This song refers to the old village custom of a young man visiting a young
woman in her room at night, a clandestine meeting for which the lover always
covers his face with a towel as a disguise. Thus any stray person would not
recognize who is visiting the girl; furthermore, if he is repulsed the towel
"saves" his face so that if he meets the girl next day both may act as though
nothing had happened. (Cf. also Song 12.)
38 Dokkoise no se
Do ya ni hdkamuri
Nuchya t5 akete
Iru-wai na
The dokkoise house:
With face covered,^^
You leaving open
The door.
With Face Covered
This song refers to the old village custom of a young man visiting a young woman in her room at night, a clandestine meeting for which the lover always covers his face with a towel as a disguise. Thus any stray person would not recognize who is visiting the girl; furthermore, if he is repulsed the towel "saves" his face so that if he meets the girl next day both may act as though nothing had happened. (Cf. also Song 12.)
38 Dokkoise no se Do ya ni hdkamuri Nuchya t5 akete Iru-wai na
The dokkoise house: With face covered,^^ You leaving open The door.
http://www23.us.archive.org/stream/japanesepeasants38embr/japanesepeasants38embr_djvu.txt