The song was composed based on two original waka poems about chidori (plover) included in "Kokin Wakashu" (A Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry) and "Kinyo Wakashu" (Kinyo Collection of Japanese poems) and added with instrumental parts of 'maebiki' (introduction) and 'tegoto' (long instrumental intermezzo between songs).
『古今和歌集』、『金葉和歌集』から千鳥を詠んだ和歌二首を採り歌とし、器楽部である「前弾き」（前奏部）および「手事」（歌と歌に挟まれた、楽器だけの長い間奏部）を加えて作曲したもの。