Left.
百草の花もいかにか思ふらんあな情なの今朝の野分や
momokusa no hana mo ika ni ka omouran ana nasakena no kesa no nowaki ya |
A myriad of grasses’ Bloom: o what To think? How heartless was The gale this morning! |
351
Right (Win).
吹亂る野分の風の荒ければ安き空なき花の色色
fukimidaru nowaki no kaze no arakereba yasuki sora naki hana no iroiro |
Blown into confusion by The gale’s gusts So fierce; No respite to bloom For any of the blossoms! |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
352
Neither Left nor Right can find anything to remark upon this round, and say as much.
Shunzei states, ‘“How heartless” (ana nasake na) is, indeed, an intriguing choice of words. The Right’s “blown into confusion” (fukimidaru) is reminiscent of the Tamakazura’s poem in Genji and all the more charming for it, is it not? Furthermore, the Left’s “blooms: o what” (hana mo ika ni ka) and the Right’s “no respite to bloom” (yasuki sora naki) are of equivalent quality, but the Left’s “myriad of grasses” lacks a linking term. Including “blown into confusion” makes the Right’s poem slightly superior, I would say.’