When former emperor Reizei was Crown Prince, and ordered that a hundred poem sequence be presented.
花の色に染めし袂の惜しけれは衣かへうきけふにもあるかな
| Fana no iro ni somesi tamoto no wosikereba koromo kaFe uki keFu ni mo aru kana |
The blossoms’ hue Has dyed my sleeves, So I do regret The sorrow of changing clothes On this day today… |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
源重之
Left (Win).
時のまに消えてたなびく白雲のしばしも人に逢ひ見てしかな
| toki no ma ni kiete tanabiku shirakumo no shibashi mo hito ni aimiteshi kana |
In just a moment They vanish, wisping: The white clouds’ Brief span O, that I could meet her for so long! |
Lord Sada’ie.
919
Right.
あくがるゝ心も空に日數へて雲に宿かる物思ひ哉
| akugaruru kokoro mo sora ni hikazu hete kumo ni yado karu mono’omoi kana |
Wandering from my breast My heart within the skies Has passed the days Taking lodging in clouds The focus of my thoughts… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress Household Office.
920
The Right state: we find no faults to mention in the Left’s poem. The Left state: the Right’s poem simply re-states a famous creation by another of the Gentlemen of the Right.
In judgement: ‘taking lodging in clouds’ (kumo ni yado karu) does, indeed, sound most like something I have heard recently. Perhaps it is simply that, having heard a good phrase, the gentleman has reused it. Whatever the facts of the matter, it lacks novelty. The Left’s ‘brief span’ (shibashi mo hito ni) should win.
Left.
戀わびて心空なる浮雲や行衛も知らずはてはなるべき
| koi wabite kokoro sora naru ukigumo ya yukue mo shirazu hate ha narubeki |
Suffering with love My heart is as the sky-bound Drifting clouds: In some unknown place Is where it will end… |
Lord Kanemune.
917
Right (Win).
戀死ぬるよはの煙の雲とならば君が宿にやわきてしぐれん
| koi shinuru yowa no kemuri no kumo to naraba kimi ga yado ni ya wakite shiguren |
Should I die of love, and Final smoke Clouds become, To your dwelling will I Drift and descend? |
Nobusada.
918
The Right state: does the Left’s poem really expresses the love of drifting clouds? The Left state: the Right’s poem is more suited to the topic of ‘Love and Smoke’.
In judgement: with regard to the Left’s poem, Lady Sagami’s poem from the Eishō Imperial Palace Poetry Competition: ‘Before I know it/In my heart, sky-bound/is my love’ (itsu to naku/kokoro sora naru/wa ga koi ya) would be a good prior example, but this poem inserts ‘drifting clouds’ (ukigumo ya), which is illogical. As for the Right’s poem, ‘To your dwelling will I drift and descend?’ (kimi ga yado ni ya wakite shiguren) sounds fine. Thus, and for this reason, the Right wins.