By what connection have we gathered in this classroom?Each of us, brought here by stories unspoken.Though the lesson is strange and unfamiliar, and a shadow of fear might linger,The eyes of every student shine with a clear and focused light.Even if it is but a mannequin and not a true body,The atmosphere could not be more solemn as we perform the shrouding1) with all our hearts.With small, delicate hands, after the initial cleansing,We wrap the form in layers of Hanji, crafting paper garments sheet by sheet;How beautiful it is, beyond words, to see the shroud2) being draped.After dressing the form with those same delicate hands,As seven hempen ties3) are bound and knotted, a bead of sweat falls silently from your brow;I wonder, could that droplet perhaps be a hidden tear?When the minor binding ends and the major binding begins,The mannequin is wrapped once more in hemp, knotted, and placed within the casket.We cover it with the celestial quilt4), close the lid5), and finish with the wooden pins6).If a person’s body, not a mannequin, were prepared with such devotion,The journey to the afterlife would surely not be a lonely one.Seeing our sincerity, how could the departed remain unmoved?Each of us, brought here by stories unspoken,Truly prays for the peaceful rest of the departed.
1) Shrouding : The ritual of washing the deceased, dressing them in shrouds, and binding the body with hemp cloths.
2) Shroud : The burial shroud or funeral garments worn by the deceased.
3) Hempen ties : The hemp cloths or linen bands used to bind the body during the shrouding process.
4) Celestial quilt : The burial blanket placed over the deceased once they are laid in the casket.
5) Lid : The lid of the casket (coffin).
6) Wooden pins : The wooden pins or dowels used to secure the casket lid in place (literally "hidden nails").