Japanese Reading Practice: The Three Warlords and the Cuckoo (戦国時代の武将), with Furigana and Audio

• 戦国時代せんごくじだいthe Warring States period (about 1467 to 1568)N2戦せん (war) + 国ごく (country) + 時代じだい (era)
• のof; belonging toN4descriptive: links 戦国時代せんごくじだい to 武将ぶしょう: "of the Warring States era"
• 武将ぶしょうmilitary commander; warrior leader; generalN1武ぶ (military) + 将しょう (commander)

The warrior leaders of the Warring States era

• 鳴なかぬならif (it) does not singN4「ぬ」= old-fashioned negative (modern 「ない」); 「なら」= if. Together: "if it won't sing"
• 殺ころしてしまえjust kill it (command)N3て-form + しまえ (command of しまう): "go ahead and kill it": blunt, final tone
• ホトトギスlesser cuckoo (a songbird)

"If it won't sing, kill it. The cuckoo."

• これはthis; this oneN5は sets 「これ」 as the topic: refers to the preceding haiku
• 戦国時代せんごくじだいthe Warring States period (about 1467 to 1568)N2戦せん (war) + 国ごく (country) + 時代じだい (era)
• のof; 'sN4links 「戦国時代せんごくじだい」 to 「武将ぶしょう」: warlord of that era
• 武将ぶしょうmilitary commander; warrior leader; generalN1武ぶ (military) + 将しょう (general)
• 織田信長おだのぶながOda Nobunagain apposition to 「武将ぶしょう」: names the specific warlord
• をobject markerN5makes 「織田信長おだのぶなが」 the object of 「表あらわす」
• 表あらわすto represent; to expressN3modifies 「句く」: the haiku that portrays Nobunaga
• 句くですphrase; verse; haikuN2です closes the sentence: "is a verse"

This is a verse that portrays Oda Nobunaga, a warrior leader of the Warring States period.

• 織田信長おだのぶながOda Nobunaga
• はtopic markerN5sets 織田信長おだのぶなが as the topic: "as for Nobunaga…"
• 戦国時代せんごくじだいthe Warring States period (about 1467 to 1568)N2戦せん (war) + 国ごく (country) + 時代じだい (era)
• たくさんのa lot; manyN5の links たくさん to the following noun 「戦いくさ」
• 戦いくさwar; battleN2read 「いくさ」 here (battle), not せん
• にat; in; toN5marks 「戦いくさ」 as what he won at: pairs with 「勝かつ」
• 勝かちwinning (and)N5ます-stem used to connect clauses: "won… and…"
• 日本にほんJapanN5
• のof; 'sN4possessive: 「日本にほん」's most part
• ほとんどmost; almost allN3here a noun: "most of Japan"
• をobject markerN5makes 「ほとんど」 the object of 「置おく」
• 支配下しはいかunder one's control; under dominationN1支配しはい (control) + 下か (under)
• 置おいたplaced; putN4plain past; 「支配下しはいかに置おく」 = "put under control"
• 大名だいみょうdaimyo; feudal lordN2大だい (great) + 名みょう (from 名田みょうでん, privately held land); a powerful territorial lord
• ですcopula; to beN5closes the sentence: "is a daimyo who…"

Oda Nobunaga was a daimyo who won many battles during the Warring States period and brought most of Japan under his control.

• 天下統一てんかとういつunification of the countryN1天下てんか (the realm) + 統一とういつ (unification)
• までuntil; up toN5marks 「天下統一てんかとういつ」 as the end-point being approached
• あとafter; later; restN5"just one more…": how much is left
• 一息ひといきone breath; a short rest; a small effort; the final pushN2「あと一息ひといき」= idiom "just one final push away"
• というcalled; known as; meaning; thatN3links the preceding description to 「時とき」
• 時ときにtime; hour; momentN5に marks 「時とき」 as the moment when the event happens
• 京都きょうとでKyoto (city, prefecture)で marks 京都きょうと as where the killing happened
• 自分じぶんのoneself; selfN4possessive: refers back to Nobunaga: "his own"
• 家臣かしんvassal; retainerN1家か (house) + 臣しん (retainer)
• 明智光秀あけちみつひでAkechi Mitsuhidethe vassal who betrayed Nobunaga; renames the preceding 「家臣かしん」
• にby (agent)N5marks 明智光秀あけちみつひで as the one who did the killing (passive agent)
• 殺ころされますis killed / gets killedN3polite passive of 殺ころす: "is killed"; historical present adds vividness

Just when he was one final step away from unifying the whole country, he was killed in Kyoto by his own vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide.

• このthis [demonstrative pronoun]N5points to the haiku just quoted
• 句くphrase; verse; haikuN2refers to the poem attributed to Nobunaga
• からfrom; based onN5marks 「句く」as the source you understand from
• 分わかるようにas (you) can understandN4「～ように」= "as/just as"; sets up "as this poem shows"
• 役やくに立たたないis not usefulN4set phrase; negative plain form: "not useful"
• ならif; in the case thatN4conditional: "if (it's) not useful…"
• 殺ころしてしまってkill (with finality)N3て-form of 殺ころす + しまう (do completely/regrettably)
• 良よいgood; okay; mayN5here "it's fine (to)": permission after てしまって
• とするto hold that; to regard (something) asN3「～とする」wraps the preceding thought as his attitude: "one who holds that…"
• 大変たいへんtough; difficult; very (adverb)N4intensifies the following adjective
• 残虐ざんぎゃくでcruel and (linking)N1残ざん (cruel) + 虐ぎゃく (torment); で links to next adjective
• 短気たんきなshort-tempered; impatientN2短たん (short) + 気き (temper); な modifies 人ひと
• 人ひとpersonN5
• であったwasN3past of the written copula である; spoken equivalent だった
• とthat (quotative)N4quotes the whole description before 言いわれています
• 言いわれていますit is said (that)N5passive + ている: "it is said that…"

As you can tell from this poem, he is said to have been an extremely cruel and short-tempered man who held that if something was useless, it was fine to simply kill it.

• 織田信長おだのぶながOda Nobunaga
• のof; 'sN4links 織田信長おだのぶなが to 「後あと」: "after Nobunaga"
• 後あとlater; afterN4
• 日本にほんをJapanN5を makes 日本にほん the object of 「支配しはいした」
• 支配しはいしたのはthe one who ruledN2plain past + の turns the clause into a noun ("the one who ruled"); は sets it as topic. 支し (branch; support) + 配はい (distribute)
• 豊臣秀吉とよとみひでよしToyotomi Hideyoshi (a historical figure)
• ですcopula; to beN5the polite "is" word answering "who ruled?"

After Oda Nobunaga, the one who ruled Japan was Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

• 織田信長おだのぶながのOda Nobunagaの links to 死後しご: "after Nobunaga's death"
• 死後しごafter death; posthumouslyN2死し (death) + 後ご (after)
• 明智光秀あけちみつひでをAkechi Mitsuhideを makes 明智光秀あけちみつひで the object of 倒たおし
• 倒たおしdefeated (and)N3ます-stem used to connect clauses: "defeated…, and…"
• 天下人てんかびとruler of the country; person who holds power over the nationN1天下てんか (the realm) + 人びと (person)
• となりましたbecameN4と marks the result of なる: "became 天下人てんかびと"

After Oda Nobunaga's death, he defeated Akechi Mitsuhide and became the ruler of the realm.

• 鳴なかぬならif it does not singN4old-fashioned negative ぬ + なら: “if it does not …”
• 鳴なかせてmaking it sing; causing it to singN3て-form leading into みよう
• みようlet me try; let us tryN4volitional after て-form: “try to …”
• ホトトギスlesser cuckoo (a songbird)placed at the end, naming the bird the verse is about

"If it won't sing, I'll try to make it sing. The cuckoo."

• これはthis; this oneN5sets 「これ」 (the haiku just quoted) as the topic
• 豊臣秀吉とよとみひでよしをToyotomi Hideyoshi (a historical figure)を makes 「豊臣秀吉とよとみひでよし」 the object of 「表あらわす」
• 表あらわすto represent; to expressN3plain form modifying 「句く」: "a haiku that represents…"
• 句くphrase; verse; haikuN2here means the haiku poem quoted just above
• ですcopula; to beN5polite "is" closing the sentence

This is a haiku that represents Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

• 秀吉ひでよしHideyoshi (a historical figure)
• はtopic markerN5sets 秀吉ひでよし as the topic: "as for Hideyoshi…"
• もともとoriginally; from the startN3
• 「木下藤吉郎きのしたとうきちろう」Kinoshita Tokichiro, Hideyoshi's early nameHideyoshi's original name before he rose to power
• というcalled; known as; meaning; thatN3links the name to 名な: "a name called…"
• 名なでnameN5で here links this clause to the next: "went by the name…, and"
• 農家のうかfarmer; farm householdN3農のう (farming) + 家か (house/family)
• のof; from (associative)N4links 農家のうか to 出身しゅっしん: "origins from a farming family"
• 出身しゅっしんone's origin (e.g. city, country, parentage, school)N4出しゅつ (come out) + 身しん (body/person)
• でしたwasN5polite past of です

Hideyoshi was originally called "Kinoshita Tokichiro," and he came from a farming family.

• 出世しゅっせしたいwanting to get ahead in lifeN2ます-stem + たい = want to; 出しゅつ (go out) + 世せ (world)
• とthat (quotation); with the intention thatN4quotes the wish 「出世しゅっせしたい」 as the reason for the next verb
• 織田信長おだのぶながOda Nobunaga
• の's (possessive)N4possessive: 織田信長おだのぶなが's 家臣かしん
• 家臣かしんvassal; retainerN1家か (house) + 臣しん (subject/retainer)
• になりますbecomes / becameN4に marks 家臣かしん as what he becomes; historical present tense
• がbut; howeverN4connects the two clauses with a contrast: 'became a vassal, but…'
• はじめはbeginning; startN5written in kana here; は marks 「はじめ」 as the topic: 'as for the start…'
• 「足軽あしがる」foot soldier; the lowest-ranking soldier足あし (foot) + 軽かる (light): lightly-equipped infantry
• 呼よばれるto be calledN4passive of 呼よぶ; describes 「兵隊へいたい」: a soldier called 足軽あしがる
• 一番いちばんnumber one; first; first placeN5makes the following 「位くらいの低ひくい」 superlative: 'the lowest'
• 位くらいrank; statusN2
• 低ひくいlowN4modifies 「兵隊へいたい」: a soldier whose rank is low
• 兵隊へいたいsoldierN2兵へい (soldier) + 隊たい (unit/troop)
• でしたwasN5polite past 'was': he was the lowest-ranking soldier

Wanting to rise in the world, he became one of Oda Nobunaga's retainers, but at first he was a soldier of the lowest rank of all, the kind called 足軽あしがる (foot soldier).

• 雑用ざつようchores; odd jobs; miscellaneous tasksN1雑ざつ (miscellaneous) + 用よう (task)
• などand so on; things likeN5"things like 雑用ざつよう": gives an example
• なんでもany; anything; whateverN4"anything and everything"
• こなさなければいけないhad to handle / manageN2negative + なければいけない = "must handle"
• ところからplace; spot; pointN5ところ = the stage/point; から = starting from
• 始はじまりましたがbegan, but…N4polite past of 始はじまる; が = "but…": the sentence continues in the next line

He started out in a position where he had to handle anything and everything, odd jobs included, but…

• どうやったらhow (can one)…; in what wayN3"how to": sets up the indirect question ending in か
• 殿様とのさまにfeudal lord; daimyoN2殿との (lord) + 様さま (honorific); に marks the one who likes him
• 気きに入いられるかhow to be likedN4passive of 気きに入いる + か marking the embedded question
• 工夫くふうをingenuity; devising; clever effortN2工く (craft) + 夫ふう (labor); を marks it as object of する below
• したりdoing (among other things)N5たり-form: lists this action alongside 練ねったり
• 思おもいがけないunexpected; surprisingN2modifies 作戦さくせん: "unexpected strategies"
• 作戦さくせんをstrategy; tactics; planN2作さく (make) + 戦せん (battle); を marks object of 練ねる
• 練ねったりworking out (among other things)N2たり-form paired with したり: "doing X, working out Y, etc."
• するのでbecause (he) doesN5ので gives the reason: "because he did such things…"
• 織田信長おだのぶながにOda Nobunagaに marks Nobunaga as the one who liked him
• 気きに入いられwas liked / being likedN4passive stem-form connecting to the next clause
• どんどんrapidly; steadilyN3
• 出世しゅっせしていきましたkept rising in rankN2出しゅつ (go out) + 世せ (world); ていく shows a change that kept unfolding over time

Because he was always devising clever ideas and working out unexpected strategies for how to win the lord's favor, he came to be liked by Oda Nobunaga and steadily rose in rank.