Wednesday, June 24, 2026

daibutsu no hana kara detaru tsubame kana

This is another one by Issa. 

The verb form is deru, 出る, and the verb form here, xxx, is a combination of the stem with the classical verb suffix taru (たる). I've translated it as "has emerged" since that seems like the best way to express the quality of the action here, although I am not 100% sure.

Great Buddha:
from his nose has emerged
a swallow!

大仏の鼻から出たる乙鳥哉
daibutsu no hana kara detaru tsubame kana

daibutsu no
    Great Buddha!
hana kara detaru
    from his nose emerges
tsubame kana
    a swallow! oh!

大仏 daibutsu ~ great statue of Buddha.
の no
hana ~ nose.
から kara ~ from.
出たる detaru ~ emerge.
乙鳥 tsubame ~ barn swallow.
哉 kana 
And look what I found online!



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