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文鳥

by Natsume Sōseki

At a friend’s urging, the author begins keeping a little Java sparrow.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,544 characters · ≈ 14 minSource: 青空文库

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Sample: three-line reading

Each word has its meaning in this sentence underneath, and each sentence has a full translation. Read the original and glance down only when you need to.

十月October早稲田Wasedaにto (direction particle)移るmove
In October, I moved to Waseda.
伽藍のような書斎a study like a templeにinただ一人all alone片づけた顔cleaned-up faceを(object marker)頬杖でwith my hand/elbow propped支えているwas supporting/restingとwhen三重吉がMiekichi来てcame and鳥をa bird御飼いなさいplease keepと云うsaid
Alone in a study that looked like a temple, resting my cleaned-up face on my hand, I was sitting there when Miekichi came and said, 'Please keep a bird.'
飼ってkeep (an animal), in the -te formもeven (particle)いいfine / okayとthat (quotation particle)答えたanswered (past tense)
I answered that it was fine to keep one.
しかしhowever念のためだからjust to be sure何を飼うのかねwhat are you keeping? (asking)と聞いたらwhen I asked文鳥ですと云う返事であったthe reply was that it was a Java sparrow
But just to be sure, I asked what kind, and the reply was a Java sparrow.

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About the book

"Bunchō" is a short novel by Natsume Sōseki, serialized in the Osaka Asahi Shimbun in June 1908 and later included in the collection Shihen published by Shun'yōdō. It opens with the narrator taking in a Java sparrow at the urging of Mikichi.

Cultural notes (selection)

Background a translation can’t carry: social roles, history and allusions. While reading, tap “Note” at the end of a sentence to see them all.

三重吉 Social role

This is Suzuki Mikihachi (Miekichi), a disciple of Sōseki who later founded the children's magazine Akai Tori. In the text Sōseki calls him by his given name without an honorific, his habitual way of addressing close pupils.

駒込 Customs

A place name in Tokyo.

洋灯 Customs

A kerosene lamp, the main form of lighting in Japanese homes during the Meiji era. It was written 「洋灯」 to distinguish it from traditional candles and andon lamps. Where the lamp was placed directly determined how bright the room was, hence the detail of asking to move the lamp closer.

About the author

Natsume Sōseki (9 February 1867 – 9 December 1916), born Natsume Kinnosuke, was a Japanese novelist, poet, and scholar regarded as one of the greatest writers in modern Japanese history. His major works include I Am a Cat, Botchan, Sanshirō, Kokoro, and his unfinished final novel Light and Dark.

Summary prepared with AI from Wikipedia: 文鳥 (小説) (CC BY-SA)

How the glosses are made

Word glosses and sentence translations are generated in context by AI models (DeepSeek and Zhipu GLM), and every word is checked to have a gloss. AI can make mistakes; you can report problems from the book page.

FAQ

Is this the original text?

Yes. The library holds the opening section of the public-domain original, taken from 青空文库.

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Library books are free to read without an account. Other gloss languages and importing your own texts need an account and credits.

What level is it?

This one is marked “Intermediate”. Every word is glossed, so you can keep reading even with a small vocabulary.

Can I use another gloss language?

English and Chinese glosses are prepared in advance; signed-in readers can generate other languages.

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