
Itsu kite mitemo hoshika-ba ni
Akima sukima wa sarani nai.
Mutsu kara mutsu made kasu-wari ga
O-wari ko-wari de te ni oware.
Natakaki Tonegawa ichi-men ni
Kasu-ya abura wo tsumi-okuru
Yatebune no okiai wakashu ga,
Ban-shuku soroete miya-mairi.
Kono ura mamoru kawa-guchi no
Myojin riyaku wo arawasuru.
The first ship, filled up with fish, squeezes her way through
the river-mouth, with a great shouting.
 _O-yagoe._ The chorus-cry or chant of sailors,
pulling all together, is called yagoe.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
"great-catching-ship." The adjective refers to the
fishing, not to the ship. The real meaning of the
refrain is, "this-most-successful-in-fishing of
From the offing of Futaba even to the Togawa, the ships, fast
following, press in, with a great shouting.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
 Perhaps the reference is to a village at the mouth
of the river Togawa,--not far from Choshi on the
Tonegawa. The two rivers are united by a canal.
But the text leaves it uncertain whether river or
village is meant.
When, all together, we hoist our signal-flags, see how fast the
cargo-boats come hurrying!
_O this ship of great fishing!_
Night and day though the boiling be, there is still too much to
boil--oh, the heaps of _iwashi_ from the three ships together!
_O this ship of great fishing!_
Whenever you go to look at the place where the dried fish are
kept, never do you find any room,--not even a crevice.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
 _Hoshika-ba_: lit., "the hoshika-place" or
"hoshika-room." "Hoshika" is the name given to
dried fish prepared for use as fertilizer.
From six to six o'clock is cleaning and washing: the great
cutting and the small cutting are more than can be done.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
All up and down the famous river Tonegawa we send our loads of
oil and fertilizer.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
All the young folk, drawing the _Yatai-bune_, with ten
thousand rejoicings, visit the shrine of the God.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
 _Yatai_ is the name given to the ornamental cars
drawn with ropes in a religious procession.
_Yatai-bune_ here seems to mean either the model
of a boat mounted upon such a car, or a real boat
so displayed in a religious procession. I have
seen real boats mounted upon festival-cars in a
religious procession at Mionoseki.
Augustly protecting all this coast, the Deity of the river-mouth
shows to us his divine favor.
_O this ship of great fishing!_
A stranger example of this mnemonic arrangement is furnished by a
 This is the more common form of the game; but there are
many other forms. Sometimes two girls play at once with
the same ball--striking it alternately as it bounds.
Hito wa ko na hito to iu;
On wo shiraneba ko naraji.
Fuji yori takaki chichi no on;
Tsune-ni omoute wasure-naji.
Mizu-umi kaette asashi to wa,
Haha no on zo ya omou-beshi.
Yoshiya mazushiku kurasu tomo,
Sugu-naru michi wo maguru-moji.
Itsumo kokoro no kawaranu wo,
Makoto no hito to omou-beshi.
Munashiku tsukihi wo kurashi-naba,
Nochi no nageki to shirinu-beshi.
Nasaki wa hito no tame narode,
Waga mi no tame to omou-beshi.
Yaku-nan muryo no wazawai mo
Kokoro zen nara nogaru-beshi.
Kokoro kotoba no sugu-naraba,
Kami ya Hotoke mo mamoru-beshi.
Totoi hito to naru naraba,
Koko mono to iwaru-beshi.
_This is the first_:--
a person:
If one does not know the goodness of parents, one has not
filial piety.
 Lit., "A person having filial piety is called a
person." The word _hito_ (person), usually
indicating either a man or a woman, is often used
in the signification of "people" or "Mankind." The
full meaning of the sentence is that no unfilial
person deserves to be called a human being.
Higher than the [mountain] Fuji is the favor of a father:
Think of it always;--never forget it.
indeed!
estimated.
Even though in poverty we have to pass our days,
Let us never turn aside from the one straight path.
The person whose heart never changes with time,
A true man or woman that person must be deemed.
If the time [of the present] be spent in vain,
In the time of the future must sorrow be borne.
That a kindness done is not for the sake of others only,
But also for one's own sake, should well be kept in mind.
Even the sorrow of numberless misfortunes
We shall easily escape if the heart be pure.
If the heart and the speech be kept straight and true,
The Gods and the Buddhas will surely guard us well.
In order to become a person held in honor,
As a filial person one must [first] be known.
("_Bell-wrapping-dance song_."--_Province of Iga--Naga district_)
A Yamabushi of Kyoto went to Kumano. There resting in the inn
Chojaya, by the beach of Shirotaka, he saw a little girl three
years old; and he petted and hugged her, playfully promising to
make her his wife,--
(Chorus)  _Playfully promising._
Thereafter that Yamabushi travelled in various provinces;
returning only when that girl was thirteen years old. "O my
princess, my princess!" he cried to her,--"my little princess,
pledged to me by promise!"--"O Sir Yamabushi," made she
answer,--"good Sir Yamabushi, take me with you now!--
"_Take me with you now!_"
"O soon," he said, "I shall come again; soon I shall come again:
then, when I come again, I shall take you with me,--
"_Take you with me._"
Therewith the Yamabushi, escaping from her, quickly, quickly
fled away;--with all haste he fled away. Having passed through
Tanabe and passed through Minabe, he fled on over the Komatsu
_Over the Komatsu moor._
 These syllables, forming a sort of special chorus,
are simply onomatopes; intended to represent the
sound of sandalled feet running at utmost speed.
Therewith the damsel, pursuing, quickly, quickly followed after
him;--with all speed she followed after him. Having passed
through Tanabe and passed through Minabe, she pursued him over
the Komatsu moor,--
_Over the Komatsu moor._
Then the Yamabushi, fleeing, came as he fled to the river of
Amoda, and cried to the boatman of the river of Amoda,--"O good
boatman, good sir boatman, behind me comes a maid
pursuing!--pray do not take her across, good boatman,--
"_Good sir boatman!_"
 These onomatopes, chanted by all the dancers
together in chorus, with appropriate gesture,
represent the sound of the ferryman's single oar,
or scull, working upon its wooden peg. The
syllables have no meaning in themselves.
Then the damsel, pursuing, came to the river of Amoda and
called to the boatman, "Bring hither the boat!--take me over in
the boat!"--"No, I will not bring the boat; I will not take you
over: my boat is forbidden to carry women!--
"_Forbidden to carry women!_"
"If you do not take me over, I will cross!--if you do not take
me over, I will cross!--there is a way to cross the river of
Amoda!" Taking off her sandals and holding them aloft, she
entered the water, and at once turned into a dragon with twelve
horns fully grown,--
_With twelve horns fully grown._
Then the Yamabushi, fleeing, reached the temple Dojoji, and
cried to the priests of the temple Dojoji:--"O good priests,
behind me a damsel comes pursuing!--hide me, I beseech you,
good sir priests!--
"_Good sir priests!_"
Then the priests, after holding consultation, took down from its
place the big bell of the temple; and under it they hid him,--
_Under it they hid him_.
Then the dragon-maid, pursuing, followed him to the temple
Dojoji. For a moment she stood in the gate of the temple: she
saw that bell, and viewed it with suspicion. She thought:--"I
must wrap myself about it once." She thought:--"I must wrap
myself about it twice!" At the third wrapping, the bell was
melted, and began to flow like boiling water,--
_Like boiling water_.
So is told the story of the Wrapping of the Bell. Many damsels
daughter of the Choja, will become a dragon?--
_Become a dragon?_
This is all the Song of the Wrapping of the Bell!--this is all
_All the song!_
dramas, both ancient and modern. The original
story is that a Buddhist priest, called Anchin,
having rashly excited the affection of a maiden
named Kiyohime, and being, by reason of his vows,
unable to wed her, sought safety from her advances
in flight. Kiyohime, by the violence of her
frustrated passion, therewith became transformed
into a fiery dragon; and in that shape she
pursued the priest to the temple called Dojoji,
in Kumano (modern Kishu), where he tried to hide
himself under the great temple-bell. But the
dragon coiled herself round the bell, which at
once became red-hot, so that the body of the
priest was totally consumed.
In this rude ballad Kiyohime figures only as the
daughter of an inn-keeper,--the _Choja_, or rich
man of his village; while the priest Anchin is
changed into a Yamabushi. The Yamabushi are, or at
least were, wandering priests of the strange sect
called Shugendo,--itinerant exorcists and
diviners, professing both Shinto and Buddhism. Of
late years their practices have been prohibited by
law; and a real Yamabushi is now seldom to be met
with.
The temple Dojoji is still a famous place of
pilgrimage. It is situated not far from Gobo, on
the western coast of Kishu. The incident of Anchin
and the dragon is said to have occurred in the
early part of the tenth century.
Now hear the pitiful story of two that died for love.--In Kyoto
was the thread-shop of Yoemon, a merchant known far and near,--a
man of much wealth. His business prospered; his life was
fortunate. One daughter he had, an only child, by name O-Kichi:
at sixteen years she was lovely as a flower. Also he had a clerk
in his house, by name Seiza, just in the prime of youth, aged
twenty-and-two.
Now the young man Seiza was handsome; and O-Kichi fell in love
with him at sight. And the two were so often together that their
secret affection became known; and the matter came to the ears
of the parents of O-Kichi; and the parents, hearing of it, felt
that such a thing could not be suffered to continue.
So at last, the mother, having called O-Kichi into a private
room, thus spoke to her:--"O my daughter, I hear that you have
formed a secret relation with the young man Seiza, of our shop.
Are you willing to end that relation at once, and not to think
any more about that man, O-Kichi?--answer me, O my daughter."
"O my dear mother," answered O-Kichi, "what is this that you ask
me to do? The closeness of the relation between Seiza and me is
the closeness of the relation of the ink to the paper that it
penetrates. Therefore, whatever may happen, O mother of
mine, to separate from Seiza is more than I can bear."
 Lit.:--"that affinity as-for, ink-and-paper-soaked-like
affinity."
Then, the father, having called Seiza to the innermost private
room, thus spoke to him:--"I called you here only to tell you
this: You have turned the mind of our daughter away from what is
right; and even to hear of such a matter is not to be borne.
Pack up your things at once, and go!--to-day is the utmost limit
of the time that you remain in this house."
Now Seiza was a native of Osaka. Without saying more than
"Yes--yes," he obeyed and went away, returning to his home.
There he remained four or five days, thinking only of O-Kichi.
And because of his longing for her, he fell sick; and as there
was no cure and no hope for him, he died.
Then one night O-Kichi, in a moment of sleep, saw the face of
Seiza close to her pillow,--so plainly that she could not tell
whether it was real, or only a dream. And rising up, she looked
about; but the form of Seiza had vanished.
Because of this she made up her mind to go at once to the house
of Seiza. And, without being seen by any one, she fled from the
home of her parents.
When she came to the ferry at the next village, she did not take
the boat, but went round by another road; and making all haste
she found her way to the city of Osaka. There she asked for the
house of Seiza; and she learned that it was in a certain street,
the third house from a certain bridge.
Arriving at last before the home of Seiza, she took off her
travelling hat of straw; and seating herself on the threshold
of the entrance, she cried out:--"Pardon me kindly!--is not this
the house of Master Seiza?"
Then--O the pity of it!--she saw the mother of Seiza, weeping
bitterly, and holding in her hand a Buddhist rosary. "O my good
young lady," the mother of Seiza asked, "whence have you come;
and whom do you want to see?"
And O-Kichi said:--"I am the daughter of the thread-merchant
of Kyoto. And I have come all the way here only because of the
relation that has long existed between Master Seiza and myself.
Therefore, I pray you, kindly permit me to see him."
"Alas!" made answer the mother, weeping, "Seiza, whom you have
come so far to see, is dead. To-day is the seventh day from the
day on which he died." ... Hearing these words, O-Kichi herself
could only shed tears.
But after a little while she took her way to the cemetery. And
there she found the sotoba erected above the grave of
Seiza; and leaning upon it, she wept aloud.
 A wooden lath, bearing Buddhist texts, planted
above graves. For a full account of the sotoba see
Then--how fearful a thing is the longing of a person--the
grave of Seiza split asunder; and the form of Seiza rose up
therefrom and spoke.
 In the original:--_Hito no omoi wa osoroshi mono
yo!_--("how fearful a thing is the thinking of a
person!"). The word _omoi_, used here in the sense
of "longing," refers to the weird power of Seiza's
dying wish to see his sweetheart. Even after his
burial, this longing has the strength to burst
open the tomb.
--In the old English ballad of "William and
Marjorie" (see Child: vol. ii. p. 151) there is
also a remarkable fancy about the opening and
closing of a grave:--
She followed him high, she followed him low,
Till she came to yon churchyard green;
_And there the deep grave opened up_,
And young William he lay down.
"Ah! is not this O-Kichi that has come? Kind indeed it was to
have come to me from so far away! My O-Kichi, do not weep thus.
Never again--even though you weep--can we be united in this
world. But as you love me truly, I pray you to set some fragrant
flowers before my tomb, and to have a Buddhist service said for
me upon the anniversary of my death."
And with these words the form of Seiza vanished. "O wait, wait
for me!" cried O-Kichi,--"wait one little moment! I cannot
let you return alone!--I shall go with you in a little time!"
 With this episode compare the close of the English
ballad "Sweet William's Ghost" (Child: vol. ii.,
"O stay, my only true love, stay!"
The constant Margaret cried:
Wan grew her cheeks; she closed her een,
Stretched her soft limbs, and died.
Then quickly she went beyond the temple-gate to a moat some four
or five _cho_ distant; and having filled her sleeves with
small stones, into the deep water she cast her forlorn body.
 A _cho_ is about one fifteenth of a mile.
And now I shall terminate this brief excursion into unfamiliar
Sama mo kokoro mo
Kawaru kana!
Otsuru namida wa
Taki no mizu:
Myo-ho-renge no
Ike to nari;
Guze no fune ni
Sao sashite;
Shizumu waga mi wo
Nose-tamae!
Both form and mind--
Lo! how these change!
The falling of tears
Is like the water of a cataract.
Let them become the Pool
Poling thereupon
Vouchsafe that my sinking
Body may ride!
Who twice shall live his youth?
What flower faded blooms again?
Is the form regretted,
Seen only
In a moment of dream.
... Vainly does each, as he glides,
Fable and dream
Of the lands which the River of Time
Had left ere he woke on its breast,
Or shall reach when his eyes have
been closed.
meteor-gushings and constellations and nebulosities of colder
continually flowed away, as shivering threads of radiance, into
illimitable Mystery....
But of white lights there were none in all the Visible. And I
marvelled.
Then a Voice said to me:--
Of course there must be some general law regulating all this
simultaneous. Now although what we might here call the "personal
Of course the real enigma of what I felt in that church could not
Books about architecture were very disappointing. I was much less
_pointing_ of the structure.
impression. I felt certain that the horror was made by something
electricity.
One of the first elements of the emotion to become clearly
During my own experience I could perceive that certain feelings
feeling. Be this as it may, such a feeling defined itself while I
growing life, but in the suggestion of an energy supernatural and
OUT of some upper-story window I was looking into a street of
foremost--must have turned in descending. At last I touched the
Morning came; and I woke with the fixed resolve to fly out of the
It may be that memory-impressions of certain kinds of aerial
WHAT _is_ the fear of ghosts among those who believe in ghosts?
What experience?
ballads, ghosts are represented as having power to _pull
off_ people's heads. But so far as the origin of the fear
of ghosts is concerned, such stories explain nothing,--since
the experiences that evolved the fear must have been real,
not imaginary, experiences.
But this dread of the touch would itself be the result of
ghosts may very possibly be composed with inherited results of
Let me now try to illustrate my theory by relating some typical
experiences.
When about five years old I was condemned to sleep by myself in a
stairways,--behind wavering curtains?
"Nothing will hurt you,"--this was the merciless answer to all my
distorting, as in some monstrous anamorphosis.
open,--slowly, slowly,--and the thing would enter, gibbering
One remarkable fact in the problem to be considered is that the
interpret the extraordinary massiveness and depth of the thrill?
being would have been accompanied with larger susceptibility to
immediately responds a shuddering of memory, measureless even by
millions of years.
Readings from a Dream-book
Moon,--invisible forever.
... Then the Wave prayed to remain a wave forever.
The Sea made answer:--
The Wave complained:--
The Sea responded:--
Murmuring, the Wave replied:--
"I cannot understand."
Fr. II
Fr. IV
Fr. VI
... "In other time the El-Woman sat only in waste places, and by
... The Man said to the multitude remaining of his Souls:--
"I am weary of life."
And the remnant replied to him:--
"We also are weary of the shame and pain of dwelling in so vile a
"Ye are all one with me!" cried the Man,--"how can ye hate?"
"It is a cursed world!" cried the Man--"why did ye not guide me?"
The Souls replied to him:--
"Do ye fear?"--asked the Man.
"But ye have died innumerable times?"--wonderingly said the Man.
The Man said nothing,--being afraid. The Souls resumed:--
"Thine enemy will not waste much thought upon thee. He is no
"Wherefore should ye fear--if nothingness be the end?"
evolutions unthinkable for multitude. Even out of the nameless
beginnings of form, and thence through every cycle of vanished
The Man uttered no word: the Souls spoke on:--
Why indeed should a pair of human eyes appear for a time to us so
The splendor of the eyes that we worship belongs to them only as
Thus, and only thus, do truth and illusion mingle in the magic of