Page:Insect Literature by Lafcadio Hearn.djvu/348

Rh Semi wo kike,—

Ichi-nichi naite

Yoru no tsuyu.—Kikaku.

, Yū-tsuyu no

Kuchi ni iru made

Naku semi ka?—Baishitsu.

Occasionally the semi is mentioned in love-songs of which the following is a fair specimen. It belongs to that class of ditties commonly sung by geisha. Merely as a conceit, I think it pretty, in spite of the factitious pathos; but to Japanese taste it is decidedly vulgar. The allusion to beating implies jealousy:— Nushi ni tatakare,

Washa matsu no semi

Sugaritsuki-tsuki

Naku bakari! 註