2012-10-22

Footsteps

Has it really been twenty days? Sorry! I was moving. My books are all on shelves now. To celebrate, here's an Edo-period senryū with universal book-nerd appeal:

足音がすると論語の下へ入れ
ashioto ga/ suru to rongo no/ shita e ire
On hearing footsteps, he hides [it] under the Analects

Ōmagari Kuson 大曲駒村, in whose Great Dictionary of Senryū 川柳大辞典 I found the above, notes that "it" was "probably porn" (春宮冊子). Thanks, Ōmagari Kuson.

Popularity factor: 6

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Avery:

I like how the punchline is one word long. That's a masterpiece of euphemism.

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languagehat:

If your books are all on shelves, you clearly don't have enough books.

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L.N. Hammer:

Thank you, mister obvious commentator. Though I suppose a popular novel is another possibility.

(That's ashioto, surely?)

---L.

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Matt:

Indeed, fixed!

LH: Yes, my last residence had an entire room full of books in stacks; now they all fit on the shelves, but just barely. It's only a matter of time before the new stacks begin to form.

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Carl:

In Japanese, the punchline is zero words long. Now that's euphemism!

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Bathrobe:

I wasn't counting and assumed it was a cockroach or somesuch (下へはいれ). But that doesn't scan.

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