On plucking the zither, playing the flute, and enjoying herself somewhere.
聞く人のみみさへさむく秋風に吹きあはせたる笛のこゑかな
| kiku hito no mimi sae samuku akikaze ni fukiawasetaru fue no koe kana | The folk listening Have even had their ear chilled By the autumn breeze Blowing to them together with The flute’s notes! |
Izumi Shikibu (?-976?)
和泉式部
Left
をみなへし匂へる野辺にやどりせばあやなくあだの名をやたちなん
| ominaeshi nioeru nobe ni yadoriseba ayanaku ada no na o ya tachinan | A maidenflower Shines in the meadows, and Should I find lodging there, Carelessly, would fickle Rumour arise? |
Ono no Yoshiki
88
Right
秋風にさそはれ来つる雁がねの雲ゐはるかにけふぞ聞ゆる
| akikaze ni sasowarekitsuru kari ga ne no kumoi haruka ni kyō zo kikoyuru | On the autumn breeze Has come, inviting, A goose’s cry From among the distant clouds Today I hear it. |
89
Autumn
Left
秋の夜の有明にみれど久堅の月のかつらはうつろはぬかな
| aki no yo no ariake ni miredo hisakata no tsuki no katsura wa utsurouwanu kana | An autumn night’s Dawn I see, yet The eternal Moon’s silver trees Show no sign of fading! |
13
秋萩の花咲く比の白露は下ばのためとわきて置くべし
| aki hagi no hana saku koro no shiratsuyu wa shitaba no tame to wakite okubeshi | In autumn, the bush clover Flowers bloom—just then Silver dewdrops For the under-leaves Do fall, marking every one. |
14
秋風はいなばもそよとふきつめりかりみる程と成りやしぬらん
| akikaze wa inaba mo soyo to fukitsumeri kari miru hodo to nari ya shinuran | The autumn breeze Seems to rustle the rice stalks As it blows; Seeing if ‘tis time to reap them— Is that what it is, I wonder? |
15
Right
銀河とわたる舟は花薄ほにいづるほどぞかげもみゆべき
| ama no kawa towataru fune wa hanasusuki ho ni izuru hodo zo kage mo miyubeki | Across the River of Heaven A boat goes ferrying: When the silver grass Ears burst into bloom, Can its shape be seen. |
16
女郎花さがの花をば色ながら秋をさかりといはれずもがな
| ominaeshi saga no hana oba iro nagara aki o sakari to iwarezu mogana | Maidenflowers: Blossoms from Saga Reveal their hues, and In autumn are most fine—that Goes without saying! |
17
小男鹿の朝たつ霧にうりふ山嶺の梢は色こかりけり
| saoshika no asa tatsu kiri ni urifuyama mine no kozue wa iro kokarikeri | Stags Within the rising morning mist on Urifu Moutain, where The treetops on the peak Have taken darker hues. |
18
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the reign of the Kanpyō emperor.
秋風にほころびぬらし藤袴つづりさせてふきりぎりすなく
| akikaze ni Fokorobinurasi Fudibakama tudurisasete teFu kirigirisu naku | With the autumn breeze Seem to have bloomed and twined The asters Bound together by the rasping Crickets’ cries.[1] |
Ariwara no Muneyana
[1] This poem is composed around a dual wordplay, which I have not been able to closely replicate in the translation. Hokorobu is simultaneously both ‘bloom fully’ and ‘thread (a needle)’ while tsuzuru is both ‘sew together’ and an onomatopoeic representation of the sound that a cricket makes.
A chrysanthemum from the beach at Fukiage in the province of Ki.
秋風の吹上に立てる白菊は花かあらぬか波のよするか
| akikaze no Fukiage ni tateru siragiku Fa Fana ka aranu ka nami no yosuru ka | In the autumn breeze Gusting at Fukiage Are the white chrysanthemums Blooms, or are the not, and just The breaking waves? |
The Suga Prime Minister [Sugawara no Michizane]
8
This poem was included in Kokinshū (V:272), where it has a somewhat longer and more explanatory headnote.
Left (Win).
月ぞ澄む里はまことに荒れにけり鶉の床を拂ふ秋風
| tsuki zo sumu sato wa makoto ni arenikeri uzura no toko o harau aki kaze |
Clear shines the moon, dwelling O’er a house truly Gone to ruin; The quail’s bed Brushed by autumn breezes… |
347
Sada’ie’s poem alludes obliquely to a famous poetic exchange from the Kokinshū, initiated by Ariwara no Narihira.
Right.
繁き野と荒果てにける宿なれや籬の暮に鶉鳴く也
| shigeki no to arehatenikeru yado nare ya magaki no kure ni uzura nakunari |
Overgrown are these fields, and Is that a deserted Dwelling? By the fence at evening time The quails are crying. |
348
Both teams concur that there are no faults at all this round.
Shunzei agrees: ‘Both poems are on the theme of now deserted dwelling places and are equally beautiful in expression, with the Right’s work reminiscent of “Fushimi at evening time”, but this implies a broad vista, and is not “the fence at evening time” too narrow? The Left’s final section is better, and wins, I think.’
Left (Win).
ひとり寢る葦の丸屋の下露に床を傡べて鶉鳴く也
| hitori nuru ashi no maruya no shimo tsuyu ni toko o narabete uzura nakunari |
Sleeping singly In a reed-roofed hut, Dripped with dew, Beside my bed The quails are crying. |
345
Right.
秋風に靡く尾花の夕露や鶉が閨の雨と散るらむ
| akikaze ni nabiku obana no yūzuyu ya uzura ga neya no ame to chiruramu |
In the autumn breeze Flutter fronds of silvergrass, Scattering dewdrops On the quails’ roost – How like rain… |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
346
The Right state that the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state that, ‘“On the quails’ roost – how like rain” (uzura ga neya no ame) suggests that this is what it actually is.’
Shunzei disagrees: ‘It is not the case that uzura ga neya no ame definitely implies that it is actually rain, particularly with the scene set by dew on silvergrass. However, “beside my bed” (toko o narabete) is particularly attractive in expression. It should win.’