あふせをば流れてとこそたのめしかいかにとだにも音なしのたき
ause oba nagarete to koso tanomeshi ka ika ni to dani mo otonashi no taki Our meeting, like the rapids,
Lady Ki
すみわぶる名をながさじとつつむまにしばしよどむぞ音なしの滝
sumiwaburu na no nagasaji to tsutsumu ma ni shibashi yodomu zo otonashi no taki Living on in sorrow and
Supernumerary Minor Captain Morotoki
つらしともいざやいかがはいはし水あふせまだきにたゆる心は
tsurashi to mo iza ya ikaga wa iwashimizu ause madaki ni tayuru kokoro wa How cruel!
Kazusa, in service to the Empress
In reply
世世ふともたえじとぞ思ふ神がきの岩ねをくぐる水の心は
yo yo futomo taeji to zo omou kamigaki no iwane o kuguru mizu no kokoro wa Age upon age may pass, yet
24
数ならで世に住江のみをつくしいつを待つともなき身なりけり
kazu narade yo ni sumie no mi o tsukushi itsu o matsu tomo nakimi narikeri Countless are
Master of the Left Capital Office Toshiyori
In reply
ながれてもあふせは絶えじ住江の身をつくしてもくちはててなん
nagaretemo ause wa taeji sumie no mi o tsukushitemo kuchihatetenan Flowing on, yet
Kazusa, in service to the Empress
Channel buoys. Image by Claudia Thorn from Pixabay
Left.
tsurenashi to
How cruel
Lord Kanemune
Right (Win).
harukanaru
Far, far away
Lord Takanobu
The Right state: we find the Left’s poem unconvincing. The Left state: the Right’s poem lacks any faults.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘my thoughts a river’ (omoigawa ) is certainly not unconvincing. The latter section of the Right’s poem sounds fine. It should win.
'Simply moving and elegant'
