Left (Tie).
聞きわたるありなれ河の水にこそ影を傡べて住まゝほしけれ
| kikiwataru arinaregawa no mizu ni koso kage o narabete sumamahoshikere |
Echoes cross The Arinare River’s Waters; Bringing to mind the face Of the one I would be with… |
Kenshō
985
Right.
涙川逢ふ瀬も知らぬみをつくし丈越す程になりにけるかな
| namidagawa ause mo shiranu miotsukushi take kosu hodo ni narinikeru kana |
A river of tears: I know no way for us to meet, so The channel buoys, my soul, Are flooded over – That is how they be! |
Nobusada
986
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we are not accustomed to hearing the expression ‘Arinare River’ (arinaregawa), and the ending of the poem is old-fashioned. The Gentlemen of the Left state: ‘are flooded over’ (take kosu hodo) sounds excessively modern.
In judgement: ‘Arinare River’ is unusual, and the final section of the Left’s poem is certainly old-fashioned. The ‘river of tears’’ (namidagawa) ‘channel buoys’ (miotsukushi) do seem to be enduring an excess of water, don’t’ they! The round should tie.