Left (Win).
yo to tomo ni
Together with the night
The Master 大夫
Right.
nami no yoru
The waves roll in
The Assistant Master 佐
Composed on the conception of love promised in a dream.
姿こそ寝覚の床に見えずとも契りしことの現なりせば
sugata koso
Your form
Consultant [Fujiwara no] Toshinori
荒れ果てて空しき床の形見には古き衾のむつましきかな
arehatete
From a disheveled
Higo, from the Residence of the Kyōgoku Regent
君こばと埴生の小屋の床の上に麻布小衾引きてこそをれ
kimi koba to
“If you should come…” I say, and
Minamoto no Toshiyori
Composed in Nara, when an acolyte named Jijū threw away his life in the Izumi River.
何事の深き思ひに泉川そこの玉もと沈み果てけん
nanigoto no
With what
Bishop Hangen
A poem about the provinces for the enthronement ceremony in Tenroku 1 [970]: The Izumi River.
泉河のどけき水のそこ見れば今年葉陰ぞすみまさりける
idumigaFa
At Izumi River
Taira no Kanemori
Left (Tie).
kakikurashi
All is darkened by
Lord Kanemune .
Right.
hitorine no
Sleeping solo
Lord Takanobu .
The Right state: while the Left’s poem does have a desirable sentiment, its expression is outrageous. The Left state: why, indeed, should there be a sound in the poet’s bed?
In judgement: the Left’s desirable sentiment is perfectly commonplace in poetry. The Right, with ‘dawntime rain’ (akatsuki no ame ), is elegant. The poems are comparable and tie.
Left.
hitorine no
Sleeping alone
Lord Kanemune .
Right (Win).
tsute ni dani
If only it brought a rumour
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office .
The Right state: what need is there for ‘again’ (mata ) in the Left’s poem? The Left state: the Right’s poem is difficult to recite.
In judgement: the Right’s final ‘from the pines plucks special’ (matsu ni wa koto ni ) is fine. It must win.
When converting the Man’yōshū to Japanese.
涙河底のみくづとなりはてて恋しきせぜに流れこそすれ
namidagaFa
A river of tears:
Minamoto no Shitagō
In reply [to a poem from Minamoto no Tsunefusa].
山伏も野伏もかくて試みつ今は舎人の閨ぞ床しき
yamaFusi mo
Sleeping in the mountains, and
Kenshu
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'Simply moving and elegant'