雨Rain

About this story

A lonely man walks in the rain without an umbrella or money, finding solace in simple joys.

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Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「竹内浩三全作品集　日本が見えない　全1巻」藤原書店
2001（平成13）年11月30日初版第1刷発行
2002（平成14）年8月30日初版第5刷発行

Typed in by 坂本真一. Proofread by 雪森.

Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The narrator walks alone in endless, heavy rain with no umbrella or money, feeling cold and ignored, but continues walking with determination.

Key vocabulary

さいげんなく	endlessly, without limit
がちんがちん	with a clattering sound (onomatopoeia for walking)
まっくら	pitch dark
おしよせてくる	to come pressing in
まけまい	determined not to lose (negative volitional + として)

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～し N4Lists reasons or actions; often implies 'not only...but also'

  傘かさもないし　お金かねもない

• ～から (reason) N5Indicates reason or cause

  にぎやかだからすきだ

• ～てくる (motion towards speaker) N4Indicates an action moving towards the speaker or a change beginning

  おしよせてくる

• ～ない (negative) N5Negation of verbs and adjectives

  傘かさもない

• ～まい (negative volitional) N2Expresses determination not to do something; archaic/literary

  雨あめにまけまいとして

Cultural notes

• Rain and Solitude in Japanese PoetryRain is a common motif in Japanese poetry (e.g., haiku) to evoke melancholy, loneliness, and introspection. This poem continues that tradition with stark imagery of a solitary figure walking without shelter.
• Onomatopoeia in JapaneseJapanese uses rich onomatopoeia for sensory experiences. 'ざんござんごと' mimics the sound of heavy rain, and 'がちんがちん' evokes the sound of firm footsteps. Such words add vividness and emotion.

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