Learn English – English equivalent of komorebi (木漏れ日) — “sunshine filtering through leaves”

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Is there an English equivalent of komorebi (木漏れ日), which means the sunshine filtering through the leaves of a tree (or trees)?

It is made up of three kanji and the hiragana particle れ. The first kanji 木 means ‘tree’ (or ‘trees‘), the second one 漏 refers to ‘escape’ and the last one 日 is ‘light‘ or ‘sun‘.

Komorebi can also be seen as a light curtain which is more visible after the rain because of the reflecting light from the water vapor:

A picture of sunlight rays in a forest, made visible by ambient humidity
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Forest-sun_01.JPG

It is also mentioned as the interplay between the light and the leaves which is observed especially on the ground. Additionally, there is a rare phenomenon when the light of the crescent sun during a partial solar eclipse is dappled on the ground in crescent shapes (which is circular normally):

Image of the light of the sun during a partial eclipse dappled on the ground in crescent shapes
Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125678645821705633/

Sunray and sunbeam come to mind but they are too general. Of course, the word is the result of Japanese culture and aesthetics influenced by the nature. But there might be a colloquial usage or scientific term regarding the phenomena related to komorebi.

Best Answer

Though not exactly the same, crepuscular rays (also known as god rays) come close to what you are asking for.

a streak of light that seems to radiate from the sun shortly before or after sunset when sunlight shines through a break in the clouds or a notch in the horizon line and illuminates atmospheric haze or dust particles

It's often used as a special effect in games.

Assassins Creed 4 PC

Wikipedia includes a list of alternative names, some of which are more idiomatic than the latin derived crepuscular:

  • Backstays of the sun – a nautical term, from the fact that backstays that brace the mast of a sailing ship converge in a similar way
  • Cloud breaks
  • Jacob's Ladder
  • Ropes of Maui – (originally. taura a Maui) from the Maori tale of Maui Potiki restraining the sun with ropes to make the days longer
  • Shafts of light
  • Sun drawing water – from the ancient Greek belief that sunbeams drew water into the sky (an early description of evaporation)
  • Sunbeams
  • Sunburst
  • Volumetric lighting (used by the computer graphics industry)
  • God rays (used by the computer graphics industry)
  • Fingers of God

(Some links and references in the article.)

As you mention, a singular shaft of light, whether separated from the rest of the sunlight by clouds, annulus (man-made or natural) or through the canopy of a forest is more properly called a sunbeam (Merriam-Webster).

a ray of sunlight

As Andrew Leach mentions and fully explains in his answer, there is precedent for calling this a sheaf or sheafs (or sheaves).

6.
a. Physics and Math. A bundle of rays, lines, etc. all passing through a given point.

But this has two drawbacks with regards to your question.

  1. It is a fairly technical definition and not commonly understood in every day English.
  2. You would still have to specify what makes up the sheaf; it cannot be used as a single word in the sense you want.

Incorrect

Walking through the forest, I was awestruck by the beauty of a sheaf.

Correct

Walking through the forest, I was awestruck by a beautiful sheaf of sunlight.

There does not appear to be an exact word for sunlight filtered specifically through foliage.

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