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Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn II: 4

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Left.

古の人を聞くにも秋の夜の窓打つ雨はさびしかりけり

inishie no
hito o kiku ni mo
aki no yo no
mado utsu ame wa
sabishikarikeri		 Long ago
The ladies, I hear,
On autumn nights
With rain beating ‘gainst the window
Were lonely, as am I…

Lord Kanemune.

367

Right.

軒近き松の風だにある物を窓打ち添ふる秋の村雨

noki chikaki
matsu no kaze dani
aru mono o
mado uchisouru
aki no murasame		 Close by my eaves,
Waiting, with the wind through the pines,
Striking,
The window, beaten by
Autumn showers.

Ietaka.

368

The Right complain, ‘In the Left’s poem, the poet seems to hear of the appearance of “long ago ladies”, but what is it that he hears – one would usually expect more, would one not?’ The Left have no criticisms of the Right’s poem.

Shunzei broadly agrees: ‘The Left’s poem, in saying “ladies, I hear” would certainly seem to be recollecting the concubines at the court of Xuanzong, but I wonder if this is clearly enough expressed in the poem? The Right’s final section “The window, beaten by Autumn showers” (mado uchisouru aki no murasame) sounds particularly fine. Thus, the Right wins.’