Round Two

Left (Win)

にはびたくあたりをぬるみおくしものとけぬや月のひかりなるらむ

niwabi taku atari o nurumi oku shimo no tokenu ya tsuki no hikari naruramu

Braziers kindled shed Warmth all around, so That the fallen frost Melts not, due to the moon’s Light might be?

Lord Fujiwara no Sanefusa
Major Counsellor
Exalted Junior Second Rank[i]
3

Right

ひとすぢにあふぐこころをすみよしのそらゆく月にわけぞやらるる

hito suji ni ōgu kokoro o sumiyoshi no sora yuku tsuki ni wake zo yararuru

With my whole Heart I worship Sumiyoshi, for He The moon travelling through the skies Has dispensed!

Lord Minamoto no Yorimasa
Supernumerary Master of the Right Capital Office
Exalted Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade[ii]
4

The Left’s poem has a novel conception, while appearing to use familiar diction. The Right’s emotions, whereby whole-hearted faith sees the moon as provided by the deity when seeing it, also sound extremely charming, yet, still, the configuration of ‘melts not, the moon’ appears more in keeping with a poem for a poetry match, and thus the Left wins.

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[i] Jūni’i-gyō gondainagon Fujiwara ason Sanefusa 従二位行権大納言藤原朝臣実房

[ii] Jūyon’i-gyō sakyō gontaifu Minamoto ason Yorimasa 従四位上行左京権大夫源朝臣頼政