Summer II: 8

Left (Tie).

みな月の照る日もいかで過ぐさまし頼む扇の風なかりせば

mina tsuki no
teru hi mo ikade
sugusamashi
tanomu ōgi no
kaze nakariseba
The Sixth Month’s
Sunshine-filled days: how
Might I endure them?
Lacking support from a fan
Brought breeze…

Lord Kanemune.

255

Right (Tie).

涼しさは扇の風もかはらねば秋はこれもや身にはしむらん

suzushisa wa
ōgi no kaze mo
kawaraneba
aki wa kore mo ya
mi ni wa shimuran
In coolness
A fan-brought breeze
Differs not, so
In autumn would it, too,
Pierce the heart?

Lord Tsune’ie.

256

The Right state that ‘the Left’s poem appears to have no problems’, while the Left remark ‘the gentlemen of the Right are doubtless pierced to the heart!’ (implying that the Right’s poem is simply stating the obvious).

Shunzei simply states, ‘The Left’s “support from a fan” (tanomu ōgi) and the Right’s “in autumn would it, too” (aki wa kore mo ya) must be judged to be of the same quality.’

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