| Lyrics | Transliteration | Direct Translation | Poetic Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 浅水の橋の | asamuzu no hashi no | shallow water under the bridge | Under the bridge, the shallow stream, |
| とどろとどろと | todorotodoroto | roars and roars | Roaring and roaring, it roars |
| 降りし雨の | furishi ame no | the rain comes down | With rain as it pours down. |
| 古りにし我を | furinishi ware o | of old to me | Here I wait as years go by. |
| 誰ぞこの | dare zo kono | who is this | And who could this be? |
| 仲人立てて | nakabito tatete | the matchmaker standing | Could it be the honored shape |
| 御許のかたち | mimoto no katachi | his [or her] honorable form | Of the matchmaker I see, |
| 消息し | shōsoko shi | with news | Bringing welcome news |
| 訪ひに来るや | toburai ni kuru ya | is come to visit | And come to visit me at last? |
| さきむだちや | sakimudachi ya | sakimudachi ya | Sakimudachi ya. |
| Anonymous | Markham, Elizabeth. Saibara: Japanese Court Songs of the Heian Period. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1983. Print. | Carol Anne Perry Lagemann | Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
Under the bridge, the shallow stream,