Left
さりともと待べき程の情かは人頼めなる蛛のふるまゐ
sari tomo to
matsubeki hodo no
nasake ka wa
hito tanomenaru
kumo no furumai |
However faint, I thought,
Through all my waiting hours
Were his feelings,
He can be trusted,
Says the spider’s spinning! |
Lord Ari’ie
1071
Right (Win)
はかなくぞさもあらましに待たれぬる頼めぬ宵の蜘蛛のふるまゐ
hakanaku zo
sa mo aramashi ni
matarenuru
tanomenu yoi no
kumo no furumai |
Fleeting, but
So be it, then, I thought,
Awaiting;
How unreliable is this night’s
Spider’s spinning… |
Lord Takanobu
1072
Left and Right together: both poems are about spiders, and have no faults to mention.
In judgement: both poems seem elegant in their reference to ‘spider’s spinning’ (kumo no furumai). However, the Left’s central section recalls ‘Men are not trees or stone – they have feelings’ – while this is elegant diction in Chinese composition, it does not seem so in our own poetry. The Right’s ‘so be it then, I thought’ (sa mo aramashi) is fine, but ‘unreliable is this night’ (tanomenu yoi) sounds as if the night is already over. Princess Sotōri, too, has ‘must surely come tonight’ (kubeki yoi nari), but then appears to have ‘a certain sign’ (kanete shirushi mo). Still, this is surely describing a situation where one once had doubts, but feel that tonight is reliable. The Right is slightly superior.
Left
起きもゐで年ふる戀はをのづから常世の神やしるし見すべき
oki mo ide
toshi furu koi wa
onozukara
tokoyo no kami ya
shirushi misubeki |
Unable to arise
From love these many years,
May I
By the eternal gods
Be shown a sign! |
Kenshō
1069
Right (Win)
獨臥すながながし夜のかなしきを語らひあかすきりぎりす哉
hitori fusu
naganagashi yo no
kanashiki o
katarai akasu
kirigirisu kana |
Lying alone,
So long, long the night’s
Sorrow;
Lightening it with chatter
Are the crickets! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1070
The Gentlemen of the Right state: what is the meaning of ‘the eternal gods’ (toko no kami). In appeal, the Left: in the Chronicles of Japan, insects are worshipped under the name of ‘the eternal gods’ and made to seem like men. The Left state: what can an insect chatter about?
In judgement: in regard to the Left’s poem, while it is true that insects were worshipped, a poem on ‘Love and Insects’ with no insect is lacking something from the start. This poem would seem to be more a case of ‘Love and Prayers’. Thus, this is nothing enduring. A prior example has been contrived, but this is ineffective. It does not seem as if this insect’s nature has any relation to the topic. The Right’s poem has a commonplace cricket. Where is the fault in having it lighten one’s mood with chatter? Thus, the Right must win.
'Simply moving and elegant'