Noki chikaki hanatachibana ni sode shimete mukashi o shinobu namida tsutsuman

軒近き花橘に袖しめて
昔を偲ぶ涙包まん

Roma-ji: Noki chikaki hanatachibana ni sode shimete mukashi o shinobu namida tsutsuman
English Translation: Near the eaves they bloom,
orange blossoms; in their scent
I will steep my sleeves
and wrap in them the tears I
shed in longing for the past.
Meaning: I will steep my sleeves in the scent of the orange blossoms near the eaves, and wrap in them the tears I shed in longing for the past.
Commentary: Miscellaneous Poems 714

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Miscellany"
The poet will steep his sleeves in the scent of the orange blossoms near the eaves and wrap in them the tears he sheds for the past. The scent of orange blossoms was held to call back the past, and the conceit is to wrap one's tears of longing in sleeves that carry that scent.
Linking this scent with the past follows the tradition of the anonymous Kokinshū poem 'Satsuki matsu / hanatachibana no / ka o kageba / mukashi no hito no / sode no ka zo suru,' which this poem also draws upon.

First line, “noki chikaki”: near the eaves, the blossoms right beside the house.
Second line, “hanatachibana ni”: the flowers of the tachibana orange, sung as a scent that recalls the past.
Third line, “sode shimete”: steeping the sleeves with their scent.
Fourth line, “mukashi o shinobu”: longing for the past, the same longing as 'mukashi nomi nao shinobarete' in the preceding poem.
Fifth line, “namida tsutsuman”: n expresses intention, I will wrap my tears in my sleeves.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Nasake arishi mukashi nomi nao shinobarete nagaraemauki yo ni mo aru kana
Next Poem: Nanigoto mo mukashi o kiku wa nasake arite yue aru sama ni shinobaruru kana