kwaidan-stories and studies of strange things(奇谈)-第33章
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＇3＇ The bird…catcher's pole is smeared with bird…lime； and the verses
suggest that the insect is preventing the man from using his pole； by
persistently getting in the way of it； as the birds might take warning from
seeing the butterfly limed。 Jama suru means 〃to hinder〃 or 〃prevent。〃 ＇4＇
Even while it is resting； the wings of the butterfly may be seen to quiver at
moments； as if the creature were dreaming of flight。 ＇5＇ A little poem by
Basho； greatest of all Japanese composers of hokku。 The verses are
intended to suggest the joyous feeling of spring…time。 ＇6＇ Literally； 〃a
windless day；〃 but two negatives in Japanese poetry do not necessarily
imply an affirmative； as in English。 The meaning is； that although there is
no wind； the fluttering motion of the butterflies suggests； to the eyes at
least； that a strong breeze is playing。 ＇7＇ Alluding to the Buddhist proverb：
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KWAIDAN： Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Rakkwa eda ni kaerazu； ha…kyo futatabi terasazu （〃The fallen flower
returns not to the branch； the broken mirror never again reflects。〃） So says
the proverb yet it seemed to me that I saw a fallen flower return to the
branch。。。 No： it was only a butterfly。 ＇8＇ Alluding probably to the light
fluttering motion of falling cherry…petals。 ＇9＇ That is to say； the grace of
their motion makes one think of the grace of young girls； daintily
costumed； in robes with long fluttering sleeves。。。 And old Japanese
proverb declares that even a devil is pretty at eighteen： Oni mo jiu…hachi
azami no hana： 〃Even a devil at eighteen； flower…of…the…thistle。〃 ＇10＇ Or
perhaps the verses might be more effectively rendered thus： 〃Happy
together； do you say？ Yes if we should be reborn as field…butterflies in
some future life： then we might accord！〃 This poem was composed by the
celebrated poet Issa； on the occasion of divorcing his wife。 ＇11＇ Or； Tare
no tama？ ＇Digitizer's note： Hearn's note calls attention to an alternative
reading of the ideogram for 〃spirit〃 or 〃soul。〃＇ ＇12＇ Literally； 〃Butterfly…
pursing heart I wish to have always；' i。e。； I would that I might always be
able to find pleasure in simple things； like a happy child。 ＇13＇ An old
popular error； probably imported from China。 ＇14＇ A name suggested by
the resemblance of the larva's artificial covering to the mino； or straw…
raincoat； worn by Japanese peasants。 I am not sure whether the dictionary
rendering； 〃basket…worm；〃 is quite correct； but the larva commonly
called minomushi does really construct for itself something much like the
covering of the basket…worm。 （2） A very large； white radish。 〃Daikon〃
literally means 〃big root。〃 ＇15＇ Pyrus spectabilis。 ＇16＇ An evil spirit。 （3） A
common female name。
MOSQUITOES （1） Meiji： The period in which Hearn wrote this book。
It lasted from 1868 to 1912； and was a time when Japan plunged head…first
into Western…style modernization。 By the 〃fashions and the changes and
the disintegrations of Meiji〃 Hearn is lamenting that this process of
modernization was destroying some of the good things in traditional
Japanese culture。
ANTS （1） Cicadas。 ＇1＇ An interesting fact in this connection is that the
Japanese word for ant； ari； is represented by an ideograph formed of the
character for 〃insect〃 combined with the character signifying 〃moral
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KWAIDAN： Stories and Studies of Strange Things
rectitude；〃 〃propriety〃 （giri）。 So the Chinese character actually means
〃The Propriety…Insect。〃
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