Yomosugara hakanaku tataku kuina kana saseru to mo naki shiba no kariya o - Kinyo Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

夜もすがらはかなく叩く水鶏かな
させる戸もなき柴の仮屋を

Roma-ji: Yomosugara hakanaku tataku kuina kana saseru to mo naki shiba no kariya o
English Translation: All the whole night long
in vain the water rail knocks,
O water rail,
at a hut of brushwood
that has no door to bar
Meaning: All night long the water rail knocks in vain, at a brushwood hut that has not even a door to shut.
Commentary: Book Two Summer Poems 143

Though the poet's brushwood hut has no door to bar, the water rail goes on knocking all night, to no avail. Contrasting a dwelling with no door to knock on and the bird that keeps knocking, the poem paints a lonely summer night.
The preceding poem, 142, also has the water rail knocking, and the two make a pair. Where that poem sings of knocking in every village, this one narrows to a single makeshift hut.

First line, 'yomosugara', means all night long, showing how long the bird keeps calling.
Second line, 'hakanaku tataku', means knocking in vain, to no purpose.
Third line, 'kuina kana', means O water rail, with the exclamatory kana. The poem breaks after the third line and the lower half is inverted.
Fourth line, 'saseru to mo naki', uses saseru, barred shut: there is not even a closed door.
Final line, 'shiba no kariya o', means at the makeshift brushwood hut, revealing at last what the bird is knocking on.
Source: Kinyo Wakashu
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