expression
a fleeing soldier is startled by the slightest thing
Proverb meaning that when you are in a state of fear, even the smallest thing will startle you. Literally: 'a fleeing soldier takes fright even from a head of silver grass.'
「落ち武者は薄の穂に怖ず」というように、怖がっていると何でもないものにも驚いてしまう。
As the proverb goes, 'a fleeing soldier is startled by the slightest thing' — when you're scared, you'll be startled by even the most harmless things.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it draws on the image of a defeated warrior (落ち武者) fleeing in fear and being startled by the swaying plumes of susuki grass.