Tag Archives: blossom

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 12

Original

ふるさとのかすがののべのくさもきもはるにふたたびあふことしかな

furusato no
kasuga no nobe no
kusa mo ki mo
haru ni futatabi
au kotoshi kana
At the ancient capital
Upon Kasuga’s plain,
Grasses and trees, both,
Springtime have twice
Met this year! [1]

Mitsune
34

Left (Win)

はるながらまたはるにあふかすがのにおひぬくさきはねたくやあるらん

haru nagara
mata haru ni au
kasugano ni
oinu kusaki wa
netaku ya aruran
‘Tis spring, but
That springtime once more has come
To Kasuga Plain,
Won’t the grasses and trees growing there
Be envied, indeed?

35

Right

ゆきかへるみちのやどりかかすがののくさきにはなのたびかさぬらむ

yukikaeru
michi no yadori ka
kasugano no
kusaki ni hana no
tabikasanuramu
Is it that arriving and departing,
The lodging on spring’s path lies
On Kasuga Plain, so
On the grasses and trees, blossom
Appears time and time again?

36


[1] This poem occurs in Mitsune-shū (322) with the same headnote as for poem (22), above. It was also included in Shinsenzaishū (X: 980), with the headnote, ‘Composed in place of the Governor of Yamato in Engi 21, on the day when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited the shrine at Kasuga.’

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 10

Original

さくらばなゆきとふるめりみかさやまいざたちよらむなにかくるやと

sakurabana
yukitourumeri
mikasayama
iza tachiyoramu
nani kakuru ya to
The cherry blossom
Seems to pass as falling snow
On Mikasa Mountain—
Say, let’s shelter ‘neath umbrellas there,
Whether they’ll conceal us or not…[1]

Mitsune
28

Left (Tie)

やまのなにたちしもよらじさくらばなゆきとふるともいろにぬれめや

yama no na ni
tachishi mo yoraji
sakurabana
yukitouru to mo
iro ni nureme ya
Based on the mountain’s name,
I would take no shelter from
The cherry blossoms, for
Even should they pass as falling snow
Would their hues wet my sleeves?

29

Right

かくるれどやまずゆきこそふりかかれみかさのやまははなやもるらん

kakururedo
yamazu yuki koso
furikakare
mikasa no yama wa
hana ya moruran
I have concealed myself, yet
Incessantly those snows
Do fall;
From Mikasa Mountain, will
The blossom drip, I wonder?

30


[1] This poem occurs in Mitsune-shū (328) with the same headnote as that for poem 22 (above). This is a somewhat facetious poem in that Mitsune is punning on the name of the mountain, Mikasa, which could be read to mean ‘honoured umbrella’. Both of the ladies composing this round pick up on his wordplay, with the author of (29) saying that there’s no need to take shelter as blossom will not leave a stain, as snow would, and the author of (30) wondering rhetorically if the blossom would drip from an umbrella as melting snow would.

Daikōtaigōgū no suke taira no tsunemori-ason ke uta’awase 30

Round Six

Left

しほ風の雲吹きはらふ秋のよは月すみわたる天のはしだて

shiokaze no
kumo fukiharau
aki no yo wa
tsuki sumiwataru
ama no hashidate
The tidewinds
Blow away the clouds
On an autumn night
The moon crossing clear above
Ama-no-hashidate…

Tamechika
59

Right (Win)

あかざりし花にたとへてながむれば月は心ぞすみまさりける

akazarishi
hana ni tatoete
nagamureba
tsuki wa kokoro zo
sumimasarikeru
A never sating
Blossom do I imagine it,
When gazing at
The moon, my heart is
Most wonderfully clear.

Lord Yorimasa
60

The Left: it is not possible to determine where the wind is blowing, yet saying ‘the tidewinds blow the clouds away’ conveys a different impression. The Right’s use of ‘imagine’ is unsatisfactory as a piece of diction, but this is not a significant fault, so it should win, I think.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 07

Original

わかなつむとしはへぬれどかすがのののもりはけふやはるをしるらむ

wakana tsumu
toshi wa henuredo
kasugano no
nomori wa kyō ya
haru o shiruramu
Plucking fresh herbs do
The years pass by, yet
On Kasuga Plain,
The wardens today
Must truly know ‘tis spring. [1]

Mitsune
19

Left (Tie)

けふ見てぞわれはしりぬるはなはなほかすがののべのものにぞありける

kyō mite zo
ware wa shirinuru
hana wa nao
kasuga no nobe no
mono ni zo arikeru
Today did I see, and
Understood it well, that
Blossom, truly,
Upon the meadows of Kasuga
Is best of all.

20

Right

ありへてもかすがののもりはるにあふはとしもわかなもつめるしるしか

arihete mo
kasuga no nomori
haru ni au wa
toshi mo wakana mo
tsumeru shirushi ka
Over passing ages,
For the wardens of Kasuga,
Encountering the springtime,
The years and the fresh herbs, both,
Have garnered as a sign, perhaps.

21


[1] A variant of this poem occurs in Shokugosenshū: In the twenty-first year of the same era, on a day when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited the shrine at Kasuga, he composed this in place of the official from the province of Yamato. としごとにわかなつみつつかすが野ののもりもけふやはるをしるらん toshi goto ni / wakana tsumitsutsu / kasugano no / nomori mo kyō ya / haru o shiruran ‘Every single year / Ever plucking fresh herbs / On Kasuga Plain / The wardens, too, today / Must truly know ‘tis spring.’Mitsune (XVI: 1032/1029)

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 06

Original

うぐひすのなきつるなへにかすがののけふのみゆきをはなとこそみれ

uguisu no
nakitsuru nae ni
kasugano no
kyō no miyuki o
hana to koso mire
While the warbler
Sings on
Kasuga Plain
Today, accompanying the progress, snow
As blossom does appear.[1]

16

Left (Win)

いまはしもはなとぞいはむかすがののはるのみゆきをなにとかは見む

ima wa shimo
hana to zo iwamu
kasugano no
haru no miyuki o
nani to ka wa mimu
Now, of all,
The blossom, I would describe,
On Kasuga Plain, as
Springtime progress snow—
What else can I say?

17

Right

ふるさとにゆきまじりたるはなと見ばわれにおくるなのべのうぐひす

furusato ni
yukimajiritaru
hana to miba
ware ni okuru na
nobe no uguisu
Around the ancient capital
Have I gone amidst the snow—
If as blossom I did see it, then,
O, don’t send me off,
Warbler upon the plain!

18


[1] SIS 1044 attributed to Fujiwara no Tadafusa ‘Headnote ‘Among the many poems presented by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited Kasuga.’

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 04

Original

ちはやぶるかすがのはらにこきまぜてはなともみゆるかみのきねかな

chihayaburu
kasuga no hara ni
kokimazete
hana tomo miyuru
kami no kine kana
On mighty
Kasuga plain
All blend together
Blossom seen with
The God’s servitors!

Mitsune
10

Left (Win)

かすがののはなとはまたも見えぬべしいまこむはるのかざしがてらに

kasugano no
hana to wa mata mo
mienubeshi
ima komu haru no
kazashigatera ni
Kasuga Plain’s
Blossom once more
Could be seen,
In the spring now lying ahead,
As a garland in its hair…

11

Right

はるがすみたちまじりつつゆくからにあだにもはなとみえにけるかな

harugasumi
tachimajiritsutsu
yuku kara ni
ada ni mo hana to
mienikeru kana
Amidst the haze of spring
Standing
Have we come, so
It might be untrue, but as blossom
Do we seem!

12

The Lady of the Right on this occasion mistook the word ‘plain’ in the original poem and wrote down ‘meadow’ instead. This was challenged by the Lady of the Left, saying, ‘That’s what we heard. When someone composes at variance with the conception of the topic, that’s a loss. Thus, the Lady of the Right loses.’

Tadafusa then said to His Majesty, ‘The character used to write “plain” can, in fact, also be used to write “field”. Even though the Right is inferior, it is still a fine poem, and so I would make this a tie.’

His Majesty responded, ‘The does not correspond to what has been said. You don’t seem to reached a logical conclusion.’

Tadafusa silently bowed his head, and after long while, eventually, said, ‘What the Lady of the Left has said is logical and appropriate.’

‘Well, then, judge again, based on this,’ His Majesty instructed, and the Lady of the Right lost, and was not permitted another composition.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 02

Original

さくらばなみかさのやまのかげしあればゆきとふるともぬれじとぞおもふ

sakurabana
mikasa no yama no
kage shi areba
yuki to furutomo
nureji to zo omou
When cherry blossom
Upon Mikasa mountain
Shows its shape,
Even should snow fall,
I’ll not get damp, I feel![1]

4

Left

このまよりはなのゆきのみちりくるはみかさのやまのもるにざるべき

ko no ma yori
hana no yuki nomi
chirikuru wa
mikasa no yama no
morunizarubeki
Between the trees
Simply a snow of blossom
Comes a’falling—
Mikasa mountain
Will certainly be covered![2]

5

Right (Win)

かすがのにゆきとふるてふはなみにぞみかさの山をさしてきにける

kasugano ni
yuki to furu chō
hanami ni zo
mikasa no yama o
sashite kinikeri
Upon Kasuga Plain,
Snow falls, they say—
Indeed, when viewing blossom
On Mikasa mountain, an umbrella
Raise up as you come!

6


[1] This is included in Shūishū (XVI: 1056) as an anonymous poem under the heading ‘Topic unknown’.

[2] This poem is included in Shinsenzaishū (II: 152), as an anonymous poem with the headnote: ‘Composed in reply to “When cherry blossom / Upon Mikasa mountain / Shows its shape, / Even should snow fall, / I’ll not get damp, I feel!”, which was among twenty-one poems by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber went to Kasuga.’

Daikōtaigōgū daijin kiyosuke-ason ke uta’awase 23

Round Twenty-Three

Left (Win)

雪ふかみしづのふせ屋もうづもれて煙ばかりぞしるしなりける

yuki fukami
shizu no fuseya mo
uzumorete
keburi bakari zo
shirushi narikeru
Snow so deep that
The peasants’ huts, too,
Are buried, and
The smoke, alone, is
Their only sign!

Kinshige
45

Right

花の春もみぢの秋もしるかりし松の木ずゑもみえぬ白雪

hana no haru
momiji no aki mo
shirukarishi
matsu no kozue mo
mienu shirayuki
By blossom is spring, and
By scarlet leaves is autumn
Known—
The treetops of the pines
Invisible with snow, so white.

Kūnin
46

The Left poem’s conception of ‘sign of smoke’ sounds particularly profound. As for the Right, it is possible for enough snow to fall to conceal a pine’s lower leaves, too, so the poem does not sound satisfying.