其内年が暮れて春になりました。ある日奥さんがＫに歌留多を遣るから誰か友達を連れて來ないかと云つた事があります。するとＫはすぐ友達なぞは一人もないと答へたので、奥さんは驚ろいてしまひました。成程Ｋに友達といふ程の友達は一人もなかつたのです。往來で會つた時挨拶をする位のものは多少ありましたが、それ等だつて決して歌留多などを取る柄ではなかつたのです。奥さんはそれぢや私の知つたものでも呼んで來たら何うかと云ひ直しましたが、私も生憎そんな陽氣な遊びをする心持になれないので、好い加減な生返事をしたなり、打ち遣つて置きました。所が晩になつてＫと私はとう／＼御孃さんに引つ張り出されてしまひました。客も誰も來ないのに、内々の小人數丈で取らうといふ歌留多ですから頗る靜なものでした。其上斯ういふ遊技を遣り付けないＫは、丸で懷手をしてゐる人と同樣でした。私はＫに一體百人一首の歌を知つてゐるのかと尋ねました。Ｋは能く知らないと答へました。私の言葉を聞いた御孃さんは、大方Ｋを輕蔑するとでも取つたのでせう。それから眼に立つやうにＫの加勢をし出しました。仕舞には二人が殆んど組になつて私に當るといふ有樣になつて來ました。私は相手次第では喧嘩を始めたかも知れなかつたのです。幸ひにＫの態度は少しも最初と變りませんでした。彼の何處にも得意らしい樣子を認めなかつた私は、無事に其場を切り上げる事が出來ました。
translation
"The end of the year is in the spring." One day, Okusan asked K to bring a friend because he was going to play Karuta. K immediately replied that he had no friends, much to the surprise of his wife. As a matter of fact, K did not have a single friend that could be called a friend. There were a few people who would greet each other when they met in the street, but even those weren't the type to take Karuta by any means. Okusan asked me if I should invite someone I know, but unfortunately I am not in the mood for such cheerful play, so I gave a half-hearted reply. I put it down. However, in the evening, K and I were dragged out by the daughter. Even though there were no guests, it was extremely quiet because it was Karuta, who took the number of dwarves in secret. Moreover, K, who did not engage in such games, was the same as a person who is doing martial arts. I asked K if he knew the poems of One Hundred Poems. K replied that he did not know. Most of the daughters who heard my words took it as contempt for K. Then, as if noticing, K began to assist. By the end of the day, the two of us had almost formed a pair, and it was almost like I was going to win. Depending on who I was with, I might have started a fight. Luckily, K's demeanor did not change in the slightest. I didn't recognize him as someone who seemed to be good at anything, so I was able to finish the meeting without incident.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 暮: sunset (くれ), sundown, nightfall, dusk, end | 春: spring (はる), springtime, New Year, prime (of life), height (of one’s prosperity) | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 歌留多: karuta (かるた), karuta (カルタ), traditional Japanese playing cards, esp. hyakunin isshu karuta or iroha karuta, traditional Japanese playing cards, esp. hyakunin isshu karuta or iroha karuta |
| 友達: friend (ともだち), companion | 連: two reams (of paper) (れん), 1000 sheets (of paper), stanza, verse, tribe (in taxonomy) | 事: thing (こと), thing (こん), matter, matter, incident | 一人: one person (いちにん), one person (ひとり), being alone, being alone, being by oneself |
| 奥: inner part (おく), interior, back (of a drawer, one’s throat, etc.), depths (e.g. of a forest), recesses (e.g. of a cave) | 成程: I see (なるほど), that’s right, indeed | Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 程: extent (ほど), degree, measure, limit, bounds |
| 位: throne (くらい), crown, (nobleman’s) seat, government position, court rank | 多少: a little (たしょう), some, somewhat, slightly, to some degree | 等: et cetera (など), etc., and the like, and so forth, or something | 決: decision (けつ), vote |
| 柄: handle (え), grip, stalk (of a mushroom, leaf, etc.), pattern (がら), design | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 知: wisdom (ち), jnana (higher knowledge) | 何: what (なに), what (ナニ), you-know-what, you-know-what, that thing |
| 生憎: unfortunately (あいにく), sorry, but … | 心持: feeling (こころもち), mood, sensation, disposition, mental attitude | 好: friendship (ぎ), friendship (よしび), friendship (よしみ), friendly relations, friendly relations | 加減: degree (かげん), extent, amount, balance, state |
| 打: dozen (ダース), hitting a ball (with a bat, golf club, etc.) (だ), batting, stroke | 所: place (とこ), place (ところ), spot, spot, scene | 晩: evening (ばん), night, dinner, evening meal, counter for nights | 引: -off (price reduction) (びき), discount, -coated, -plated |
| 出: coming out (で), going out, outflow, efflux, rising (of the Sun or the Moon) | 客: guest (かく), guest (きゃく), visitor, visitor, customer | 内々: private (うちうち), private (ないない), confidential, confidential, informal | 小人: child (こども), child (こびと), child (しょうじん), child (しょうにん), small person |
| 付: furnished with (つき), furnished with (づき), furnished with (ツキ), including, including | 丸: circle (まる), circle (マル), entirety, entirety, whole | 人: -ian (e.g. Italian) (じん), -ite (e.g. Tokyoite), -er (e.g. performer, etc.), person working with …, man | 一首: one tanka (いっしゅ), one poem |
| 歌: song (うた), singing, classical Japanese poem (esp. tanka), modern poetry | 尋: fathom (じん), fathom (ひろ) | 能: talent (のう), gift, function, noh (theatre) | 言葉: language (けとば), language (ことば), dialect, dialect, word |
| Ｋ: K (ケイ), K (ケー), k, k, kilo- | 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 加勢: assistance (かせい), backing, reinforcements | 仕舞: end (しまい), close, finish, termination, noh dance in plain clothes |
| 殆: quite (ほとほと), utterly, really, completely | 組: class (of students) (くみ), group (of people), party, team, crew | 相手次第: changing one’s attitude or response according who one is talking to or dealing with (あいてしだい) | 喧嘩: quarrel (けんか), quarrel (ケンカ), brawl, brawl, fight |
| 態度: attitude (たいど), manner, behaviour, demeanour, bearing | 少: small (しょう), little, few | 最初: beginning (さいしょ), outset, first, onset | 變: strange (へん), odd, peculiar, weird, curious |
| 何處: where (いずく), where (いずこ), where (いづこ), where (いどこ), where (どこ) | 得意: satisfaction (とくい), pride, triumph, elation, one’s strong point | 無事: safety (ぶじ), security, peace, quiet, safely | 切: eager (せつ), earnest, ardent, kind, keen |