Left
鳴くになど驚かるらむ時鳥呼ぶ人毎にありと聞きつつ
| naku ni nado odorokaruramu Fototogisu yobu Fito goto ni ari to kikitutu |
Why does your song Startle me so O, cuckoo? All the folk you call Are there, do I ever hear… |
5
Right (Win)
知らねども答へやせまし時鳥元つ人てふ声を哀れと
| siranedomo kotaFe ya semasi Fototogisu moto tu Fito teFu kowe wo aFare to |
I know it not, yet I wonder will you reply, O, cuckoo? A familiar friend’s Voice is moving, indeed. |
6
Left.
つれなしと人をぞさらに思ひ河逢ふ瀬を知らぬ身を恨ても
| tsurenashi to hito o zo sara ni omoigawa ause o shiranu mi o uramitemo |
How cruel She is, I ever feel, My thoughts a river; No rushed meetings between us – I hate myself for that, and yet… |
Lord Kanemune
991
Right (Win).
遥なる程とぞ聞し衣川かた敷く袖の名こそ有けれ
| harukanaru hodo to zo kikishi koromogawa katashiku sode no na koso arikere |
Far, far away Lies, I have heard, The River Robe: For my single spread sleeve How apt that name is! |
Lord Takanobu
992
The Right state: we find the Left’s poem unconvincing. The Left state: the Right’s poem lacks any faults.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘my thoughts a river’ (omoigawa) is certainly not unconvincing. The latter section of the Right’s poem sounds fine. It should win.
Left.
最上河人の心の稲船もしばしばかりと聞かば頼まん
| mogamigawa hito no kokoro no inabune mo shibashi bakari to kikaba tanoman |
Upon Mogami River, Her heart is as A rice-boat; That but for a little while She will hear me, is all my longing. |
Lord Ari’ie
989
Right (Win).
飛鳥川淵瀬ひまなき世の中に人のつらさぞ變らざりける
| asukagawa fuchi se himanaki yo no naka ni hito no tsurasa zo kawarazarikeru |
On Asuka River The deeps and shallows have no rest; In this world of ours, Her cruelty Is unchanging. |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
990
The Right state: we have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left state: we wonder about the Right’s use of ‘the deeps and shallows have no rest’ (fuchi se himanaki).
In judgement: ‘Mogami River’ appears to be technically accomplished, but the final section sounds excessive. The deeps and shallows of Asuka River, indeed, do change constantly. The final section, too, seems fine. Thus, the Right wins.
Left (Win)
おぼつかな音羽の山の時鳥さすがにいはぬ言な頼めそ
| obotukana otoFa no yama no Fototogisu sasuga ni iFanu koto na tanome so |
I wonder about Wingbeats on Otowa Mountain, The cuckoo: Truly in unsaid Words place no trust! |
3
Right
誰とかは言はかたらふ時鳥まづ我が聞くにいはで渡るは
| tare to ka Fa koto Fa kataraFu Fototogisu madu wa ga kiku ni iFade wataru Fa |
To whom is it that Tales you tell, O, Cuckoo? When first I listen, Wordless, do you fly back and forth… |
4
The poetry competition held at the residence of Yukihira, the Minister of Popular Affairs: Left and Right prepared tableau, among other things. The tableau were in the form of rustic dwellings. Poems were composed on these in relation to cuckoo calls.
Left (Tie) – on the form of a mountain dwelling
夏深き山里なれど時鳥声はしげくも聞えざりけり
| natu Fukaki yamazato naredo Fototogisu kowe Fa sigekumo kikoezarikeri |
Deep in summer Lies this mountain hut, yet The cuckoo Calls lush and thick, but I cannot hear them! |
1
Right – on the form of a country house
荒れにける宿の梢は高けれど山時鳥まれに鳴くかな
| arenikeru yado no kozue wa takakeredo yamahototogisu mare ni naku kana |
Gone to ruin is This house where treetops Are tall, yet The mountain cuckoo Calls there but rarely! |
2
Left (Win).
いつかさはまたは逢ふ瀬を松浦潟此河上に家は住むとも
| itsuka sa wa mata wa ause o matsu’uragata kono kawakami ni ie wa sumu tomo |
Sometime it may be that Again we’ll meet, so I await, though on Matsura Inlet’s Upper reaches Does my house lie… |
Lord Sada’ie
987
Right.
水無瀬川淺き契と思へども涙は袖にかけぬ間ぞなき
| minasegawa asaki chigiri to omoedomo namida wa sode ni kakenu ma zo naki |
The River Minase runs Shallow as our vows I feel, yet Tears upon my sleeves Fall without a single pause… |
Lord Tsune’ie
988
The Right state: we are unable to admire the Left’s poem. The Left state: if the initial part of the poem has ‘shallow’ (asashi), we would like there to be ‘deep’ (fukashi) in the concluding section. In addition, is the poem suggesting that the shallows do not give rise to waves? The initial and concluding section of the poem do not match and the whole is old-fashioned.
In judgement: the Gentlemen of the Right state that they are unable to admire the Left’s poem. It also sounds like there are a number of accumulated criticisms of the Right’s poem. This is enough to cause me quite some perplexity. I am unable to identify any faults in the Left’s poem which render it unworthy of appreciation. Thus, the Left wins.
Left (Tie).
聞きわたるありなれ河の水にこそ影を傡べて住まゝほしけれ
| kikiwataru arinaregawa no mizu ni koso kage o narabete sumamahoshikere |
Echoes cross The Arinare River’s Waters; Bringing to mind the face Of the one I would be with… |
Kenshō
985
Right.
涙川逢ふ瀬も知らぬみをつくし丈越す程になりにけるかな
| namidagawa ause mo shiranu miotsukushi take kosu hodo ni narinikeru kana |
A river of tears: I know no way for us to meet, so The channel buoys, my soul, Are flooded over – That is how they be! |
Nobusada
986
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we are not accustomed to hearing the expression ‘Arinare River’ (arinaregawa), and the ending of the poem is old-fashioned. The Gentlemen of the Left state: ‘are flooded over’ (take kosu hodo) sounds excessively modern.
In judgement: ‘Arinare River’ is unusual, and the final section of the Left’s poem is certainly old-fashioned. The ‘river of tears’’ (namidagawa) ‘channel buoys’ (miotsukushi) do seem to be enduring an excess of water, don’t’ they! The round should tie.
Composed on the conception of Love, when he held a poetry contest at his residence while he was a Middle Captain.
我が恋は海女の刈る藻に乱れつつかわく時なき浪の下草
| wa ga koFi Fa ama no karu mo ni midaretutu kaFaku toki naki nami no sitagusa |
My love is As seaweed reaped by fisher-girls, Ever tangled, and Not a moment dry Have the weeds beneath the waves… |
Supernumerary Middle Councillor [Fujiwara no] Toshitada
権中納言俊忠