Cherry Blossom
Left (Tie)
わがそのへいざかへりなむあさがほのひとはなさくらのはな りにけり
wa ga sono e iza kaerinamu asagao no hito hana sakura no wa na rinikeri To my garden, Well, I must return, for A morning glory’s Single bloom in flower seems To have turned it to a meadow.
Okikaze 9
Right
はるはきぬたねにまくべきいねはなさくらのはなへ におろしはててよ
haru wa kinu tane ni makubeki ine wa nasa kura no hana e ni oroshihateteyo Spring has come, and The seeds must be sown; No seedlings sprout Beside the storehouse Sow them all!
10
Love in the middle of the day.
契りおきしほどは近くやなりぬらむしをれにけりな朝顔の花
tigiri okisi
Fodo Fa tikaku ya
narinuramu
siworenikeri na
asagaFo no Fana
Does our promised
Time seem to
Draw near?
All drooping are
The morning glory blooms…
When someone was holding a plant-matching contest, and plants like morning glories were being compared, and a mirror blossom lay near her.
まけがたの耻かしげなる朝顏を鏡草にも見せてける哉
makegata no
Fadukasigenaru
asagaFo wo
kagamigusa ni mo
misetekeru kana
The loser
Seems so bashful:
The morning glory
To the mirror bloom
Has displayed herself!
Anonymous
When she was alone, an enquiry arrived from someone as to how she was, so she attached this to a morning glory and sent it to him.
夕暮のさびしき物は朝顔の花を頼める宿にぞ有りける
yuFugure no
sabisiki mono Fa
asagaFo no
Fana wo tanomeru
yado ni zo arikeru
The evening is
So lonely:
A morning glory
Bloom alone is trustworthy
At my house!
Anonymous
言に出でて云はばゆゆしみ朝顔の穂には咲き出ぬ恋もするかも
koto ni idete
ipaba yuyusimi
asagapo no
po ni pa sakidenu
kopi mo suru kamo
If in words
I were to speak out, ill-starred it would be, so
As a bellflower
Bud I will bloom not – that
Is how my love shall be!
On flowers.
臥いまろび恋ひは死ぬともいちしろく色には出でじ朝顔の花
koimarobi
kopi pa sinu tomo
itisiroku
iro ni pa idezi
asagapo no pana
Writhing
I may die of love, yet
Remarkably
No sign of passion’s hue will show, as on
A bellflower bloom.
[One of] two poems composed by Yamanoue no Okura listing the flowers of the autumn fields.
芽之花 乎花葛花 瞿麦之花 姫部志 又藤袴 朝皃之花
萩の花尾花葛花なでしこの花をみなへしまた藤袴朝顔の花
pagi no pana wobana kudupana nadesiko no pana wominapesi mata pudibakama asagapo no pana Bush clover blooms, Silver grass and kudzu, Pinks, Valerian And fujibakama , Morning glory blooms.
Yamanoue no Okura 山上憶良
朝顔の朝露置きて咲くと言へど夕顔にこそ匂ひましけれ
asagao no
asatsuyu okite
saku to iedo
yūgao ni koso
nioimashikere
Upon the morning glory
Drops the morning dew;
It blooms, they say, yet
It is the moonflower
I would rather scent…
Left.
今朝よりはさらば涙にまかせてん絞り逢ふべき袖の雫か
kesa yori wa
saraba namida ni
makaseten
shiboriaubeki
sode no shizuku ka
From this morning
Should it be that my tears
I will just let fall, for
I cannot wring out
These droplets from my sleeves…
Lord Suetsune .
793
Right.
我ごとく人や戀しき見るまゝにやがてしぼるゝ朝顔の花
ware gotoku
hito ya koishiki
miru mama ni
yagate shiboruru
asagao no hana
As much as I
Is there anyone in love?
While watching,
Soon enough languish,
The morning glory blooms…
Lord Takanobu .
794
The Right state: is saying ‘From this morning’ (kesa yori wa ) suggesting that the feelings have particularly arisen this morning? In response: this is simply the style of poetry. It is commonplace to use expressions such as ‘today it is that’ (kyō wa sa wa ) or ‘now it is that’ (ima wa sa wa ). The Left state: the initial two lines of the Right’s poem pay no attention to style.
In judgement: the Left’s poem, commencing ‘From this morning’ (kesa yori wa ) and then saying ‘Should it be that my tears’ (saraba namida ni ) does not seem poor. I do wonder about the final ‘These droplets from my sleeves’ (sode no shizuku ka ), though. As for the Right’s poem, I do not feel that the initial two lines lack attention to style. The entirety of both teams comments display no knowledge of poetry, and fail to identify the merits or faults of the opposing poems. I feel that both the Left and the Right poems this round are elegant. Thus, the round should tie.
Morning Glory.
朝な朝なさくか苔路の花よりもさかりはみゆる庭のあさがほ
asanasana
saku ka kokeji no
hana yori mo
sakari wa miyuru
niwa no asagao
Is it that with every morn
They bloom? The moss-strewn paths’
Blooms have not
The vigour, it seems,
Of my garden’s morning glories.
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'Simply moving and elegant'