Natsukusa no shigemi ni ouru marokosuge maro ga marone yo ikuyo henuran - Shui Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

夏草の茂みに生ふるまろこすげ
まろがまろ寝よ幾夜経ぬらん

Roma-ji: Natsukusa no shigemi ni ouru marokosuge maro ga marone yo ikuyo henuran
English Translation: Like the round sedge that
in the thick of summer grass
grows, so I, myself,
sleeping round in my clothes, how
many nights has it been now?
Meaning: Like the round sedge growing in the thick of summer grass, I have slept alone in my clothes; how many nights has it been?
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems III 829

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Topic unknown"
The poem laments how many nights one has spent in "marone," sleeping alone in one's clothes, like the name of the round sedge growing in the summer grass. Within wordplay repeating the sound "maro" three times, it sings of the desolation of sleeping alone night after night, waiting for a lover who does not come.

First line, "natsukusa no," means "of the summer grass." Following 827 and 828, it sings of summer growth.
Second line, "shigemi ni ouru," means "growing in the thicket."
Third line, "marokosuge," is a round sedge, and from the first line to here forms a preface that leads, by repeating the same sound, to "maro" in the fourth line.
Fourth line, "maro ga marone yo," means "my sleeping alone in my clothes," with "maro" a word for oneself. With "marokosuge" in the third line and "marone," it repeats the sound "maro" three times.
Final line, "ikuyo henuran," means "how many nights have passed," with "ran" a present conjecture. Taking up the sleeping alone of the opening 777 and 778, it sings of the number of nights spent alone.
Author: Unknown Poet
Source: Shui Wakashu
Prev Poem: No mo yama mo shigeriainuru natsu naredo hito no tsurasa wa koto no ha mo nashi
Next Poem: Yamagatsu no kakiho ni ouru nadeshiko ni omoi yosoenu toki no ma zo naki