Left (Left).

風渡る淺茅が上の露にだに宿りも果てぬ宵の稲妻

kaze wataru asaji ga ue no tsuyu ni dani yadori mo hatenu yoi no inazuma

Brushed by the breeze, Atop the cogon grass The dewdrops but Briefly rest: Lightning at dusk.

Lord Ari’ie.

335

Right.

眺むれば風吹く野邊の露にだに宿りも果てぬ稲妻の影

nagamureba kaze fuku nobe no tsuyu ni dani yadori mo hatenu inazuma no kage

Idly gazing Across the windblown meadow; The dewdrops but Briefly rest: Lightning’s light.

Ietaka.

336

The Right simply say, ‘The Left’s poem is fine, is it not!’ The Left, however, grumble, ‘We cannot see how the final phrase relates to what has come before.’

Shunzei states, ‘Both poems are remarkably similar in spirit and diction, with the Left concluding “lightning at dusk” (yoi no inazuma) and the Right with “lightning’s light” (inazuma no kage) – is there really much to choose between them? The Left wins.’