Pathway to Japanese Literature

Sorghum field

The backyard's parentless

Levered well bucket

Sea and mountains

The wind blew.

The sorghum field too,
The day had ended.
To search for the chicken,
“Won’t you go?”

Firefly lanterns.
Firefly lanterns glowed.
Glint glint, they glowed.
They all chased after them quick,
Thought of firefly lanterns,
Glint glint their thoughts flickered,
Ditched those lanterns fast—
Firefly lanterns went out,
Fwoop fwoop snuffed out,
“Show them candles now!”

Bountiful Harvest Song

On the pepper tree,
The sparrow sang.

Stepping on the pepper tree with its feet,
On the pepper tree, the sparrow sang.

Beans and red beans
Escaped from their pods.

Barley and wheat
All hung heavy.

On the pepper tree,
The sparrow sang.

Stepping on the pepper tree,
On the pepper tree, the sparrow sang.

Parasol—
Parted from Mother

Parasol.
“Speak to me.”
Parasol.
In the backyard blew wind.
Bamboo thicket—
Devoured by crows.
Snake gourd.

Mother... I too.

Parasol.

"Won't you speak to me?"

Parasol.

Hill Myna
To Hill Myna
We'll make her chant Kimigayo
"A thousand years..."
We'll make her chant
We'll make her chant.

To the parrot
Let us have it sing Kimigayo
Let us have it sing "Until the pebbles grow into boulders"
Let us have it sing.

I too.

Let us sing Kimigayo

“Re・Do・Re・Mi・

“So・Mi・Re” and

Let us sing.

Shinoda Grove

Backyard’s backyard,

Red dragonfly

The Fox's Tale

Let us tell.

Thread loom—seven years

Wove for seven years.

The fox of Shinoda

Parent fox

Shinoda's backyard

In the homeland.

The parent fox yearned for the child.

Parent fox

Backyard’s backyard,

Red dragonfly

Tomorrow too, to the grove.

Come and stay.

Rainbow Bridge

That town and
This town and
They built a drum bridge.
They wore red straw sandals.
They all crossed together.
Let that child cross too.
Let this child cross too.
Cross together in harmony
The rainbow bridge is high!
Hold hands and cross.
Doll shop

Doll shop's
Auntie
was tying hair
with paper cord,

Binding,
she was tying hair.
For the dolls too,
nice hair
she tied properly.
With paper cord,
binding,
she tied.

Rainy Night's Umbrella

The rainy night's

umbrella—

A snake-eye umbrella.

Bunbuku Chagama became

a monster teakettle,

the temple's well bucket too

a monster well bucket.

On that rainy night,

the umbrella

came open on its own.

Swallow
Mother Swallow
Stylish Mother
Matching hairpins
"I'll buy them for you."
The child was playing before the milk shop's entrance.
Mother Swallow remained ever-stylish.

Tomato Field

Rain clouds—
Why won't they come?
Tomato field,
All withering.

In the tomato field,
The sun scorched down relentlessly.
Scorching and scorching,
It kept blazing down.

Rain clouds—
Why won't they come?
The tomato field
All withering.

Of the tomato field
The farmers
Are gazing at red tomatoes.

They were gazing.

Crow and Jizo Statue

Stone Jizo statue
The stone Jizo statue was dozing.
Grinning all the while,
It kept dozing.
The Crow would occasionally
Cry at seeing dumplings—
Stone dumplings—
Stealing them meant nothing—
The stone Jizo statue.

The stone Jizo statue held useless dumplings.
Grinning and grinning,
it held useless dumplings.

Winter Day

(A Song of Fumi-chan Born in Ibaraki)

This estate here—
Empty estate—
Fumi-chan was born—Ibaraki’s

The original estate—

Empty estate

This field here—

Paulownia field

Fumi-chan was born—Ibaraki’s

The backyard field too—

Paulownia field

This sister here—

Weather clogs

Fumi-chan was born—Ibaraki’s

O-Natsu Musume too—

Weather clogs

This pillar here—

Wooden pillar

Fumi-chan was born—Ibaraki’s

The original gate too—

Wooden pillar

Skylark's chick—

Kowotorokotoro

In rice fields—

Skylark's chick—

In the field—

The rapeseed flowers—

They bloomed in rows—

The backyard of the stable—

The pea flowers too—
They bloomed in rows—

Kowotorokotoro

Father is out.

Skylark's chick—

Red cow black cow

Red cow black cow

Moo Moo

Face over there

Moo Moo

Face this way

Moo Moo

Father! Mother!

Moo Moo

Horns have grown.

Moo Moo.

Sixteen-podded beans

Sesame fields—

They've all sprung up

Sixteen-podded beans too—

They all sprang up
Sparrows in the field—
They were hiding
Lacquer-black dragonfly—
Come tell—
Leek flower stalk—
Whistle whistle—the wind
From the mountains—
[It] blew—
Yesterday too—today too—

In the field—
It blew—
In the midst of the field—

Leek flower stalk—
Cold.
Goose—
Goose in apron—
Let's make it wear
Everyone off to play—

Let's take it along
The toy shop's front—
Let's dash through—
Line up all together—
Let's dash through—
The goose too, together—
It'll dash—
Swinging its long neck
It must dash—
Pepper tree
Rice fields, rice fields
Pepper tree
Kazusa—sardines
Bountiful catch!
I'm the father
When will you return?
Won't you tell me?
Pepper tree—
Mountain fox—
Children missing a parent—

Crying at the gate—
Children without parents—
Crying in the backyard—
The sparrow sings at the gate—
In the backyard sings—
The fox sings in the field—
In the mountains sings—
Cry at the gate—cry at the gate
Tomorrow night—

The fox singing in the mountains
It’s coming to the backyard!
Cry in the backyard—cry in the backyard
Tomorrow morning—

The fox crying in the mountains

It’s coming to the gate!

Auntie Crow

Auntie Crow was weaving.

Click-clack, click-clack

She was weaving.

A cotton apron—she was weaving.

For the crying child—

Buy an apron for them

Auntie Crow was weaving.

Click-clack, click-clack

She was weaving.

A printed-padded kimono—she was weaving.

For the crying child—

Buy a padded kimono for them.

Red cloak

The duck drinks water

Must be cold

Gulp gulp drinks water

Must be cold

A red cloak for the duck

Let's buy and dress it in it

The red cloak—it’s so cute

Let's buy and dress it in it

The cloak shop’s red cloak

Let's buy and dress it in it.

Mother—the village

Mother—the village
A single enoki tree
Parent dove Child dove
They lined up watching

Notsupo notsupo enoki
Reach up to heaven
To Mother's village
They went bearing mochi

Adorable little bird
The bird shop's store
Chit-chik chit-chik, the shop goes

Bird Shop Papa
Papa Keep-an-Eye-Out
Little Bird Mama
Sleepyhead Mama

Two birds, male and female—
Such lovely birds

They were cute birds.

At the bird seller's shop

Chit-chik chit-chik, they kept singing.

In the forest

In the forest—a single cherry tree

Flowers bloomed.

Morning and evening, small birds came

They were singing

One small bird

It had red legs

One small bird

It had blue feathers

Both birds

Had lovely voices

It had blue feathers.
Both small birds
They had lovely voices.

Dark night

Parent raccoon dog Child raccoon dog

Tonight—
Dark night.
Thud rustle

The priest
Reluctantly went out with lantern in hand—
Parent raccoon dog Child raccoon dog
To the dear moon
Transform!
Temple doves
Parent dove Child dove
Real temple doves

In the field
The temple doves were singing.
At the temple's backyard
A gunman passed through.
Parent dove Child dove
They were watching from the roof.

Tide-Withered Shore

Shepherd's purse plants—

How far do they stretch

The rain in the harbor—

Pitter-patter rain.

Tide-Withered Shore's
Gather upon dwarf bamboo,
Sway, dwarf bamboo—
Harbor, sway too.

Pheasant

The pheasant cried, the pheasant cried,
In the mountains cried.

Pricked by thorns,
The pheasant cried.

The pheasant spoke, the pheasant spoke,
In the mountains spoke:

"Sewing tabi,
Let's wear them."

The pheasant spoke.

Weasel and Sparrow

This house—
They moved.
The storm shutters were closed.
The garden's... The garden's...

In the center,
A weasel was walking.
This house—
They moved.
The storm shutters were closed.
The garden’s… The garden’s…
In the tree,
A sparrow was playing.

The Bell Cricket's Bell

Bell cricket, bell cricket

Tinkle-tinkle

Bell—where did you bring it from
Mother came as a bride
When she came
She had the clerk carry it here
Bell cricket, bell cricket
Tinkle-tinkle

Bell—let me borrow you just a little
Lend it and I won't give it back
Aww, have mercy!
She had the clerk carry it for her
Eurasian wren
Cheep cheep
It sings
Eurasian wren
In the field
Red cow
It was standing!
Rain, come on down
Pitter-patter
The rain has started to fall
Umbrella
Let them raise it

Come here.

Elephant's trunk

If you dress him in monkey clothes

He'd be delighted, na

If you put a red hat on him

He'd be delighted, na

If you make him wear shoes

He'd start walking, na

The elephant's legs—being so thick

Must be heavy, na

The elephant's eyes—being so small,

He must be sleepy, na
The elephant’s trunk—because it’s long,
Night must fall, na.

Fourth District Dog
First District Child
Run run, go home

Second District Child

Sobbing fled

Fourth District Dog
It's a long-legged dog.
At Third District's corner
It was facing this way.

Persimmon

Gohei-san's daughter
was holding a persimmon.

"Show me! Show me!"

A persimmon was being held.

The neighbor’s youngster too,
was holding a persimmon too.

"Show me! Show me!"

A persimmon was being held.

"I want to buy a persimmon and eat it.
Give me money."

"The aunt across the way
give me money."

"My mother—why did she die?
Without telling me—why did she die?"

From the shade at the grass's edge
Persimmon—give me.
Thread cutter
To the silkworm cutter
Which thread shall I let it cut?

The unraveled thread—
shall I let it cut the twisted strands?
The silkworm cutter
cut the red thread.
With its small mouth,
it snapped through clean.
Human Bridge

The neighbor's house—
The neighbor's house was vacant yesterday too.
Behind the stable's backyard

Earthworms sang.

Build a human bridge
Dondo Bridge
Build it
Elder Sister
Rode a horse

She went.

Clam.

Clatter clatter, clatter clatter.

The clam—

Clatter clatter, clatter clatter.

Cried.

In the bath area they heated the bath.

The bath fire

Was smoky and smoky

Cried.

Clatter clatter, clatter clatter.

The clam—

Clatter clatter, clatter clatter.

Cried

Spilled from the jar

The sweet sake

Let me drink it

Cried.

Lantern plant lanterns

Our home's lantern

Lantern plant lanterns

In the field hung lanterns.

the neighbor's lantern
Lantern plant lanterns
In the field hung lanterns.
The field's lantern
Lantern plant lanterns
They hung lanterns day and night

Mountain crow
Hurry hurry, come back home.
Mountain crow
Tomorrow is rain.
Hurry hurry, come back home.

Doves coo-cooed.

Coo coo coo cooed.

mountain crow.

Clip-clop clip-clop, return home.

Blue, blue sea

From the mountain

Clack clack it rang.

From the sea

it's clack clack.

Clack clack clack clack clack clack

Father, I miss you.

Mother, I miss you.

The brown-eared bulbul too,

Clack clack clack clack clack clack

Blue, blue sea—
They were watching,

Listen well.

Lost child.
They tied a red obi.
They wore red geta.
With whom did they go?
They went alone.

How far did they go?

Nobody knows.

Hachiman-sama's
They asked the fox.
Mother Hen,
Mother Hen—
Mother Hen
was bought by a bird dealer
and went away.
During Major Cold and Minor Cold,

Despite the cold,
Separated from the chicks,
She went.
She was separated from the chicks—
Mother Hen—
At the bird dealer's, lonely...
She must have been living lonely at the bird dealer's.
Fifteenth-night moon.

Fifteenth-night moon,
How fare you, noble one?
The old nursemaid took her leave.
Fifteenth-night moon.

My younger sister was

She was taken to the countryside.

Fifteenth-night moon, to Mother

Once more.

I want to see you.

Weasel's Wedding

Tonight was the weasel's wedding.

To the weasel,

Lend them the clothes chest.

Behind the stable,

In the bamboo thicket,

A weasel held a lantern.

The bamboo thicket behind En—

Frost-withered bamboo thicket—

"Oh! It's cold!"

Tonight is the Weasel's wedding.

To the Weasel,

Lend them the festival clogs.

Crow Cat

Crow Cat, crow cat
Only the eyes gleamed.
Crow Cat
Ploddingly, ploddingly it walked.
What a sly one
Crow Cat
Chased the bantam chicks
Long-tailed
Crow Cat
At the stable's backside
"Take your nap"
"Snore away, take your nap!"
The fire tongs bent with a mighty heave
"I'll beat them for you, so take your nap."
"Take your nap."
A hundred dollars
Cat Auntie
Mr. Scops Owl
"I'll lend you a hundred dollars,"
"Build a house."

Built with stone.

Build a house.

Built with bricks.

Build a house.

Cat Auntie,

Mr. Scops Owl,

Even to the kitten—100 dollars—

Money was lent.

A hundred tatami mats were being laid.

Stomp and stomp, yet they could not break through.

Even when stomped morning and evening,

They could not break through.

Clang-clang-clang

The ships in the harbor

Clanged clang-clang-clang,

Splashed and splashed in the waves

As they were rocked indeed.

The riverside stones too
Clang-clang-clang they rang
Thud-thud-thudding in the wind
Were being blown about indeed.

The stable horse too
Clang clang clang it goes
With a long, long face
Was drinking water indeed.

Rabbit's ears

The rabbit's legs are lame.

Ears—let's cut and tie them.

Lame, lame, lame it is.

Shall we bind and cut?

Shall we trick and cut?

Lame, lame, lame it is.

If you tell the rabbit, it will run away.
With ears wounded,
It will run away.
Keep watch without telling a soul—
Watch while eyeing those ears.

Ears—keep watch while watching them

Keep watch.

Shigure Song

Rain-falling Madame Moon
Grant me a halo
I want to hold up an umbrella
Dead mother stepmother

In the winter drizzle,

Grant me clogs.

Barefoot, I polish rice.

Dead mother, stepmother,

I'll be filial,

Tabi socks, grant me.

My feet are frozen; I can't walk.

Dead mother, stepmother,

I want to go into service.

Miso, grant me.

The rice won't go down my throat.

Dead mother / Stepmother.

Sparrow's House

The sparrow's home—
Where could it be?
Even if you ask the sparrow,
It hides away.
Baby sparrow—trick it,

Let us inquire.

The bamboo thicket behind the school—

"They said,
'My home and—'"

Parent hen and chicks,

Parent hen, chicks:

"Trot-trot-trot run!"

At the geta shop:

"Let’s have them buy geta!"

Parent hen, chicks:

"Trot-trot-trot run!"

Meow-meow, the cat too—

"Clogs—bought and brought!"

House-sitting.

The mother next door—

Stepmother—

"Weasel—house-sitting"

Someone had asked—
Red bean rice—
Red bean rice—
Weasel stuck out its tongue—
Weasel did the task indeed.
The father next door—
Good father—
Weasel for house-sitting—
Someone had asked—
Red bean rice—
Red bean rice—
Weasel house-sitting—
Weasel did the task indeed.

Bee

Bees, bees, come flying!
Leave your stingers behind and come!
Let's play together now!
Bees, bees, come flying!
Leave your stingers behind and come!

Returning geese

Geese return,
Geese return,
Geese return,
Lining up sash-wise—
Geese—
Return.

The mountain raged,
The sea raged.

The wind raged.

Became a sash,
Became a cord.
Geese return.
Weaver cricket—
The weaver cricket wove one loom.
Clack-clack clonk.

Clack-clack clonk

The countryside is cool.

Trumpet creeper

Clack-clack clonk

Clack-clack clonk

With the weaver cricket

Let's play together.

Rice Field Fox

Long ago, in a certain rice field, there lived an old fox.
There is a tale of it transforming into a young woman and attempting to deceive travelers.

The Rice Field Fox—

The Rice Field Fox wore a red comb

The Rice Field Fox fastened a red belt.

Showed her back
She was playing the shamisen.
There is also a tale where she tried to deceive children.

The Rice Field Fox—
Beneath the silver grass's shade,
A red balloon
She released.
A blue balloon
She released.
There is also a tale where she held a little drinking party in the field.
The Rice Field Fox—

In the field,
she sat cross-legged.
With the kappa uncle,
she was having a little drinking party.

Blue sky
Until Mother comes
With Sister
The blue sky—because it's blue
Let's watch

At two years old—I could walk—

Because I could walk at two,

Even without Mother—
I can manage just fine, I tell you.
Blue sky—I’m watching it—
Blue sky—
When night falls—the dear stars
the dear stars come out—or so it seems.

Mother’s return—

When Mother's return ran late—
Out to the gate with Sister I'd go—
There we'd wait.

Jizo-san

The sky's ablaze! Bring out the ladder!

A wooden stake comes crashing down on your head!

If it’s a lie, ask the tanuki

Ask and see.

When they asked the tanuki, it stuck out its tongue.

Someone sheltered under an umbrella and stuck out their tongue.

If it’s a lie, ask the earthworm

Ask and see.

Tonight is the earthworm procession.

The tanuki too go barefoot in the procession.

If it's a lie, ask Jizo-san

Ask and see.

Jizo-san bought a drum.

Boom-boom! Thump-thump! He beats.

The tanuki too joins in beating it.

If it's a lie, keep your mouth shut.

Moso bamboo grove

The temple’s bamboo grove

Moso bamboo grove

Even when the young acolyte dug,
Moso bamboo grove
Even when the disciple dug,
Moso bamboo grove
Dug and dug,
Moso bamboo grove
The disciple, exasperated,
Threw down the hoe.
The young acolyte too, exasperated,
Threw down the hoe.
Digga-digga—even when they dug,
Moso bamboo grove
No matter how far they dug,
Moso bamboo grove
At long last realizing this was futile—
They threw down the hoe.
Then tried stomping,
Moso bamboo grove
Stomp-stomp, even when they stomped
Moso bamboo grove

Stomp as they might, strike as they may,

Moso bamboo grove

The priest—it was no use.

He threw down the hoe.

Temari Song

Let’s bounce the temari ball

Bounce the temari ball

Together as two in harmony.

Let us play

You there—your straw sandals,

Slip them on

Me here—my straw sandals,

I'll lace mine up too

Your hair—

Like a dear tobacco tray

My hair too—

Like a dear tobacco tray

Let's bounce the temari ball

Bounce the temari ball

Two together in harmony,

Let us play

Tomorrow again, tomorrow still,

Let us play

In harmony, in harmony
Let us play.

Kappa Festival

Tonight's the kappa's
Festival time!

Otter on the cart,
Come ridin' in!

Crying children,
The kappa'll snatch you up!

The festival—with drums
Pushed through.
To the crying child—the remedy
Make them lick it.

Mountain Day

Cold days
continued.
Glinting, glinting—
the sun shone.
The southern sun peeked:
warmth.
From mountains and sea,
the sun blazed.
Cat’s whiskers.
The neighbor’s dad
boiled a shō of azuki beans.

Botamochi are sweet.

Heaped up high,

He ate.

"Calico cat, you fool!"

On the whiskers,
Sparks flew.

Child

Rice field snails

Quickly! Quickly! Wake up!
The young wild geese—
Flap-flap! Flap-flap!—
Wings—
To a distant-distant land...

Flew

Flew

They departed.

Seven Children

Crow, why do you cry?

The crow in the mountains

Has seven dear

Children—that's why.

Dear, dear,

The crow cries,

Dear, dear,

She cries, you know.

In the mountain's old nest—

Go see for yourself—

With round eyes,

Such good children, you know.

They're good children, you know.

Riverside Plovers

Yip-yip - by the fox

She was bewitched.

The girl did not return last evening either.

She did not return.

Tonight again at the riverbank,

Cry, plovers

Evening sun
Swaying, swaying
Through dwarf bamboo's tremble
Swaying, swaying.

Swayed by the small bamboo grass,
Swaying, swaying.

Hoo-hoo bird

The quail

In the rice field, it cried.

Upon the rice field's soil

Stomp-stomping, it cried.

The Hoo-hoo bird too,

In the mountain, it cried.

In the mountain's forest
It hid and cried.
The day grew dark -
Time to go home.

The Snowfall Maiden

The crying child

Go home.

Return with the sparrows.

At the solitary house's backyard,

In the backyard,

Five gō of snow have fallen.

Mountains upon mountains,

Deep within

The Snowfall Maiden

Mile upon mile,
Snow-laden,
She came flying.

Wooden shed and persimmon tree

Taro-saku's weasel child: "Lately, an astonishing event occurred—

For Taro-saku-don,

It's a private matter!

Jiro-saku-don's house

Elder Sister,

Taro-saku-don's house's persimmon tree,

Morning and evening tending to them,

They were doing it!

Jiro-saku's weasel child: “We were downright flabbergasted too—

For Jiro-saku-don here,

This stays hush-hush now!”

Taro-saku-don’s household’s chicks

and

Jiro-saku-don’s household’s chicks both

went up to the wooden shed

and holed up inside!

There was Gullible Taro-saku—

Black-Nosed Weasel—

“Taro-saku-don! I’m telling you, Taro-saku-don!”

“You should keep watch—off you go now!”

Gullible Taro-saku

“I did entrust you with watchkeeping!”

“I entrusted you with it!”

The chicks of Taro-saku's household

“You weasel! If you come,”

“I’ll give you what for!”

Chicken Father

“At the front of the stable,”

“Stay put and play.”

Black-Nosed Weasel

“Delicious! Chase those chicks!”

“Even if Taro-saku comes round, don’t breathe a word!”

Black-Nosed Weasel’s children

“Old man, we too—
Let us chase 'em!”

The sparrow on the persimmon tree:
“We don’t know nothin’ about—”
“Don't know nothin' 'bout it, I tell ya!”

The stable horse:
“I don’t know nothin’ ’bout it either,”
“I don’t know nothin’ ’bout it, I tell ya!”

The Eurasian wren in the backyard thicket:
“The chicks were chased and fled,”
“Tumblin' head over heels as they fled.”

The well bucket at the wellside.

“Taro-saku-don, I’m telling you—come back already!”

If he were to see this, his hips would give out.

A few dialects deeply rooted in the local people and land have been incorporated into this collection of nursery rhymes.
For example, “Backyard” (page 1 et al.) refers to the area behind houses.
“piled high”
(Page 145) means piled high in a mound.
Furthermore, “Yukifuri Kojorō” (page 155) refers to what is called ōwatakowata in Tokyo—a small insect with white powder on its back.
They are numerous on cloudy late autumn days and fly in swarms.
In our region (the northern edge of Ibaraki Prefecture), when this insect flies, it is said to be a harbinger that the first snow will soon fall.