Left.
古の人を聞くにも秋の夜の窓打つ雨はさびしかりけり
| inishie no hito o kiku ni mo aki no yo no mado utsu ame wa sabishikarikeri |
Long ago The ladies, I hear, On autumn nights With rain beating ‘gainst the window Were lonely, as am I… |
367
Right.
軒近き松の風だにある物を窓打ち添ふる秋の村雨
| noki chikaki matsu no kaze dani aru mono o mado uchisouru aki no murasame |
Close by my eaves, Waiting, with the wind through the pines, Striking, The window, beaten by Autumn showers. |
368
The Right complain, ‘In the Left’s poem, the poet seems to hear of the appearance of “long ago ladies”, but what is it that he hears – one would usually expect more, would one not?’ The Left have no criticisms of the Right’s poem.
Shunzei broadly agrees: ‘The Left’s poem, in saying “ladies, I hear” would certainly seem to be recollecting the concubines at the court of Xuanzong, but I wonder if this is clearly enough expressed in the poem? The Right’s final section “The window, beaten by Autumn showers” (mado uchisouru aki no murasame) sounds particularly fine. Thus, the Right wins.’