springtime mating of frogs
A poetic seasonal phrase (kigo) for late spring, referring to the time when frogs are active and mating. The name literally means 'time when frogs borrow eyes,' based on a folk belief that frogs take people's eyes during this period. Used in haiku and traditional poetry.
When the springtime mating of frogs arrives, lively croaking can be heard from the rice paddies.
The seasonal word in this haiku is 'kawazu no mekari-doki' (springtime mating of frogs).
The general word for 'frog,' while 蛙の目借時 is a specific seasonal phrase for the mating period.
Literally 'eye-borrowing,' a component of the phrase referring to the folk belief; not used independently in modern Japanese.
Standard kanji spelling for this seasonal phrase.
Variant with okurigana 借り; less common but still seen.
From 蛙 (frog) + の (possessive particle) + 目借り (eye-borrowing) + 時 (time). The phrase originates from an old folk belief that during the spring mating season, frogs 'borrow' human eyes, causing drowsiness. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used as a seasonal term in classical Japanese poetry.