Pathway to Japanese Literature

Nursery rhymes are an art form grounded in childlike innocence, standing upon truth, goodness, and beauty.

The essence of nursery rhymes is not an art of knowledge; nursery rhymes can directly shake hands with children precisely because they are not an art of knowledge.

Nursery rhymes align with children’s lives, and their correspondence with education that cultivates sentiment—standing upon truth, goodness, and beauty—is because they transcend knowledge.

This book is the second nursery rhyme collection selected from works following the first nursery rhyme collection *Fifteenth Night Moonlit Night*, published in the ninth year of Taisho (1920).

At the Kin no Hoshi Editorial Department — Ujo

Red Cherry

Seventeen

Wild geese, wild geese lined up

Seventeen

Seven lined up

Seventeen

With seventeen

flew across

Wild geese over this town

Crying through

Crying as they lined up

Seventeen

How far would they fly tonight?

They flew across.

Blue-eyed Doll

With blue eyes,

The doll
Born in America,

Celluloid.

To a Japanese port,

When she arrived,

A cupful of tears

Had welled up.

"I don't understand

The language—

If I become a lost child,

What would become of me?"

Kind Japanese

Oh girls,

Please play kindly with me

And grant this wish.

Finally grant

Chirr-chirr

Distant mountain’s

The cicada

all alone,
It cried.

Mother—to search for,
Let us set out.
Father—to search for,
Let us set out.

Distant mountain’s

The cicada
All alone，
It cried。
Once the day darkened，
Chirr—chirr
If it closed even its eyes，
Chirr—chirr

Red Cherry

Red red
Cherry!
Where were you born?
A lone-house's
Back-door—

Were you born?
In truth,
Cherry!
Where were you born?
Truly,
A solitary house’s

At the back door—were you born there?

Princess Otohime

Dragon Palace’s, Dragon Palace’s

Princess Otohime

*Ton-ton-kararin*

*Ton-kararin*

[She] wove at the loom.

The golden sash

[She] tied around her back.

*Ton-ton-kararin*

*Ton-kararin*

[She] wove at the loom.

Urashima Taro too,

*Ton-ton-kararin*

With the golden sash,

*Ton-kararin*

[He] wove at the loom.

Even if they wove for a thousand years,

*Ton-ton-kararin*

Even if they wove for ten thousand years,

*Ton-ton-kararin*

They sang as they wove.

West Wind

From the mountains
From the sea

Autumn came.

The riverbed poplar leaves withered.

The leaves withered.

The shore's pampas grass leaves also withered.

From the mountains

blew a west wind.

From the sea

blew a mountain wind.

From the sea.
Blowing from the mountains.
The wind blew.

Sparrow children
Sparrow children
Were born!
Beneath the granary’s eaves
Were born!
Yesterday, one.

Today, two.

Sparrow children

Were born!

At the riverbank thicket

Were born!

Yesterday one.
Today two.
At riverbed were born
Thicket Sparrow
Beneath eaves were born
Eaves Sparrow
Chirp-chirp chirping away
Were born!

Chiyoda Castle
Chiyoda Castle’s
Doves coo-coo.
Doves coo-coo, coo-coo.
The doves were cooing, you know.
Chiyoda’s gate’s
white walls
Chiyoda’s moat’s
blue water
Doves coo-coo, coo-coo.
They were cooing, you know.

Ueno Hill

Ueno Hill’s

Ueno Hill’s Karasu

Kanda's children

What were they doing?

On the main street

They were playing.

Ueno Hill’s

Karasu

Kanda’s children

What were they looking at?

Without looking at anything

They were looking at the roof.

Calling Bird

Were there children?

Calling Bird
Clack-clack clack-clack

Calling Bird

The children were amidst...

In haze.
Valley’s children,
In mist.
There were children here,

Calling Bird
Clack-clack clack-clack
Calling Bird
Roofless umbrella
Ms. Hazy Moon
Bride
A roofless umbrella
was holding
Ms. Hazy Moon was
Bride
With a roofless umbrella
Got drenched
Round serpent-eye patterned

An umbrella
To Ms. Hazy Moon
I’ll lend you one.

Ms.HazyMoon
TheBride
Witha star-rootlessumbrella—
wasdrenched.

Yamabiko

In the mountains, Yamabiko.

Long-tailed Tit

Called and called

Yoo-hoo yoo-hoo

Mountain’s Ms. Star

Detached star

Wait and wait
Yoo-hoo yoo-hoo
At the river is a kingfisher
A river sparrow
Call and call
Yoo-hoo yoo-hoo
Riverside's Ms. Star
A detached star

Waited and waited

Yoo-hoo yoo-hoo

Cherry Blossoms and Songbirds

Let’s listen to a good song

Let’s listen to a good song

Cherry blossoms’ flowers

Let’s listen to a good song
Songbirds' song
Let’s listen to a good song

Cherry blossoms' song -
To which child shall we listen?
Songbirds' song -
To which child shall we listen?

Tomorrow morning

Let’s listen to this child.

Two Small Birds

In the field, polishing rice

What bird?

That was the field’s

Japanese tit

Barefoot with five gō of rice

Polished it clean, they did

At the riverside, weaving cloth

What bird?

That was the riverside’s

Riverside siskin

By the riverside – a kimono shop

Putting out wares, they said

Snail

Moving day today

The snail’s

Moving day

In pattering rain

Carrying its house

Moving day

Where to—moving day.
To the tea tree’s leaves
Moving day.
Slo-o-owly, slowly, slowly.
Carrying its house
Moving day.

Dapper camellia
In the thicket’s midst,

It blooms.
Thicket camellia.
Applied crimson rouge.
That flower—
Dapper.

Turned backward,
It’s blooming.
Thicket camellia
Red blush—let’s receive
That flower

Dapper

Lullaby

Even without a father

The child grows

Even without Mother,
the child grows.

Playing with sparrows
while they linger,

at seven years old,
the day grows dark.

Even without Father,
the day grows dark.

Seven years old,
the day grows dark.

Even without Mother,
the day grows dark.

Seven years old,
the day grows dark.

A dreaming doll
wants red shoes.

The doll
wears red shoes,
lost in dreams.

She wants red shoes.

The doll

Red shoes in a dream
she's wearing
she wants the red obi
the doll
wearing a red obi
she dreams
she wants the red obi

The doll
Red obi in a dream
She’s wearing it
Returning Swallow
Swallow’s child
Returns home
With Mother
Returns home
Opera Pack as souvenir
Let’s give

Next year, with Mother
Do come again

With Mother, just the two of us
Come again
A single star
A single dear star
On the sea
A single dear star
On the roof
Plovers at the shore
The day grows dark
The horse is in the stable
The day grows dark

A single dear star
On the sea
One solitary house—
On starry roots—
The doll’s dream
The doll’s
The old home—
The glass window—
Balsam flowers—
A garden full—
are blooming.

The doll—
even now—balsam flowers’
she’s dreaming.
The doll—
the glass window’s

she’s dreaming

Daytime Moon

Dear white Moon

Daytime Moon
The child’s dear Moon
The dear Moon dreams.

Fragment dear Moon

Daytime Moon

Dear child’s

The dear child is dreaming.

Rustling drizzle

In the field’s midst

Rustle rustle

Drizzle

Rustle rustle—swish

The chicken’s neck

The chicken bent its neck.

The stable’s roof’s

Rustle rustle

Drizzle
Rustle rustle—swish
The horse’s ear
Got wet

Tour of Famous Places

Pillar Crawling
Nara's Great Buddha's
Rear Pillar

Pillar—

Two children—

Two children were crawling through the pillars.

Go on through—

Nara's days were long.

When would the day end?

Children—

Maybe I’ll crawl through too.

With the children

I’ll crawl through—

Benkei's Bell

Long ago

Of long ago

A tale from long ago—
From the bell—
The mirror—
It emerged—
Long ago

Of long ago

A tale from long ago—
Benkei-san
Benkei-san struck.
The bell arose—

Shell Play

One—shell

Let’s gather.

Two—shells

Let’s gather.

As many as one’s years of age.

Let’s gather.

One—shell
Let’s count.
Two—shells
Let’s count.
As many as one’s years of age
Let’s count.

Waka-no-ura
The ship hoisted its sail
To Shikoku
Crossed
Treading the sand, treading
Cried and cried
Plovers
The waves crashed—
At the shore
Approaching
Running along, walking
They cried and cried
Plovers

Plovers

Frost pillars.
Crunch crunch.
Trod.
Trod.

Frost pillars—
For the sparrows
to tread upon.
Let them play.
Trod and trod.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Frost pillars.
Sparrows too.
Trod trod.

They played.

Milk candy

Milk, milk—

The crying child’s mother
Udō Cave’s
She licked Udō Cave’s milk candy.
Thud-thud, boom-boom
Sah-rah sah-rah
Udō’s milk candy
The mother licked.
The mother without milk’s
The milk came forth.
Thud-thud, boom-boom
Sah-rah sah-rah
Kannon’s temples
Kannon’s temples were
The nose was stroked.
Stroke it—it was stroked
The nose twitched—became Kannon’s temples.
Kannon’s temples were
The jaw was stroked.
Stroked—it was stroked.
Jawless—became Kannon’s temples.

Kannon’s temples are

Jawless nose-twitch—Kannon’s temples

Obasute-yama

Obasute-yama—

She was abandoned.
The old woman never returned.
From the mountain

To the mountain

Mountain Echo—

From the valley
To the valley
Mountain Echo—
Mountain Cuckoo—
Even returning—
The old woman never returned.

Amida Pond

Osaka’s Horie

The temple’s pond

A sludgy mud pond.
It came from Baekje.

Lord Amida Buddha
was discarded with a heavy splash.
Now in Shinano,
Zenkōji Temple’s
Lord Amida Buddha.

Long ago in Horie’s
In the sludgy pond,

Lord Amida Buddha was discarded with a heavy splash.

Nagaebashi Bridge

What part of Osaka is this town?

This is the stretch of Nagaebashi Town.

Nagaebashi Bridge—a human sacrifice

Pheasants and all birds—don't cry—pheasants don't cry.

If the pheasant doesn't cry—it wouldn't be shot.

If this child doesn't cry—they wouldn't be sent.

Ooh... ooh... scary... sooo scary...

All birds and pheasants—don't cry—pheasants don't cry.

The Fox of Tanbo

A heavy cart

When seeing **the** ox’s face,

Tears spilled down.

Made to pull a heavy cart,

It was crying, you see.

So pitiful, so pitiful.

It couldn’t be helped.

When one looked at its legs, they had thinned.

Its legs had thinned.
Made to pull a heavy cart,
It had grown thin, you see.
So pitiful, so pitiful.
It couldn’t be helped.
While pulling the heavy cart
It stared fixedly back.

Longing to meet the calf,

It looked back, you see.

So pitiful, so pitiful.

It can’t be helped.

Tongue-Cut Sparrow

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow—

Dear sparrow

It tied on a work sash.

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow was sweeping the garden.

Swish... swish... swish.

Swish-swish.

(The sound of sweeping the garden)

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow—

the dear sparrow—

prepared a bath

and waited for the old man.

Bubble-bubble, clink-clink.

Gurgle-gurgle.

(The sound of bubbling bathwater)

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow—
Dear sparrow
It took off the hood
It delivered it to the old man.

Tick-tick, tick-tick

Tick... prick

(The sound of a sewing needle)

Run-run-run

Let’s run-run-run around.

Let’s run-run-run around.

In the garden

Let’s run-run-run around.

If you lose, you’ll cry—

That won’t do, oh!

Let’s run-run-run around.

Let’s run-run-run around.

Outside the gate.

Let’s run-run-run around.

If you fall, you’ll cry—

That won’t do, oh!
If you take off your clogs, you’ll cry—
That won’t do, oh!

The Number of Sands (Handball Song)

One slipped away.

The number of sands, the number of sands

1,005,000 and

Counted them, counted them.

1,005,000 grains

The number of sands, the number of sands

Out of a desire to count

I have come, I have come.

Two slipped away.

The number of sands, the number of sands
Without finishing counting
Returned, returned.

Swallow Sister
Hand over the red rouge
In a sake cup, hand it over.

Swallow Sister
Hand over the red rouge
Hold out your hands
In a sake cup, I’ll pass it.

They held out their hands.
Hand over the red rouge
I’ll hand over the red rouge.
In a sake cup, I’ll hand it over.

Swallow Sister
Hand over the red rouge

Kite
The kite drew a circle.
Whee-oh-lo-whee

The kite comes to the oil seller’s roof

Whee-oh-lo-whee

The kite comes to the tofu seller’s roof
Whee-oh-lo-whee

The kite comes to the roof.

Whee-oh-lo-whee

The oil seller’s oil jar

Whee-oh-lo-whee

The tofu seller’s fried tofu

Whee-oh-lo-whee

Chosen Ame!

Chosen Ame—

Sticky candy

Selling candy to children

Sticky candy

Sticky-sticky

Sticky candy

Melty-melty melt

Sticky candy

Children buy candy

Sticky candy

Sticky-sticky

Sticky candy

Miss Crescent Moon

Atop the mountain, Miss Crescent Moon—

How slender she is

Thinner than willow leaves

How slender she is

Sliced to ethereal thinness.

Sliced to ethereal thinness.

Atop the mountain, Miss Crescent Moon—

How slender she is

Thinner than spun thread

How slender she is

Sliced to ethereal thinness.

Sliced to ethereal thinness.

The Sparrows' Sake Feast

The sparrows built a rice storehouse, they say.

What’s all this about? What’s all this about?

Wren

In the field, dried fish were hung to dry, they say.

Did you see? Did you see?

Wren

The sparrows held a sake feast, they say.

What’s all this about? What’s all this about?

Wren

They tapped the sake barrels and drank, they say.

Did you see? Did you see?

Wren

A Bell Cricket Without Its Bell

The Bell Cricket lost its bell.

The Bell Cricket
The Bell Cricket went to search for its bell.
It checked the front of a standalone house
and peered inside;
checked the back door
and peered inside again.
"Is there no bell?
Is there no bell?"
it asked aloud.
Wherever it searched—

No matter where it walked,
the lost bell
was nowhere to be found.
The Bell Cricket had lost its bell.
The Bell Cricket

The Bell Cricket became a Bell Cricket without its bell.

Hail and sleet.

Hail

Pah-rah pah-rah
On the roof
Pah-rah pah-rah
The sparrows too,

Pah-rah pah-rah

At the back door.

Pah-rah pah-rah

Sleet

Sah-rah sah-rah

On the roof
Sah-rah sah-rah
The sparrows too,
Sah-rah sah-rah
At the back door.
Sah-rah sah-rah

The Rat's Rice Pounding

The Rat's Rice Pounding

The Rat’s Rice Pounding

Thud-thud, thud-thud

Kora-sanosa

In the first mortar

a single grain of rice

Clink plink

Clink plink

Kora-sanosa

In the third mortar

three grains of rice

Clonk plink

Clink plink

Kora-sanosa

Rats pound rice.

Rats pounded rice.

Thud-thud, thud-thud.

Heave-ho.

Jump Rope

One jumped

Jumped

Jumped the rope

Jumped

Two jumped

Jumped

In the alleyway
Jumped
Flap-flap
Looked down and jumped
Three jumped
Jumped
Over there
Jumped
Four jumped
Jumped
Skillfully
Jumped
Swish-swish
Looked up and jumped
Oni Play
Before Mr. Oni comes
Splash splash, fetch water!
Barefoot, fetch water!
From the first well,
With a hand bucket, fetch water!

Splash splash, fetch water!
From the third well,
With a well pulley, fetch water!
Splash splash, fetch water!

Before Mr. Oni comes

Scrub scrub, polish rice!

Barefoot, polish rice!

From the first well,
Draw water and polish rice!
Scrub scrub, polish rice!

From the third well,
Draw water and polish rice!

Scrub scrub, polish rice!

Autumn night

In the long autumn night

The cricket
Click-click-click-click
spun thread.
Because the cold was coming
Because it was coming,
Click-click-click-click
the cricket spun thread.
The children were feeling cold.
When they felt cold,
Click-click-click-click
the cricket spun thread.

Because the cold was coming—
the cricket—
the children’s kimonos—
must have meant to weave.

The Fox of Tanbo

Long ago, in Tanbo of the village where I was born, there was an old fox.
There is a story about it disguising itself as a young woman and deceiving travelers.

The Fox of Tanbo
Wore a red comb,
Fastened a red obi,
And showed her figure from behind,

She played the shamisen.

There is also a story about how it then turned into a balloon and tried to trick the village children.

The Fox of Tanbo

In the shade of the pampas grass,

It flew a red balloon.

A blue balloon.

It flew.

There was also a story about how it once held a drinking party in the fields with the kappa’s little monk.

The Fox of Tanbo

the kappa’s

With O-Keshi-bō,

In the fields,

It had a little drinking party.

The fox of the neighboring village

In Tanbo of the neighboring village to where I was born, there was a wicked old fox.
Once having transformed into a village girl named Osayo, she rode a horse past the back of Mr. Gohei’s house.

The Fox of Tanbo

rode a scrawny horse,

wearing a conical traveler’s hat,

Mr. Gohei's house's

back road.

If Mr. Gohei saw

she hid her face with the hat.

When he asked, “Osayo?”

“That’s right,” she said

She hid her face with the hat.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’m going to Echigo Province to pick tea.”

“Let’s go, Mr. Gohei,”

she stuck out her tail,

and showed it.

Another time, it disguised itself as a doctor and came around.

The Fox of Tanbo
Carrying a medicine box and wearing tabi,
disguised itself as a doctor.
When a dog came running,
it threw the medicine box and fled to the riverside thicket.

It had fled inside.
When the dog had gone away,
in the riverside thicket it stuck only its head out.
It looked here and there.

Aono Forest

There was a story about how, one year, the fox from Tanbo in the village where I was born went as a bride to Aono Forest in the neighboring village.

The Fox of Tanbo styled her hair in a Shimada chignon,

To Aono Forest

She wed.

Aono Forest’s

Mr. Groom Fox

Pointed mouth—
of Aono Forest—
the bride fox—
pointed mouth—

Sea brown-eared bulbul

Shore plovers

The shore had dried up,

Crying plovers

As countless as the sands

Striking waves

All day yesterday

Today makes two days.

The shore had dried up

They cried, “The shore has dried up!”

The shore had dried up,

Crying plovers

Thud-thud, thud-thud

Striking waves

The parent plovers too,

The young plovers too,

The shore had dried up,

Crying “It’s dried up!”

Red Shoes

Red shoes she was wearing,
The girl,
Taken by the foreigner,
She had gone off.

From Yokohama’s pier,
She boarded the ship,
Taken by the foreigner,
She went off.
By now with blue eyes,
She has become.
To the foreigner’s country.

She must be in the foreigner’s country.
Red shoes—every time I see them,
Ponder.
Each time meeting the foreigner,

Pondered.

A firefly cage without fireflies.
A firefly cage without fireflies.
The fireflies
flew away and escaped.
This morning upon waking and looking,
the fireflies
flew off and escaped.
Over blue dahlia leaves

In haste,

They flew off and escaped.

Over the high garden trees

In haste,

They flew off and escaped.

A firefly cage without fireflies.

Lonely.

It became a cage.

Lark.

The lark sang.
Sang.
[Sang] The song of the field.

The lark sang.
From morning till evening,

Sings.
The rapeseed is in bloom,
Sings.
"The clover has bloomed," sings.
Sings.
Peep-peep Peep-peep
Sings.

Moonlit night.
The katydid,
in the moonlit night,
perched on pampas grass,
wove.
Clink-clank clink.
Clink-clank clink.

The night hadn’t yet dawned.
If it didn’t dawn,
the katydid was perching on pampas grass
and weaving.
Clink-clank, clink.
Clink-clank, clink.

Exhausted top

Shake shake, shake shake
Shake shake, shake shake
They grew exhausted.
They grew exhausted.
The red top
It grew exhausted.
Shake shake, shake shake.
Shake shake, shake shake.
They grew exhausted.
They grew exhausted.
The blue top
It grew exhausted.

Sea Bulbul

Perched on the shore,

The Sea Bulbul

Beyond the sea—

The Sea Bulbul dreamed.

Beyond the sea,
A small boat
With a red sail hoisted,
Was sailing.
A red sail hoisted
On the small boat,
A child it had parted from long ago

was aboard

The boat and the child
The Sea Bulbul
perched on the shore
and dreamed.

The riverbed's kappa
Late at night, a child
The child was walking.
On the head, a dish
was placed.
The riverbed kappa's
It's the kappa's child.

At the riverbed, late at night.

A fire burns.
A rainy night—
A fire burns.
The kappa's child
was burning it.
The dove stood barefoot.
"Dove—where are you going barefoot?"
"Where are you going?"

“To a distant countryside—”

“On an errand.”

“Dove, hurry up!”

“Go on!”

“Barefoot— hurry—”

“I’ll go and come back.”

“Dove, see ya!”

“Miss— g’night—”

“Dove, hurry up!”

“Go on!”

The ama’s rouge—

In the harbor sky—

The ama’s rouge

Stained.

In the harbor sky

A crimson sash
Hung.
Shinano Province too,

Sunset blazed.

"It burns!"

Shinano’s children
even the sash
It’s burning!

(Note: "The ama's rouge" is a dialect term for sunset.)

Sparrow Game

First Girl

“The sparrow chicks are drinking milk—they’re drinking milk!”

Second Girl
“They’re cuddled by Mama while drinking milk.”

Both Girls
“Mother Sparrow,
Give us milk!

Mother Sparrow,
‘Become a sparrow!’
Let’s have them drink milk!”

Both Girls
“She became a sparrow! A sparrow!”

Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp

Roly-Poly Monk Doll

Darumasans roly-poly monk doll
tumbled down.
Down went Darumasan—
Up he rose.

Sambasō’s little monk doll
rose back up.
Rolling round and round, it tumbled away,
rose back up.
Yatsu-san’s little monk doll also

tumbled away.

Tumbled away，Yatsu-san’s doll too，

rose back up.

Rose back up, Yatsu-san’s doll,

“Good day,” it said.

Cross over now

Cross over now

Cross over now

Quickly now, this bridge—

Cross over now

The rain begins to fall.

Cross over now

The rain comes pouring down

The waters surge!

The bridge is washed away!
Cross over now
Cross over now

Cross over now
Following from behind,
Cross over now

The bridge is washed away!

Cross over now
Sado's bird
At sea, seabirds
Seagull
The distant sea—
Which country?
That is Echigo's
Sado Island
Don't surge, waves!
Don't surge
Sado is Echigo's
Remote island

Wind chime

Tsubako

Tsubako has come.
Tsubako has come.
The swallow chick's
Tsubako has come.
Tsubako, with Mother—
"Has she come?"
"Mother will follow later,
will come
One boat later,
will come."
Tsubako has come.
Tsubako has come.
One boat ahead,

Tsubako has come.

(Note: Tsubako is a provisional name given to the swallow chick.)

Bellflower

A small bee

Comes knocking

Bellflower’s

O Bell

Even if children are watching,

Comes knocking

Even if adults are watching,

Comes knocking

Bellflower’s

O Bell

It blooms quietly

O Bell

Blue moonlit night
Oh busy little insect

Tonight was a moonlit night.

In the storehouse shadow
Spin the slender thread, spin the thread

Every rooftop
Blue, blue moonlit night

Owl
The owl cried at night.

The owl

Ah—that’s…

Longing for dreams, the owl cries at night.
Tra-la-la

Baku-Baku

Dreams taken

Dreams gone

The owl

Thi-i-is…

Longing to see dreams, yet there are none.

Tra-la-la-la

Baku-Baku

Return the dreams.

Mr. Wind Chime

Mr. Wind Chime
When he tinkles merrily,
How cool it seems.
He tinkled merrily.
When he tinkled,

Adults and children

They rejoiced.

When autumn comes,

Mr. Wind Chime

How pitiful.

Even if he tinkles merrily,

No matter how long he tinkles,

Children and adults

They are silent.

Two years old.

Two years old.

What a clever child!

Mother

When you look

Is beckoning

Bow-wow

When you look

Clap-clap, clapping away

What a clever child!

Two years old.

The toy’s
To the doll—
Beckoning, beckoning.
The garden’s
To the sparrows—
Clap-clap, clapping away!
The waves go splash!
At the shore, go splash!
The waves go splash!
The plovers fled.
The plovers fled.
The waves go splash!
Look! They fled—
Scampered clean away!
The waves go splash!
At the rocky shore too—splash!
The waves go splash!
The baby crabs fled.
The baby crabs fled.
The waves go splash!

Look! They fled.

They darted away in a flurry.

The waves go splash!

Ants and Sugar

Let’s show them.
Let’s show them.
Let’s show the ants some sugar.
If you show the ants some sugar,
They form a line.
They come to lick it.
Let’s hide it.
Let’s hide it.
Let’s hide sugar from the ants.
If you show the ants sugar,
Because they’ll come to lick it.
Let’s hide it.

Five fingers
Dropping them
How many?

One
Held out
Oh my
One
Three

Held out
But really?
How many?
Four
Held out
Truly?

How many?

Everyone

Held out

The Pasture's Calf

On days when rain falls,

By the mother cow,

The calf is held by the mother cow

The calf sleeps.
Drinks water from the bucket.
Eats grass.
Eyes open, the calf
Sleeps again.
On days when rain falls,
A long time.

At dusk in the pasture,

Lingers long,

Rain, rain, pour down more

Rain, rain, pour down

The calf is held by the mother cow

The calf is sleeping.

Sleep grass

At dusk—

Not yet.

The sun is still high

High.

Sleep grass

Descended.

To sleep—

Too soon

The field’s
Into the field
Sleep grass
Discard
Sleep grass
To take
Fireflies, O!
They’ve come.
O Hazy Moon
O Hazy Moon
Age—how many?
Sixteen—rest now.
Sixteen
O Hazy Moon
Age—how many?
Thirteen—rest now.
Thirteen
Thirteen seven—
Still far
O Hazy Moon

Eleven