子供らしい私は、故郷を離れても、まだ心の眼で、懷かしげに故郷の家を望んでゐました。固より其所にはまだ自分の歸るべき家があるといふ旅人の心で望んでゐたのです。休みが來れば歸らなくてはならないといふ氣分は、いくら東京を戀しがつて出て來た私にも、力強くあつたのです。私は熱心に勉強し、愉快に遊んだ後、休みには歸れると思ふその故郷の家をよく夢に見ました。
translation
Even though I was a child, even though I left my hometown, I still longed for my hometown with the eyes of my heart. In the heart of a traveler, I was hoping that there was still a place I could return to. Even though I had come to love Tokyo so much, the feeling that I had to come back when I had time off was strong enough for me. I often dreamed of the home of my native land, where I thought I would return for the holidays after studying hard and playing happily.
kanji (pronunciations & definitions)
| 子供: child (こども), children | 私: I (わたし), me, I (あたくし), I (あたし), I (アタシ) | 故郷: hometown (きゅうり), hometown (ふるさと), birthplace, birthplace, native place | 離: li (one of the trigrams of the I Ching: fire, south) (り) |
| 眼: eye (め), eyeball, eyesight, sight, vision | 懷: inside the breast of one’s clothing (esp. kimono) (ふところ), bosom, (breast) pocket, space between one’s chest and outstretched arms, (one’s) reach | 家: house (いえ), residence, dwelling, family, household | 望: full moon (ぼう), full moon (もち), 15th day of the lunar month, 15th day of the lunar month |
| 自分: myself (じぶん), yourself, oneself, himself, herself | 旅人: traveller (たひと), traveller (たびと), traveller (たびびと), traveller (りょじん), traveler | 東京: Tokyo (とうきょう), Tokyo (とうけい) | 戀: (romantic) love (こい) |
| 熱心: zealous (ねっしん), enthusiastic, ardent, fervent, keen | 勉強: study (べんきょう), diligence, working hard, experience, lesson (for the future) | 愉快: pleasant (ゆかい), delightful, enjoyable, joyful, cheerful | 夢: dream (ゆめ) |