Left.

常盤の茂みを染むる蔦の色のかゝらざりさば下紅葉やは

tokiwa no shigemi o somuru tsuta no iro no kakarazarisaba shita momiji ya wa

The evergreen Profusion is dyed By the ivy’s hues: Were it not, Would not the under-leaves turn scarlet?

Lord Ari’ie.

421

Right.

散ぬより紅葉に辿る山路かな岩根の蔦や色變るらむ

chiranu yori momiji ni tadoru yamaji kana iwane no tsuta ya iro kawaruramu

Not yet fallen are The scarlet leaves – to track Along the mountain paths, Does the ivy at the rooted crags Change its hue?

Ietaka.

422

The Right state that by continuing with ‘Profusion is dyed’ (shigemi o somuru) it sounds as if it is the evergreens themselves which are taking on autumn colours. The Left merely remark that saying ‘track’ (tadoru) is difficult to comprehend [kokoroegatashi].

Shunzei’s judgement: Is the Left’s poem that bad [ashiku ya wa], given that ‘Profusion is dyed’ is followed by ‘the ivy’s hues’ (tsuta no iro no)? The final section, though, is lacking and seems rather vague. I, too, wonder about the use of ‘track’. The round ties.