Composed to be presented as part of a hundred poem sequence, when former Emperor Reizei was Crown Prince.
風をいたみ岩うつ波の己のみくだけてものを思ふ頃かな
| kaze wo itami iFa utu nami no onore nomi kudakete mono wo omoFu koro kana |
The howling winds Strike waves against the crags; I alone, Am shattered, gloom Filling my thoughts these days… |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
源重之
Composed on the conception of Felicitation for a poetry competition held by the Kokiden Consort during the reign of Emperor Go-ichijō.
君が代は末の松山はるばるとこす白浪のかずも知られず
| kimi ga yo Fa suwe no matuyama no Farubaru to kosu siranami no kazu mo shirarezu |
Your Majesty’s reign: Upon the pine-clad peak of Sué, So distant Break whitecaps In numbers unknown to all! |
The Monk Eisei
永成法師
Composed on the conception of snow as part of a hundred poem sequence.
いかにせむ末の松山なみこさば峯の初雪きえもこそすれ
| ika ni semu suwe no matuyama nami kosaba mine no Fatuyuki kie mo koso sure |
What am I to do? If upon the pine-clad peak of Sué The waves should break, The first snows upon the peak Would vanish clear away! |
Minister of the Treasury [Ōe no] Masafusa
大藏卿匡房
Left (Win).
つれなくて今日も過ぬと思には暮るゝ空さへ恨めしき哉
| tsurenakute kyō mo suginu to omou ni wa kururu sora sae urameshiki kana |
Heartlessly Has she spent today, I think, and Evening the darkening sky Do I despise! |
Lord Suetsune.
817
Right.
あやにくに物ぞ悲しき待ちし日は曇る空さへ嬉しかりしを
| ayaniku ni mono zo kanashiki machishi hi wa kumoru sora sae ureshikarishi o |
Unexpectedly, All is sadness; All day I waited, and The very clouding of the sky Was a joy, but… |
Lord Takanobu.
818
The Right: we find no faults to mention. The Left state: ‘The very clouding’ (kumoru sae koso) does not sound like a reference to the evening.
In judgement: in the Right’s poem, as it begins with ‘unexpectedly’ (ayaniku ni), it then becomes unnecessary to mention clouding. The Left’s poem is pleasant. It should win.