草くさ木きも眠ねむる丑うし三みつ時どき

expression, noun

dead of night; the witching hour

Idiomatic expression evoking the deep, quiet part of the night when even plants and trees are asleep. Often used in literary or dramatic contexts.

• 草くさ木きも眠ねむる丑うし三みつ時どき、誰だれもが静しずかに寝ね静しずまっていた。

  In the dead of night, when even the trees and plants sleep, everyone was quietly asleep.