Haiku: ホテルの灯　迷い蛍の　一人旅

ホテルの灯(ひ)　迷まよい蛍ほたるの　一人旅ひとりたび

Hotel lights / a stray firefly / traveling alone

COMMENTARY:

寂さびしい田舎町いなかまちで、ホテルの明あかりがついています。そのそばを蛍ほたるが一匹いっぴきふわりふわりと飛とんでいます。迷子まいごになって一人旅ひとりたびをしているように見みえます。

VOCABULARY:

• 寂しい lonely; lonesome; solitary
• 田舎町 country town; rural town
• で in [indicates the place at which an action or event takes place]
• ホテルの明かり lights of the hotel [ホテル (hotel) + の (of; modifier; limits the scope of 明かり to the ホテル) + 明かり (light; illumination; glow)]
• 明かりがついています light is on [明かり (light) + が (indicates 明かり as the subject) + ついています (is on; ています-form of つく (to be lit; to light) which is used to describe the actual state, condition, appearance of the subject)]
• その that; the
• そば by; side; near; close; vicinity
• を (indicates the direct object of action)
• 蛍 firefly; lightning bug; glowworm
• 一匹 one (small) animal [一 (one) + 匹 (is used for counting small or medium-sized animals, sea creatures, and insects)]
• ふわりふわりと softly; gently; lightly [ふわりふわり (onomatopoeic adverb) + と (is used with sound words; can be used after onomatopoeic adverbs)]
• 飛んでいます is flying [ています-form of 飛ぶ (to fly) which is used to describe an ongoing action, continuous action that is happening in the present; how to form: Verb て-form + います (polite)]
• 迷子になって to get lost and; be lost and; become lost and [迷子 (stray; lost) + になって (て-form of になる (become; turn out) which is used to connect with the succeeding phrase, creating the meaning of “and”; ~になる indicates change and is similar to “become” in English. How to form: Noun/な-adjective + になる)]
• 一人旅をしている traveling alone [ている-form of 一人旅 をする (travel by oneself; make a solo journey) which is used to describe an ongoing action, continuous action that is happening in the present; how to form: Verb て-form + いる (casual)]
• ように見えます to look; to seem; to appear~ [ように (as; like; similar to~) + 見えます (to be seen; to be in sight; appear); How to form: Verb (casual form) + ように見えます]
• 作者 author; writer; creator (of a work)
• 青木かよ子 Aoki Kayoko [Yumi's mother!]