冷たい北風が木の葉を散らす頃となった。葉を落とした木々の冬景色はどこか淋しげで、草木は一見枯れてしまったように見えるが、木の枝には小さな芽が出始めている。土に落ちた木の葉は「望み葉:のぞみば」といい、土の中で肥料となり、めぐりめぐって春を迎える植物の栄養となる。 The cold north wind is going to scatter the withered leaves. The winter scenery of the trees with the leaves dropped is somehow sad, and the vegetation seems to have withered at first glance, but small sprouts are beginning to appear on the branches of the trees. The leaves that fall on the soil are called “Nozomiba” which become fertilizer in the soil and nourish the plants that spring up every year.