このころは千年や行きも過ぎぬると我れやしか思ふ見まく欲りかも
| könö körö pa titose ya yuki mo suginuru tö ware ya sika omopu mimaku pori ka mo |
Recently A thousand years or more Had passed – Or so I thought; Perhaps because I long to see you. |
Monthly Archives: October 2015
Twin scabbard
MYS IV: 685
人言を繁みか君が二鞘の家を隔てて戀ひつつまさむ
| pitögötö wo sigëmi ka kimi ga puta saya nö ipe wo pedatete kopitutu masamu |
Is it people’s talk So lush – that you, The twin-scabbard Of your house a hindrance, Must yearn for me? |
MYS XI: 2355
| utukusi tö wa ga omopu imo pa paya mo sinanu ka ikeri tö mo wa ni yörubësi tö pito nö iwanaku ni |
How lovely I thought my darling: Oh, that she would swiftly die, For, living Would she cleave to me? There’s no word of it. |
This poem is included in the Kakinomoto no Asomi Hitomaro Kashū “The Hitomaro Collection” – while there is still disagreement over the provenance of many of its poems, there is at least the possibility that he wrote this.
MYS IV: 684
今は我は死なむよ我が背生けりとも我れに依るべしと言ふといはなくに
| ima pa a pa sinamu yo wa ga se ikeri tö mo ware ni yörubësi tö ipu tö ipanakuni |
Now, I will Indeed, die, my love; For if I lived, Would you cleave to me? There’s no word of it |
MYS IV: 683
Imagined as coming from the moon
Spring I: 3
Left (Win).
初春のけふはかしこきみことのりのべよと千世のしるしぞ置く
| hatsu haru no kyō wa kashikoki mikotonori nobeyo to chiyo no shirushi zo oku |
At the start of spring Today, the awesome Imperial Word Announce! For a thousand generations The signs are placed. |
Right.
諸人の立ちゐる庭のさか月に光もしるし千代の初春
| morobito no tachi’iru niwa no sakazuki ni hikari mo shirushi chiyo no hatsuharu |
Where the courtier crowds Sit and stand within the gardens, Upon the wine cups Light is e’en a sign, of A thousand generations, at the start of spring. |
Ietaka
6
Neither team finds any fault in the other’s poem this round.
Shunzei’s judgement: The conception [kokoro] of the Left’s ‘Announce! For a thousand generations the signs are placed’ (nobeyo to chiyo no shirushi zo oku) is fine [yoroshiku haberubeshi]. The configuration of the Right’s poem, too, is splendid [sugata wa yū ni haberu], but ‘wine cups’ (sakazuki) seems rather abrupt. ‘Light’ (hikari) could beimagined as coming from the moon, but its origin is not entirely clear. Thus, as a result, the Left must win.
Spring I: 2
Left.
立ちかはる年のはじめは豊御酒にかさねてたまふ広幡の衣
| tachikawaru toshi no hajime wa toyo miki ni kasanete tamau hirohata no kinu |
Newly arrived is The year, and at its head, A goodly draught of wine, Once more, bestowed with A broad bolt of silken cloth! |
Right (Win).
松が崎たえぬ氷室に皇の千世にためしをけふぞたてける
| matsugasaki taenu himuro ni suberaki no chiyo ni tameshi o kyō zo tatekeru |
In Matsugasaki, Unenduring ice-houses: within, Of His Majesty’s Thousand ages, a sign Stands there this day. |
The Right state that there is not doubting the conception of the Left’s poem as a Festival poem [sechie no kokoro wa utagainashi]. The final section, though, does not fit this [kokoro yukazu]. The Left state that the first five syllables of the Right’s poem are grating to hear [mimi ni tachite kikoyu].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem is truly completely in keeping with the conception of the topic [dai no kokoro wa makoto ni kagirinaku], but ‘A broad bolt of silken cloth!’ (hirohata no kinu) really does seem unsuited. The Right’s poem concerns the Ice Testing on New Year’s Day, and so does have the conception of a festival poem, but [en no kokoro mo habaramedo] on the face of it the poem feels more like one on the topic of Ice-Houses. However, it is still the case that hirohata sounds poor [yoshikarazu kikoe]. I will make ‘Ice Houses’ the winner.
Spring I: 1
Left (Tie).
あら玉の年を雲井にむかふとてけふ諸人に御酒たまふなり
| aratama no toshi o kumoi ni mukau tote kyô morobito ni miki tamau nari |
To the fresh-jewelled Year does the cloud-borne Palace Turn; This day, on many folk Will the esteemed draught be bestowed! |
Right (Tie).
もゝしきや春をむかふるさかづきに君が千歳の影ぞうつれる
| momoshiki ya haru o mukauru sakazuki ni kimi ga chitose no kage zo utsureru |
Hundred-fold, the Palace, to Spring does turn! Within the wine cups, His Majesty’s one thousand years Does show its form! |
Nobusada
2
The Right find no faults in the Left’s poem this round. The Left state that the conception [kokoro] of the Right’s poem is incorrect for the topic of Festivals on New Year’s Day. It suggests, rather, the Migusuri rites.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem starts with ‘To the fresh-jewelled’ (aratama no) which is approprate for the first poem in the first round, but concludes with ‘Will the esteemed draught be bestowed!’ (miki tamau nari), which is extremely pedestrian diction [muge ni tada kotoba ni haberan]. The Left have stated that the Right’s poem lacks the conception of the festivals [en no kokoro naki]. That may be the case, but still I wonder if it is lacking as a festival poem? It does refer to celebration. The round should tie.