Note 8 — COURT LADIES OF OLD JAPAN (continued 3)
Annie Shepley Omori translation
The meaning of the poem is vague. Ayame may mean Iris sibirica—rain-stop, darkness—these are homonyms in Japanese. The fifth day of the fifth month was a festival day, and people adorned their houses with iris sibirica, so the last line might mean that she wanted to prepare for the festival. If we take the word ayame in the meaning of rain-stop, then we can understand the poem as follows: "It is the wet season now, and it is raining within my heart. To-night I am going to the temple to pray that the rainy season will be over (and to chase away the darkness from my soul). After that I wish you to come."