Haori sugata no
Kocho kana!

[Like a haori being taken off--that is the shape of a butterfly!]

Torisashi no
Sao no jama suru
Kocho kana!

[Ah, the butterfly keeps getting in the way of the bird-catcher's pole!
[3]]

Tsurigane ni
Tomarite nemuru
Kocho kana!

[Perched upon the temple-bell, the butterfly sleeps:]

Neru-uchi mo
Asobu-yume wo ya--
Kusa no cho!

[Even while sleeping, its dream is of play--ah, the butterfly of the
grass! [4]

Oki, oki yo!
Waga tomo ni sen,
Neru-kocho!

[Wake up! wake up!--I will make thee my comrade, thou sleeping
butterfly. [5]]

Kago no tori
Cho wo urayamu
Metsuki kana!

[Ah, the sad expression in the eyes of that caged bird!--envying the
butterfly!]

Cho tonde--
Kaze naki hi to mo
Miezari ki!

[Even though it did not appear to be a windy day, [6] the fluttering of
the butterflies--!]

Rakkwa eda ni
Kaeru to mireba--
Kocho kana!

[When I saw the fallen flower return to the branch--lo! it was only a
butterfly! [7]]

Chiru-hana ni--
Karusa arasou
Kocho kana!

[How the butterfly strives to compete in lightness with the falling
flowers! [8]]

Chocho ya!
Onna no michi no
Ato ya saki!

[See that butterfly on the woman's path,--now fluttering behind her,
now before!]

Chocho ya!
Hana-nusubito wo
Tsukete-yuku!

[Ha! the butterfly!--it is following the person who stole the flowers!]

Aki no cho
Tomo nakereba ya;
Hito ni tsuku

[Poor autumn butterfly!--when left without a comrade (of its own race),
it follows after man (or "a person")!]

Owarete mo,
Isoganu furi no
Chocho kana!

[Ah, the butterfly! Even when chased, it never has the air of being in
a hurry.]

Cho wa mina
Jiu-shichi-hachi no
Sugata kana!

[As for butterflies, they all have the appearance of being about
seventeen or eighteen years old.[9]]

Cho tobu ya--
Kono yo no urami
Naki yo ni!

[How the butterfly sports,--just as if there were no enmity (or "envy")
in this world!]

Cho tobu ya,
Kono yo ni nozomi
Nai yo ni!

[Ah, the butterfly!--it sports about as if it had nothing more to
desire in this present state of existence.]

Nami no hana ni
Tomari kanetaru,
Kocho kana!

[Having f