A poem composed by the deceased Emperor on the occasion of a visit to the Yoshino Palace.
み吉野の山のあらしの寒けくにはたや今夜も我が独り寝む
| miyosino no yama no arasi no samukeku ni pata ya koyopi mo wa ga pitori nemu |
Though in fair Yoshino The storm-winds off the mountains Feel so chill, Yet again tonight Will I sleep alone? |
Emperor Monmu (683-707; r. 697-707)
文武
Left (Win).
思ひあまりながむる空の掻き曇り月さへ我を厭ひつるかな
| omoFi’amari nagamuru sora no kakikumori tuki saFe ware wo itoFituru kana |
Filled full with love The sky on which I turn my gaze Is drowned in darkness; Even the moon from me Does shy! |
The Consultant Middle Captain 宰相中将
[Minamoto no Kuninobu 源国信]
25
Right.
嵐吹く夜寒の里の寝覚めにはいとど人こそ恋ひしかりけれ
| arasi Fuku yo samu no sato no nezame ni Fa itodo Fito koso koFisikarikere |
Stom winds rage Round my night-chilled home; Starting from sleep How much more do I love her now… |
The Minister of Justice 刑部卿
[Minamoto no Akinaka 源顕仲]
26
Left (Tie).
足引の山路の秋になる袖はうつろふ人のあらしなりけり
| ashihiki no yamaji no aki ni naru sode wa utsurou hito no arashi narikeri |
Leg wearying Mountain trails in autumn Have my sleeves become, For she fades from my life, as A departing storm… |
Lord Sada’ie.
971
Right.
この世には吉野の山の奧にだにありとはつらき人に知られじ
| kono yo ni wa yoshino no yama no oku ni dani ari to wa tsuraki hito ni shirareji |
Within this world, were I In the Yoshino mountains’ Heart, even so That cruel One would know it not! |
Jakuren.
972
The Right state: the Left’s poem does not refer to a specific mountain – we wonder whether this is acceptable? In addition, ‘in autumn have my sleeves’ (aki ni naru sode) and ‘she…as a storm’ (hito no arashi) is difficult to understand. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to indicate.
In judgement: in connection with the criticism made of the Left’s poem, I do not feel that it is always essential to refer to a specific mountain. The other matters are, indeed, difficult to understand. The underlying sense of the Right’s poem seems overly pretentious. It is reminiscent of the tales of Boyi and Shuqi, or of Jie Zhitui, and Mount Shouyang and Mount Mian. Really, it does put me in mind of the Four White-Headed Recluses of Mount Shang, where it says, ‘They emerged due to the plans of Zhang Liang, made for Huidi, who said, “Though I may lie down with the greybeards, enjoying Mount Shang myself, all, in the end, are people under Zhang Liang.”’ It is extremely difficult, in the end, to make these sentiments relevant to our own land. Thus, I find it inappropriate to accept the content of the Right’s poem. The Left’s poem has its faults, too, so cursorily, I make this round a tie.
Falling Leaves
紅葉ばを夜半の嵐の敷く庭は物忘れせて朝きよめすな
| momijiba o yowa no arashi no shiku niwa wa monowasuresete asa kiyomesu na |
Scarlet leaves By the midnight storm Are spread around the grounds: Put all from your mind, and Clear them not this morning! |
Minamoto no Nakazane
源仲実
山里の嵐に迷ふ柞原袂にかけて見るぞうれしき
| yamazato no arashi ni mayou hahasowara tamoto ni kakete miru zo ureshiki |
At a mountain dwelling Whipped into confusion by the storm, The oaks Do cling upon my sleeves – A pleasant sight to see! |
Minamoto no Akinaka
源顕仲
Composed in the Tenth Month of Jōhō 3 [1076] when the reigning emperor had made a progress to the River Ōi to go hunting.
大井川ふるきながれを尋ねきて嵐のやまの紅葉をぞ見る
| oFowigaFa Furuki nagare wo tadunekite arasi no yama no momidi wo zo miru |
The River Ōi: This ancient flow Have I come to visit, and Around the mount of storms, Scarlet leaves I see! |
Emperor Shirakawa
白河院
Left (Tie).
故郷を出でしにまさる涙かな嵐の枕夢に別れて
| furusato ni ideshi ni masaru namida kana arashi no makura yume ni wakarete |
My home I left in floods Of tears; The wild wind round my pillow Breaks us apart in dreams… |
Lord Sada’ie
899
Right.
東路の夜半の眺めを語らなん都の山にかゝる月影
| azumaji no yowa no nagame o kataranan miyako no yama ni kakaru tsukikage |
Upon the eastern roads All night I turn my gaze – Tell him that, O moonlight, sinking Toward the mountains round the capital! |
Nobusada
900
Both Left and Right say they find no faults.
In judgement: the Left starts with ‘My home I left in floods’ (furusato ni ideshi ni masaru) and concludes with ‘the wild wind round my pillow breaks us apart in dreams’ (arashi no makura yume ni wakarete) – this is a form of words the quality of which I am entirely unable to convey with my own clumsy expressions, but the Right’s ‘O moonlight, sinking toward the mountains round the capital’ (miyako no yama ni kakaru tsukikage) is awash with a sense of tears, so it is most unclear which should win or lose. Both truly seem to reflect the conception of this topic ‘Love and Travel’ well. The poems have been so good every round that my brush is drenched with this old man’s tears, and I can find no other way to express it.
いざさらは木の下道はよきてゆかむ嵐に絶へぬしづりひまなし
| iza saraba ko no shitamichi wa yokite yukamu arashi ni taenu shizuri hima nashi |
So, then, so be it! The path beneath the trees I’ll avoid, as I go For unable to stand the storm, There’s no space between bent branches! |
木の間よりなびく夕日のほどもなし嵐に吹雪く小夜の中山
| ko no ma yori nabiku yūhi no hodo mo nashi arashi ni fubuku sayo no nakayama |
From between the trees The evening sun tries to stream But finds no space; Wind-blown by the storms is Sayo-no-Nakayama. |
Ietaka
惜しめども花もとまらぬ不破の関山吹越ゆる春の嵐に
| oshimedomo hana mo tomaranu fuwa no seki yamabuki koyuru haru no arashi ni |
I do regret it, but The blossoms will not halt At the barrier of Fuwa; Passing over the golden kerria In the storms of spring… |
Asukai no Masatsune (1170-1221)
飛鳥井雅経