花におく露をしづけみしらすげのまのの萩原しをれあひにけり
| hana ni oku tsuyu o shizukemi shirasuge no mano no hagiwara shioreainikeri | Upon the blossom fallen Dewdrops bring quiet to White-sedge covered Mano’s bush-clover groves, All drooping together. |
Tag Archives: blossom
Kinkai wakashū 203
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.
