The work takes its title from its prefatory passage:つれづれなるまゝに日暮らし硯にむかひて心にうつりゆくよしなし事をそこはかとなく書きつくればあやしうこそものぐるほしけれ Tsurezurenaru mama ni, hikurashi, suzuri ni mukaite, kokoro ni utsuriyuku yoshinashigoto wo, sokowakatonaku kakitsukureba, ayashū koso monoguruoshikere.
For comparison, Sansom's translation:To while away the idle hours, seated the livelong day before the inkslab, by jotting down without order or purpose whatever trifling thoughts pass through my mind, truly this is a queer and crazy thing to do! .