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— 18 —
Rakkwa eda ni
Kaeru to mireba—
Kochō kana!
[When I saw the fallen flower return to the branch—lo! it was only a butterfly!]
Chiru-hana ni.—
Karusa arasou
Kochō kana!
[How the butterfly strives to compete in lightness with the falling flowers!]
Chō chō ya!
Onna no michi no
Ato ya saki!
[See that butterfly on the woman's path,—now fluttering behind her, now before!]
Chō chō ya!
Hana-nusubito wo
Tsukete-yuku!
[Ha! the butterfly!-it is following the person who stole the flowers!]
Aki no chō
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")!]
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