Left.

花は散りぬいかにいひてか人待たん月だにもらぬ庭の梢に

hana wa chirinu ika ni iite ka hito matan tsuki dani moranu niwa no kozue ni

The blossoms all are fallen, and What am I to say? Does it await folk visiting? The moonlight, leaving untouched The treetops in my garden…

A Servant Girl.

191

Right (Win).

春深き野邉の景色と見しほどに緑は宿のこずゑ也けり

haru fukaki nobe no keshiki to mishi hodo ni midori wa yado no kozue narikeri

Spring lay deep Across the fields I saw, and then The green was on my lodgings’ Treetops!

Jakuren.

192

Neither team has any comments to make about the other’s poem.

Shunzei states, ‘Both of these poems are superlative in configuration and diction [sugata kotoba tomo ni yū], but the Left’s “await folk visiting” (hito matan) seems slightly unsatisfying. The Right’s “green on my lodgings” (midori wa yado no) gives it a slight edge in configuration [sutata sukoshi wa masarubeku], and so it should win.”