Once when Izumi Shikbu was on her way to Ishiyama, she stopped in Ōtsu; late at night she sensed a crowd of people nearby making an enormous amount of noise. On enquiring what was going on, she was told, ‘Some people from the lower orders are polishing rice,’ and composed this poem.

鷺のゐる松原いかに騷ぐ覽しらげはうたて里とよみけり

sagi no wiru matubara ikani sawaguran sirage Fa utate sato toyomikeri

Egrets dwell Among the pine groves; how Noisy they seem; Their white plumes unpleasantly Echo through the house, it seems.

Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部