The lyrics to the children’s song “Akatombo” are in fact a poem, written by Rofū Miki in 1921: they depict a nostalgic remembrance of a Japanese red dragonfly seen at sunset.
Yûyake-koyake no akatombo.
Owarete mitano wa itsu no hi ka.Yama no hatake no kuwa no mi o
Kokago ni tsunda wa maboroshi ka.Jûgo de nêya wa yome ni yuki,
Osato no tayori mo taehateta.Yûyake koyake no akatombo –
Tomatte iru yo, sao no saki.