Senryu Ramblings: A Diary Entry of Measuring Snow with a Ruler - Haifu Yanagidaru Volume 3 by Karai Senryu (Part 1)

Senryu was created during the Edo period. It even took the name Karai Senryu from the selector of the |Haifu Yanagidaru| Volume 3 collection of old senryu poems. These poems reflect the spirit of Edo commoners that still resonates today.
Following the easy-to-read transcriptions, I have noted the entry number, the original text, and the 'maeku' (preceding phrase). While senryu is 5-7-5, the maeku was provided as a 7-7 prompt.
Some entries include my own free translations. I have also added comments on the 7-7 phrases.

A diary entry of measuring snow with a ruler

6 Measuring snow with a ruler for a diary entry Searching for it, indeed searching for it

'Diary entry' means writing in a diary. When it snows, the person writing the diary measures the depth of the snow with a ruler. They then turn that into a diary entry.
The maeku 'searching for it' likely refers to seeking the depth of the snow rather than looking for a ruler. When prompted with 'What are you searching for?', the person thinks, 'Ah, I'm measuring the snow depth to write in my diary.' The poem created with the idea of 'searching for the depth of the snow' was selected by Karai Senryu.

Taking out a ruler to measure the snow and write in my diary
The depth of the snow is today's entry

People who write on Note every day are amazing. But don't they run out of topics? Even writing twice a week, I struggle to find topics, yet people in the Edo period were measuring snow depth to find things to write in their diaries. Perhaps the proportion of people who kept diaries was high (Japan had the world's highest literacy rate at the time). Maybe the urge to record something is a human instinct.
Whether in the Edo period or today, it is likely because people have the kind of personality that wants to leave accurate records that they can keep up a daily diary.

A wife's absence is also quite charming

366 A wife's absence is also |quite| charming What a stylish thing, what a stylish thing

Life without the wife once in a while is also quite charming.
The 'stylish thing' in the maeku likely refers to 'sui' (chic/stylish). 'Sui' later came to be called 'iki' and became the opposite of 'yabo' (uncouth).
Stylish vs. Uncouth

A wife's absence is also quite charming
After that, the husband can't do anything

Wives who lose their husbands tend to live long lives, but many husbands who lose their wives pass away soon after (at least from what I see around me).

What did the book lender show to get shoved?

113 What did the book lender show to get shoved? A mischievous thing, a mischievous thing

In the towns of Edo, book lenders were common. People at the time learned at temple schools and could read. Books were not bought but borrowed from book lenders. Book lenders handled not just ordinary books, but also erotic ones. Perhaps they intentionally showed such books to female customers. They got shoved, with the customer saying, 'Oh, how awful.' They must have done something 'mischievous'.

If you show her an erotic video, you'll get shoved by your girlfriend
Men don't understand a woman's feelings

Having a wife, a flaw in sleeping in.

140 Having a wife, a flaw in sleeping in. It is a 'yari-banashi' (unfinished business/loose talk).

The preceding phrase is 'yari-banashi,' but what exactly is left unfinished? Perhaps it implies that while one could sleep in without consequence when single, having a wife makes it a 'loose' habit to sleep in.

It is hard to wake up once you have a wife.
What were the two of you doing last night?

The ending turned out a bit lewd, but celebrating sexuality was a characteristic feature of Edo commoner culture. It wasn't just the culture of the pleasure quarters; married couples also brought sexuality out into the open as a part of their culture rather than hiding it. They had the leisure to learn to read and write and keep diaries. If wars were constant and life was difficult, one could not talk about such things. Being able to write about this on Note is only possible because we live in peaceful times.