Right
夏なれば木高き枝になく蟬のかげにかくせる風を恋ふとか
| natu nareba kodakaki eda ni naku semi no kage ni kakuseru kaze wo koFu to ka | When the summer comes, In the topmost branches of the trees In the singing cicadas’ Shadows have you hidden The breeze I love? |
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Monthly Archives: July 2022
Uhyōe shōjō sadafumi uta’awase 2
The depth of colour of spring waters (春水添色深)
Left (Win)
水のいろをそめては深くみゆれども春はよどまぬものにざりける
| midu no iro wo somete Fa Fukaku miyuredomo Faru Fa yodomanu mono ni zarikeru | The waters’ hues So deeply dyed Do appear that Spring ever unclouded Truly ever will be. |
3
Right
春のいろは底なき水にそへりとも流れて深くあらむとぞ思ふ
| Faru no iro Fa soko naki midu ni soFeri tomo nagarete Fukaku aramu to zo omoFu | The hue of spring across Bottomless waters Does lie, and yet How deeply must they flow I wonder? |
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Fubokushō I: 93
Fubokushō I: 92
On the warm feeling of spring, enveloped by smoke, from the poetry contest at Sadafun’s house in Engi 6.
梅の花雪にみゆれど春の気はけぶりをこめて寒からなくに
| ume no Fana yuki ni miyuredo Faru no ki Fa keburi wo komete samurakanaku ni | The plum blossom Seems like snow, yet The sense of spring Is surrounded with smoke Though I feel no chill… |
Anonymous
Uhyōe shōjō sadafumi uta’awase 1
The warm feeling of spring enveloped by smoke (春気籠煙暖)
Left (Win)
梅の花雪にみゆれど春の気はけぶりをこめて寒からなくに
| ume no Fana yuki ni miyuredo Faru no ki Fa keburi wo komete samurakanaku ni | The plum blossom Seems like snow, yet The sense of spring Is surrounded with such smoke I feel no chill… |
Anonymous
1
Right
咲く花のひかりにもゆる春のきはけぶりをこめて晴れずぞ有りける
| saku Fana no Fikari ni moyuru Faru no ki Fa keburi wo komete Farezu zo arikeru | The blooming blossom Burning a’glow is The sense of spring; Surrounded by smoke that Never clears… |
Anonymous
2[1]
[1]These poems are included in Fubokushō (I: 92) and (I: 93).
Uhyōe shōjō sadafumi uta’awase
| Shinpen kokka taikan no. | |
| Heian-chō uta’awase taisei no. | 17 |
| Title | 右兵衛少尉貞文歌合 |
| Romanised Title | Uhyōe shōjō sadafumi uta’awase |
| Translated Title | Poetry Contest held by Sadafumi, Junior Lieutenant of the Outer Palace Guards, Right Division |
| Alternative Title(s) | |
| Date | Engi 6 [906] |
| Extant Poems | 11 |
| Sponsor | Taira no Sadafun 平定文 |
| Identifiable Participants | |
| Judgements | Y |
| Topics | the warm feeling of spring enveloped by smoke (haru no ki wa kemuri o komete atatakashi 春気籠煙暖); the depth of colour of spring waters (haru no mizu iro o soete fukashi 春水添色深); scarlet lotus flowers floating on marsh water (midorinu ni kurenai no hachisu ukitari 緑沼紅蓮浮); gazing at snow on the mountain pines in the morning (ashita no yama matsu yuki o nozomu 秋山望松雪); a wave of chill in the heart due to snow (yuki ni yorite nami no kokoro samushi 依雪波心寒) |
This is a simple six round contest on extended seasonal topics, although one poem is missing from the record. As it bears his name, Taira no Sadafun was clearly the organiser, and he may have been responsible for the judgements, too, although this is uncertain.
Aru tokoro no uta’awase – Engi yo-nen izen
| Shinpen kokka taikan no. | |
| Heian-chō uta’awase taisei no. | 14 |
| Title | 或所歌合 |
| Romanised Title | Aru tokoro no uta’awase |
| Translated Title | Poetry Contest held in a Certain Place |
| Alternative Title(s) | |
| Date | Autumn, Before Engi 4 [904] |
| Extant Poems | 1 |
| Sponsor | |
| Identifiable Participants | Ki no Yoshimochi 紀淑望 (?-919) |
| Judgements | N |
| Topics | Autumn |
The only remaining evidence of this poetry competition is that one of its poems was included in Kokinshū (V:251) with the headnote, ‘Composed at a poetry competition on the topic of autumn’. Hagitani (1963, 115) suggests that the contest should be considered as taking place prior to Engi 4 [904], as the vast majority of poems selected for Kokinshū were composed prior to that year. The absense of any further identifying information about the contest further suggests it was a small-scale private event. Yoshimochi is generally better known for his compositions in Chinese, and this poem is the only surviving evidence we have for his participation in uta’awase.
MYS IV: 632
Aru tokoro senzai awase – Shōtai yo-nen nijūgo-nichi
| Shinpen kokka taikan no. | |
| Heian-chō uta’awase taisei no. | 13 |
| Title | 或所前栽合 |
| Romanised Title | Aru tokoro senzai awase |
| Translated Title | Garden Contest held in a Certain Place |
| Alternative Title(s) | |
| Date | 25/8 Shōtai 4 [10.10.901] |
| Extant Poems | 0 |
| Sponsor | |
| Identifiable Participants | |
| Judgements | N |
| Topics |
Only the title of this event survives, referenced in a number of court histories and other texts. As such, it is difficult to be certain that it was a separate event from the Poetry Contest held in a Certain Place dated ten days earlier; equally, however, it is entirely possible that two separate events were held (Hagitani 1963, 114).