Year
My Translation
By Monk Sosei
Just because you said
“Coming soon”
I’ve hung around waiting
Through the longest night’s
Dawn moon
Original Japanese
素性法師
今来むと
いひしばかりに
長月の
有明の月を
待ち出でつるかな
Japanese Pronunciation
Sosei Hoshi
Ima kon to
Iishi bakari ni
Nagatsuki no
Ariake no tsuki o
Machi idetsuru kana
Literal & Notes
Sosei Monk
[soon / present / immediate] come
[say/good] [just/merely] because of
Long Month’s
Dawn’s moon
Wait come [hang/suspend] how!
The “Long Month” is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, around October, and is the moon viewing month because it is supposed to show for longer. “Dawn” in this context specifically means dawn after the longest viewing night.