noun
Japanese bush warbler; messenger of spring
Poetic name for the Japanese bush warbler (鶯), seen as a herald of spring. The literal meaning is 'messenger of spring'.
See also: 鶯
春の使いの声が聞こえると、もうすぐ暖かくなると思う。
When I hear the voice of the messenger of spring, I feel that warm weather is near.
俳句では、春の使いは鶯のことを指す。
In haiku, 'haru no tsukai' refers to the bush warbler.
The standard, non-poetic name for the Japanese bush warbler. 春の使い is a literary epithet.
Compound of 春 (spring) + の (possessive particle) + 使い (messenger). The bush warbler's song is associated with the arrival of spring in Japanese poetry.