UVa Library Etext Center: Japanese Text Initiative

動物【どうぶつ】 dōbutsu Animals

鹿【しか】 shika deer [Cervus nippon, usually for the cries of the male in rut] (all autumn)

牡鹿【おじか】（小鹿） ojika, stag / male deer
小男鹿【さおじか】 saojika stag / male deer
鹿の声【しかのこえ】 shika no koe deer's voice / deer cries
妻恋う鹿【つまこうしか】 tsuma kou shika mating deer
鹿笛【しかぶえ】 shikabue deer flute / deer call [mimics sound of a deer calling]

From ancient times, the longing voice of a deer calling for its mate has inspired pity and endearment, making the deer a favored autumnal trope. The deer that inhabits Japan is characteristically small in stature and the antlers of the male deer have four branches. In the summertime, the coat is light brown with white spots, but in winter it turns a darker, grayish-brown and the spots disappear. The mating season is in October and November. During this season, one hears the soft yelps of the buck trying to attract a doe; to win the doe the bucks also fight each other, clashing their antlers. In spring, the buck casts his antlers and grows a new velvet covered antler. Once the buck's antlers are fully grown, they begin shedding or cleaning the velvet by rubbing them against trees, often leaving marks on the trees. Foresters have tried to protect the trees by using devices such as "deer hedge"(鹿垣　[ししがき] shishigaki), "deer fire hut" (鹿火屋 [かびや] kabiya), or "scare-deer"(鹿おどし [ししおどし] shishiodoshi). The "deer flute"(鹿笛 [しかぶえ] shikabue) is a flute used by hunters. There are many older terms for deer, such as "suzuka"([すずか]), "sugaru"([すがる]), and "momijidori"(紅葉鳥 [もみじどり]).

神に灯をあげて戻れば鹿の声

正岡子規

kami ni hi o agete modoreba shika no koe

on the way back 
lighting a sacred fire for God
the voice of deer

Masaoka Shiki

雄鹿の前吾もあらあらしき息す

橋本多佳子

ojika no mae ware mo araarashiki ikisu

in front of the stag 
I, too, heave
rough sighs

Hashimoto Takako

笛のよな顔して鹿の鳴きにけり

鈴木鵬于

fue no yona kao shite shika no naki ni keri

a face like a flute 
the deer
calls out

Suzuki Hōu

まだ角があり恋があり雄鹿駈く

金子無患子

mada tsuno ga ari koi ga ari ojika kaku

still with antlers, 
still with love
dashes the male deer

Kaneko Mukanshi

The adoration of the young stag seeps out of the dedicatory phrase "still with antlers, still with love." In repeating the word "ari," the anaphora places emphasis on youth. The poem aptly grasps the image of a male deer in mating season, and the rhythm is light and airy.

猪【いのしし】 inoshishi （ゐのしし）, wild boar [Sus scrofa] (late autumn)

しし（猪） shishi wild boar
野猪【やちょ】 yacho wild boar
瓜坊【うりぼう】 uribō wild boar [literally "melon boy"]

馬肥ゆる【うまこゆる】 uma koyuru horses fatten / horse grows fat (all autumn)

秋の駒【あきのこま】 aki no koma autumn colt / autumn pony / autumn horse

蛇穴に入る【へびあなにいる】 hebi ana ni iru snakes hole up / snakes go into their holes [to hibernate] (mid autumn)

穴まどい【あなまどい】 ana madoi hole confusion / hole-less (snake) [a snake not in its hole]
秋の蛇【あきのへび】 aki no hebi autumn snake [that is, one outside its hole]

渡鳥【わたりどり】 wataridori migratory birds / birds of passage (all autumn)

鳥渡る【とりわたる】 tori wataru birds migrate
小鳥来る【ことりくる】 kotori kuru little birds come [such birds as siskins, thrushes, waxwings, and redstarts, migrating north to south or mountains to plains; some authorities cite as mid-autumn, but varies according to species and region]

This is an autumn topic in haikai, referring to birds which fly southward in the fall, including wild geese, ducks, thrushes, siskins, mountain finches and others. These birds fly in flocks when migrating. If the flocks resemble clouds in motion, they are called "bird-clouds". If the sound of their wings evokes the wind, the phrase "bird-wind" may be used by the haikai poet. Birds which fly to Japan in autumn are primarily species which spend the summer in Siberia, where they breed, and fly south via China's northeast en route to Japan. Many such species remain in Japan for the winter, living in forests or in coastal areas until spring, when they return north. Some birds, including species of snipes and plovers, stop only briefly in Japan before migrating further south for the winter.

雀らも真似してとぶや渡り鳥

一茶

suzumera mo maneshite tobu ya wataridori

even the sparrows
fly in imitation . . . 
migrating birds

Issa

渡鳥仰ぎ仰いでよろめきぬ

松本たかし

wataridori aogi aoide yoromeginu

migrating birds--
staring and staring
I totter along

Matsumoto Takashi

鳥わたるこきこきこきと罐切れば

秋元不死男

tori wataru kokikokikoki to kan kireba

birds migrating
sound "koki-koki-koki"
as I open a can 

Akimoto Fujio

人はみな旅せむ心鳥渡る

石田波郷

hito wa mina tabisemu kokoro tori wataru

people all
think of travelling--
birds migrating

Ishida Hakyō

渡り鳥伸び縮まりつ中空に

田中鬼骨

wataridori nobichijimaritsu nakazora ni

migrating birds
spread out and bunch up
in mid-sky 

Tanaka Kikotsu

渡り鳥みるみるわれの小さくなり

上田五千石

wataridori mirumiru ware no chisaku nari

migrating birds--
while watching them I 
grow smaller

Ueda Gosengoku

It is the migrating birds which seem to grow smaller as they fly further away, but the poet can't avoid the illusion that it is he himself who is shrinking. The phrase mirumiru, literally "before my very eyes" or "as I watch", conveys precisely the dynamic sense of the birds flying out of sight.

色鳥【いろどり】 irodori colorful (small) birds [in autumn migration] (all autumn)

燕帰る【つばめかえる】 tsubame kaeru （つばめかへる）, swallows go back [to the south] (mid autumn)

帰燕【きえん】 kien migrating swallows [to the south]
去ぬ燕【いぬつばめ】 inu tsubame departing swallows
秋燕【しゅうえん】 shūen autumn swallows
残る燕【のこるつばめ】 nokoru tsubame remaining swallows

鵙【もず】 mozu shrike [Lanius species] (all autumn)

百舌鳥【もず】 mozu shrike [kanji literally "hundred tongues/clappers bird"]

鶇【つぐみ】 tsugumi dusky thrush [Turdus naumanni] (late autumn)

ちょうま（鳥馬） chōma dusky thrush

啄木鳥（木突）【きつつき】 kitsutsuki woodpecker [family Picidae] (all autumn)

けらつつき keratsutsuki woodpecker
けら kera woodpecker
木たたき【きたたき】 kitataki woodpecker

雁【かり】 kari (wild) goose/geese [usually Anser species, though Branta are included] (late autumn)

がん gan (wild) goose/geese
かりがね karigani (wild) goose/geese [technically, the lesser white-fronted goose Anser erythropus, though may be used generically]
初雁【はつかり】 hatsukari first (wild) goose/geese
雁渡る【かりわたる】 kari wataru geese migrate
落雁【らくがん】 rakugan falling/fallen (wild) goose [come down from the sky]

落鮎【おちあゆ】 ochiayu descending ayu/sweetfish [literally "falling ayu"; Plecoglossus altivelis] (all autumn)

下り鮎【くだりあゆ】 kudariayu descending ayu/sweetfish
秋の鮎【あきのあゆ】 aki no ayu autumn ayu/sweetfish
錆鮎【さびあゆ】 sabiayu rusty ayu/sweetfish [refers to color]
渋鮎【しぶあゆ】 shibuayu muted ayu/sweetfish [refers to color]

紅葉鮒【もみじぶな】 momijibuna (autumn) reddened carp [literally, "red-leaf carp"] (late autumn)

鯊【はぜ】 haze goby [Acanthogobius flavimanus] (all autumn)

鯊日和【はぜびより】 hazebiyori goby weather/conditions
鯊の秋【はぜのあき】 haze no aki goby autumn
鯊の潮【はぜのしお】 haze no shio goby tide

秋刀魚【さんま】 sanma mackerel pike [Cololabis saira] (late autumn)

さいら saira mackerel pike

鮭【さけ】 sake salmon [Oncorhynchus species] (all autumn)

初鮭【はつざけ】 hatsuzake first salmon

秋の蝉【あきのせみ】 aki no semi autumn cicada(s)/autumn locust(s) (all autumn)

秋蝉【しゅうせん】 shūsen autumn cicada(s)/locust(s)
残る蝉【のこるせみ】 nokoru semi remaining cicada(s)/locust(s)

蜩【ひぐらし】 higurashi clear-toned cicada(s)/ evening cicada(s) [literally "day darkener"; Tanna japonensis] (early autumn)

蜻蛉【とんぼ】 tonbo dragonfly/dragonflies [order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera; not to be confused with 糸蜻蛉【いととんぼ】 itotonbo, "damselfly", a summer kidai] (all autumn)

せいれい seirei dragonfly/dragonflies
あきつ akitsu dragonfly/dragonflies
やんま yanma dragonfly/dragonflies
赤蜻蛉【あかとんぼ】 akatonbo red dragonfly/dragonflies

虫【むし】 mushi insect(s) [usually plural, for their singing] (all autumn)

虫時雨【むししぐれ】 mushishigure insect shower / insect chorus
昼の虫【ひるのむし】 hiru no mushi midday insects
残る虫【のこるむし】 nokoru mushi remaining insects [left-over from early and mid autumn]
すがる虫【すがるむし】 sugaru mushi clinging insect(s)

蟋蟀【こおろぎ】 kōrogi （こほろぎ）, cricket(s) (all autumn)

ちちろ chichiro cricket(s)
ちちろ虫【ちちろむし】 chichiromushi cricket(s)

螽斯【きりぎりす】 kirigirisu long-horned grasshopper(s) [Platyphyllum concavum; cry reported as チョンギース chon'giisu; some authorities place this insect in early autumn] (all autumn)

ぎす gisu long-horned grasshopper(s)
機織【はたおり】 hataori long-horned grasshopper(s) [literally "weaver"]

轡虫【くつわむし】 kutsuwamushi oblong-winged katydid(s) [literally "bridled/muffled insect"; Mecopoda elongata, very similar to North American oblong-winged katydid, Amblycorypha oblongifolia, hence the translation] (early autumn)

がちゃがちゃ gachagacha oblong-winged katydid(s) [Japanese name mimics cry, similar to "gotcha, gotcha" in English].

ばつた batta grasshopper/locust [large grasshoppers, often with a more brown than green appearance, family Acrididae (short-horned)] (all autumn)

蟿螽【はたはた】 hatahata grasshopper
螇蚚【けいれき】 keireki grasshopper/locust
きちきち kichikichi grasshopper/locust

蝗【いなご】 inago grasshopper/locust [small, green grasshoppers in the Acrididae (short-horned) family, sometimes cooked and eaten] (all autumn)

稲子【いなご】 inago grasshopper/locust
螽【いなご】 inago grasshopper/locust

螳螂【かまきり】 kamakiri praying mantis [Tenodora aridifolia, "Chinese mantid"] (all autumn)

螳螂【とうろう】 tōrō praying mantis [the same]
いぼむしり ibomushiri praying mantis [the same]

蓑虫【みのむし】 minomushi bagworm(s) / basketworm(s) [larva of Psychidae, within cocoon] (all autumn)

鬼の子【おにのこ】 oni no ko demon-child [literal]