Summer II: 11

Left.

風通ふ扇に秋のさそはれてまづ手なれぬる閨の月影

kaze kayou
ōgi ni aki no
sasowarete
mazu te narenuru
neya no tsukikage
The breeze wafted
By my fan to autumn
Beckons;
Accustomed before me to have
A moonlit bed.

Lord Sada’ie.

261

Right (Win).

うちはらふ扇の風のほどなきに思ひこめたる荻の音かな

uchiharau
ōgi no kaze no
hodo naki ni
omoikometaru
ogi no oto kana
Sweeping
My fan, the breeze
Ceaselessly
Brings thoughts of
Rustling silver grass.

Ietaka.

262

Both teams consider the other’s poems to be ‘not bad’ this round.

Shunzei, however, finds fault with both: ‘The Left’s “bed” (neya) does occur in both Chinese poetry and our own, however, I cannot help but find it undesirable. The Right’s “Sweeping my fan” (uchiharau ōgi) and “Brings thoughts of silver grass” (omoikometaru ogi) are both fine examples of mangled expression, and are, moreover, unclear. Thus, “a moonlit bed” must win, I feel.

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