ああ玉杯に花うけて

Name: ああ玉杯に花うけて
Availability: InStock
Author: Kōroku Satō

by Kōroku Satō

A small tofu seller’s boy hurries to work at dawn, dreaming of school.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Intermediate3,548 characters · ≈ 14 minSource: 青空文库

Authentic text: the opening of a public-domain original
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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.

一one

One

豆腐屋のof the tofu shopチビ公little boy (nickname)はtopic markerいまnowたんぼのof the rice fieldあぜをalong the ridge (object of 伝って)伝ってfollowing alongつぎの町へto the next town急ぎつつあるis hurrying

The little boy from the tofu shop is now hurrying along the field path to the next town.

さわやかなfresh春のspring朝日がmorning sun (subject)森をforest (object)はなれてleaving黄金のgolden光のof light雨をrain (object)緑のgreen麦畑にonto the wheat field黄色なyellow菜畑にonto the rape fieldげんげさくくれないのof the blooming red vetch田にonto the field降らすrains downあぜのof the path草はgrass (topic)夜露からfrom the night dewめざめてwaking軽やかにlightly頭をhead (object)上げるliftsすみれはviolets (topic)薄紫のpale purple扉をdoors (object)開きopenたんぽぽはdandelions (topic)オレンジ色のorange-colored冠をcrowns (object)ささげるoffer

The fresh spring morning sun leaves the forest and rains golden light on the green wheat fields, the yellow rape fields, and the red vetch fields. The grass on the path wakes from the night dew and lifts its head lightly. Violets open their pale purple doors, and dandelions offer their orange crowns.

堰の水はthe water of the weirちょろちょろwith a trickling sound音立ててmaking a sound田へ落ちるとwhen it falls into the fieldかえるはthe frogsこれからfrom now onなきだすstart to croak準備にとりかかっているare getting ready

The water from the weir falls into the field with a small sound, and the frogs are getting ready to start singing.

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About the book

This passage follows a small boy from a tofu shop on his early-morning rounds, carrying tofu on a shoulder pole through spring fields to town, and pausing at a house that once belonged to his father and is now home to a doctor, where he recalls his family's past and his wish to bring his mother back to live there. The prose opens with fresh, lyrical descriptions of a spring morning, moving at a gentle pace while carrying an undercurrent of hardship and quiet hope.

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.

火の見やぐら Customs

A fire lookout tower, a common structure in Japanese villages and towns from the Meiji period to the early Shōwa period, used to watch for fires and ring a bell to raise the alarm. In the text it appears alongside the village office and storehouses as part of the morning village scenery.

助役 History

A deputy post in town and village offices under the Meiji local government system, assisting the mayor or village head with administrative duties and elected by the town or village council. In small provincial towns it was a role with real power and standing.

雑嚢 Customs

A canvas shoulder bag worn across the body, used by middle school students for commuting to school from the mid-Meiji period onward. It held books and stationery and served as a marker of middle-school student status at the time.

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.

Do I need to pay or sign up?

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.