翻刻
つかひなとし給ふはゝはちくせんのかみのめにて
くたりにけれはちゝ君のもとをさとにてゆき
かよふ故ひたちのみこのすゑにまうけて
いみしうかしつき給し御むすめ心ほそくての
こりゐたるをものゝついてにかたりきこえけれ
はあはれのことやとて御こゝろとゝめてとひきゝた
まふ心はへかたちなとふかきかたはゑしり
侍らずかいひそめ人うとうもてなし給へはさへ
きよひ【さべき宵】なとものこしにてそかたらひ侍る
きん【琴】
をそなつかしきかたらひ人とおもへるとき
こ
現代語訳
使いなどし給う。母は筑前の守の妻にて下りにければ、父君のもとを里にて行き通う故、常陸宮の末に設けて、いみじう可愛がり給いし御娘、心細くて残り居たるを、物のついでに語り聞こえければ、「あはれのことや」とて、御心とどめて問い聞き給う。心ばえ・容貌など深き方はえ知り侍らず。かい言い初め、人疎うもてなし給えばさべき宵などもの越しにてぞ語らい侍る。琴をぞなつかしき語らい人と思えるとき
英語訳
...he would use her as a messenger and such. Her mother had gone down to the provinces as the wife of the Governor of Chikuzen, so she would go back and forth between her father's residence as her home. She was a daughter born to a minor branch of the Hitachi Prince's family, who had been most dearly cherished by him, but now remained behind feeling forlorn. When this was mentioned to him in passing conversation, he said "What a pitiful situation," and paid attention, inquiring about her. As for her disposition and appearance, I do not know the deeper aspects well. When I first spoke of her, he treated people distantly, so on suitable evenings we would converse from behind a screen or barrier. When she thinks of the koto as her dear companion for conversation...