Entō ōn’uta’awase 33

Stags in the night.

Left

ひさかたのかつらのかげになくしかはひかりをかけて声ぞさやけき

hisakata no
katsura no kage ni
naku shika wa
hikari o kakete
koe zo sayakeki
In the eternal
Silver trees’ glow
The belling stag
Is limned with light, and
His voice sounds clear, indeed!

A Court Lady
65

Right (Win)

天川秋の一夜のちぎりだにかた野に鹿の音をや鳴くらん

ama no kawa
aki no hitoyo no
chigiri dani
katano ni shika no
ne o ya nakuran
By the River of Heaven
For a single autumn night’s
Brief bond—
Is that why a stag at Katano
Does cry out so?

Ietaka
66

The Right’s poem, by beginning with ‘By the River of Heaven / For a single autumn night’s / Brief bond’ and then continuing with ‘a stag at Katano’ sounds particularly gentle, evoking memories of bygone days when Prince Koresada sought lodging from the Weaver Maid when hunting at Katano—how charming it is. The Left’s poem overall is not particularly bad and seems to lack any obvious faults, but the Right’s poem surpasses it in every way: it is not one of the normal run of compositions and thus, it must win.

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