Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 6.djvu/107

OBSERVANCES AND PASTIMES

I
Bon, Bon, with us yet,
To-day and to-morrow pass;
Bon, Bon, or three suns set
Dies like the dead grass,
Dead on the winter hill,
Yet Bon now is with us still.

With dead grass the altar wreathe;
Red overhead the sunshine burns,
To peonies the dead grass turns,
Looked at from beneath.

With dead grass the altar crown,
Silver-soft the moonlight gleams,
Flowers of ruth the dead grass seems
To spirits looking down.

Flowers of the peony
Bloom to pass away;
Bloom of the pity flower
Bides here but to-day.

II
If you go, beloved best,
Take me with you too;
(Non noko sai sai)^[1]
To the east, to the west,
If only with you.
(Yotte kono.)^[2]
Smile or frown, joy or care,
Snow or sunny weather,
Anywhere, everywhere,
Only together.
(Suku naka choi choi.)

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1. See Appendix, note 27.
2. See Appendix, note 28.

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