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燕と王子

by Takeo Arishima

The author retells the tale of a swallow and a prince’s statue.

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Original language: JapaneseLevel: Beginner3,533 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.

燕というcalled a swallow鳥birdは(topic marker)所をさだめずwithout settling on a place飛びまわるflies around鳥birdでand (is)暖かいwarm所placeを(object marker)見つけてfinds andおひっこしを(moving house)いたしますdoes (polite)
The bird called the swallow is a bird that flies around without a fixed place, and finds a warm place and moves there.
今はnow / as for now日本がJapan (subject)暖かいからbecause it is warmおもてoutside (front area)に出てgo out toごらんなさいplease try / go ahead and
Now Japan is warm, so go outside and see.
羽根がits wings (subject marker)むらさきのようなpurple-like黒でblack, andお腹がits belly (subject marker)白でwhite, andのどの所にat its throat赤い首巻きをa red neck-wrap (object)してwearing / doingおとう様のFather'sおめしになるwears (honorific)燕尾服の後部the back of the tailcoatみたようなlike / resembling尾のあるhaving a tail雀よりthan a sparrowよほど大きなfar larger鳥がa bird (subject marker)目まぐるしいほどto a dizzying degree活発にactively / vigorously飛び回っていますis flying around
Its wings are purple-like black, its belly white, it wears a red scarf at its throat, and its tail is like the back of a tailcoat that Father wears; a bird much bigger than a sparrow with a tail flies around so actively that it makes one dizzy.
このthisお話storyはtopic marker (as for)そのthat燕swallowのofお話storyですis
This story is the story of that swallow.

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About the book

This is the opening of a tale about a swallow and a statue of a prince, told for children: it begins with how swallows look and migrate, then follows a flock playing along the Rhine in summer, where one swallow befriends a reed and, refusing to leave, stays behind alone. The narration uses gentle, direct address to the reader, giving it a calm, soothing storytelling feel with vivid, fresh imagery.

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.

おとう様のおめしになる燕尾服 Customs

The swallowtail coat (燕尾服) is a Western-style formal dress for men that was introduced to Japan after the Meiji Restoration; it takes its name from the split tail at the back, which resembles a swallow's tail. 「おめしになる」 is the honorific form of 「着る」.

About the author

Takeo Arishima (March 4, 1878 – June 9, 1923) was a Japanese novelist, short-story writer, and essayist active during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. His two younger brothers, Ikuma Arishima and Ton Satomi, were also authors, and his son was the internationally known film and stage actor Masayuki Mori.

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 “Beginner”. 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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