The Shell of the Locust

3. The Shell of the Locust 空蝉

Genji:
Beneath a tree, a locust’s empty shell.
Sadly I muse upon the shell of a lady.

(空蝉の身をかへてける木のもとになを人がらのなつかしきかな)
The Shell of the Locust threw her robe off when she escaped from Genji. He refers the robe to a locust’s empty shell and feels sad that she did not come (Genji 54-55).

Utsusemi:
The Dew upon the fragile locust wing
Is lost among the leaves. Lost are my tears (Genji 56).

(空蝉の羽におく露の木がくれてしのびしのびに濡るる袖かな)
A locust is fragile, only living for a short amount of time. Likewise, the dew upon the fragile locust wing disappears quickly. Hidden between the leaves, the locust dies without notice. This is how sad the world is. I am also like the weak locust, crying behind the scene.

The Shell of the Locust (空蝉 Utsusemi) meanings: 1. present world and 2. a shell of the locust or a locust.

miho