Table of Contents

preface maps of time spring 1 . east wind melts the ice february 5 through 9 2 . dormant creatures start to twitch february 10 through 14 3 . fish swim upstream, breaking the ice february 15 through 19 4 . river otters sacrifice fish february 20 through 24 5 . wild geese head north february 25 through 28 6 . grasses and trees sprout march 1 through 5 7 . peach blossoms open march 6 through 10 8 . golden orioles sing march 11 through 15 9 . hawks become doves march 16 through 21 10 . swallows return march 22 through 26 11 . thunder sings march 27 through 31 12 . first lightning april 1 through 5 13 . paulownia blooms april 6 through 10 14 . moles become quails april 11 through 15 15 . rainbows appear april 16 through 21 16 . floating weeds appear april 22 through 26 17 . pigeons flap their wings april 27 through may 1 18 . the hoopoe alights in the mulberry may 2 through 6 summer 19 . little frogs peep may 7 through 11 20 . worms come forth may 12 through 16 21 . cucurbit flourishes may 17 through 21 22 . bitter herb grows tall may 22 through 26 23 . waving grasses wither may 27 through 31 24 . grain ripens june 1 through 5 25 . mantids hatch june 6 through 10 26 . the shrike begins to shriek june 11 through 15 27 . the mockingbird loses its voice june 16 through 20 28 . deer break antlers june 21 through 25 29 . cicadas sing june 26 through 30 30 . the crowdipper plant flourishes july 1 through 5 center 31 . hot winds arrive july 6 through 10 32 . crickets come into the walls july 11 through 15 33 . the hawk studies and learns july 16 through 20 34 . rotted weeds turn into fireflies july 21 through 25 35 . earth is steaming wet july 26 through 30 36 . great rains sweep through july 31 through august 5 fall 37 . cool wind arrives august 6 through 10 38 . white dew descends august 11 through 15 39 . the cold cicada chirps august 16 through 20 40 . the raptor sacrifices birds august 21 through 25 41 . heaven and earth turn strict august 26 through 30 42 . rice ripens august 31 through september 4 43 . wild geese come september 5 through 9 44 . swallows leave september 10 through 14 45 . flocks of birds gather grain september 15 through 20 46 . thunder pipes down september 21 through 25 47 . beetles wall up their burrows september 26 through 30 48 . waters dry up october 1 through 5 49 . wild geese come as guests october 6 through 10 50 . sparrows enter the water and turn into clams october 11 through 15 51 . chrysanthemums are tinged yellow october 16 through 21 52 . the wolf sacrifices the beasts october 22 through 26 53 . leaves turn yellow and fall october 27 through 31 54 . insects tuck themselves away november 1 through 5 55 . water begins to freeze november 6 through 10 56 . earth begins to freeze november 11 through 15 57 . pheasants enter the water and turn into monster clams november 16 through 20 58 . rainbows hide november 21 through 25 59 . heaven's essence rises; earth's essence sinks november 26 through 30 60 . walled up and closed, winter takes hold december 1 through 5 61 . the copper pheasant is silent december 6 through 10 62 . the tiger begins to roam december 11 through 15 63 . garlic chives sprout december 16 through 20 64 . earthworms twist december 21 through 25 65 . elk break antlers december 26 through 30 66 . springwaters move december 31 through january 4 67 . wild geese return to their northern home january 5 through 9 68 . magpies nest january 10 through 14 69 . the pheasant cock calls its mate january 15 through 19 70 . pheasant hens brood january 20 through 24 71 . the vulture flies stern and swift january 25 through 29 72 . streams and marshes are frozen solid january 30 through february 4 appendix seventy-two periods of the year in china, japan, and northern california afterword acknowledgments index

About the Author

Liza Dalby is an anthropologist specializing in Japanese culture. She was recently a consultant for Rob Marshall's film Memoirs of a Geisha.

Reviews

"[Dalby has] the keen eye of a naturalist and fluent language of a poet, Dalby."--Southeast Review of Asian Stds