The first line is a full skirt,
the second is the bodice;
On reaching the third and last
the neat collar has been added.
Lightly tie the ribbon bow,
and the charm of the dress will appear.
The basic pattern of fours
is like the counting of the days:
Twenty-eight will make a month,
thirty-one, too, will make a month.
Set the stern, and when leaves and flowers bloom
fragrance will come of itself.
The bright moon lighting up the sky,
clear and white above the ground,
Is it just the shining soul
of the sijo of ancient masters?
The mere sound of a lute in moonlight
is that not a sijo too?