Senryu of 'Smiling Civilization' (22) 〽 A cat in the pleasure district where round cords are tossed
〽 | Dimming the lights, going up, and speaking vaguely
* 'Bonya' refers to a 'bon-ya' (a house for secret meetings). It is thought to refer to a house used by men and women for secret rendezvous. Reference: 'Dai Nihon Kokugo Jiten Vol. 5 Revised (Bonya)' (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
〽 A cat in the pleasure district where round cords are tossed
〽 To say one is waving a sleeve is to be a prostitute
* Could 'maruhimo' refer to the round cord of a haori jacket?
* 'Korofu' is thought to be 'korobu' (to fall/to turn). 'Korobu' also had the meaning of engaging in prostitution. Reference: 'Nihon Seiteki Fuzoku Jiten (Ten korobu)' (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
* The reading 'joro' for 'prostitute' is 'joro'.
〽 The shoulder of a hanten jacket becomes a punishment for a gambler
〽 Carrying heavy soil for the sin of doing bad things
* 'Hanten' is a short coat.
* 'Omoi' (heavy) is thought to be a pun on 'the sin is heavy' and 'heavy soil'.
Although I do not know the details, it seems that one of the tasks for prisoners was 'gaieki' (outside labor), which involved carrying soil outside the prison. The following description can be found in the book 'Shizoku no Shogyo' by Bunkai Udagawa:
'Around four o'clock in the afternoon, whether the Ichigaya group's substitutes or the Kajibashi group's prisoners went out for the usual soil-carrying outside labor, they came back in a line, wearing their persimmon-colored uniforms and wearing chains.' Source: National Diet Library Digital Collections 'Shizoku no Shogyo Vol. 2'
〽 It is to correct a bad path, carrying soil
〽 Every time I carry soil, I realize the weight, I realize the gravity
* 'Correcting a bad path' is thought to be a pun on past bad behavior and the actual bad condition of the road.
Author's note: ● indicates characters that could not be deciphered. I will update as appropriate when new characters are deciphered or when I notice typos or misreadings. For details, please read 'Self-introduction/Disclaimer'. 📖