| Lyrics | Transliteration | Direct Translation | Poetic Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 力なき蝦 | chikaranai kaeru | shrimp without strength | Feeble and helpless is the shrimp, |
| 力なき蝦 | chikaranai kaeru | shrimp without strength | Feeble and helpless is the shrimp, |
| 骨なき蚯蚓 | hone nai mimizu | earthworm without bones | Soft and boneless as a worm, |
| 骨なき蚯蚓 | hone nai mimizu | earthworm without bones | Soft and boneless as a worm. |
| 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 |
Feeble and helpless is the shrimp,