Breaking off a branch of plum blossom, he sent it to a certain person.
君ならで誰にかみせん梅花色をも香をも知る人ぞ知る
| kimi narade tare ni ka misen mume no Fana iro wo mo ka wo mo siru Fito zo siru | If not to you Then to whom should I present Plum blossoms? For their shades and their scent both, It is you who know them best of all… |
Tomonori
Left (Tie)
恋そめし思ひの妻の色ぞそれ見にしむ春の花の衣手
| koisomeshi omoi no tsuma no iro zo sore mi ni shimu haru no hana no koromode |
The first flush of love’s Scarlet passion for her: A hue that Stains the flesh, as spring’s Blossoms do the sleeves… |
Lord Sada’ie
1123
Right
飽かざりしそのうつり香は唐衣恋をすすむる妻にぞ有りける
| akazarishi sono utsurika wa karakoromo koi o susumuru tsuma ni zo arikeru |
I cannot get enough of Her scent transferred to My Cathay robe: Love for her begins With a skirt! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1124
The Right state: both the conception and diction of the Left’s poem are unclear. The Left state: the Right’s poem, in addition to being commonplace, has ‘begins’ (susumuru) which is unimpressive.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, while ‘blossoms do the sleeves’ (hana no koromode) is evocative, ‘a hue that’ (iro zo sore) is certainly extremely difficult to understand. In the Right’s poem, both ‘Cathay robe’ (karakoromo) and ‘with a skirt’ (tsuma ni zo arikeru) seem elegant, but I wonder about the impression of ‘her scent transferred’ (sono utsurika) and ‘begins’. It is unclear which poem is superior or inferior, so the round should tie.
冬こもり春咲く花を手折り持ち千たびの限り恋ひわたるかも
| puyu komori paru saku pana wo tawori moti titabi no kagiri kopiwataru kamo |
Sealed in winter Springtime’s blooming blossoms Do I take in hand – A thousand times and more Does love for you fill my thoughts. |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
柿本人麻呂歌集
花の散り紅葉流るる山川も人を渡さむためとこそ聞け
| hana no chiri momiji nagaruru yamakawa mo hito o watasamu tame to koso kike |
Blossoms fall, and Flowing scarlet leaves This mountain stream Would hand to her – That is what it sounds like! |
Fujiwara no Shunzei
夕まぐれ下照る宿の橘の花咲くほどになるぞうれしき
| yūmagure shita teru yado no tachibana no hana saku hodo ni naru zo ureshiki |
Tangled in twilight Beneath my home gleam Orange Blossoms blooming, a time Of certain joy! |
Minamoto no Akinaka
源顕仲
When former emperor Reizei was Crown Prince, and ordered that a hundred poem sequence be presented.
花の色に染めし袂の惜しけれは衣かへうきけふにもあるかな
| Fana no iro ni somesi tamoto no wosikereba koromo kaFe uki keFu ni mo aru kana |
The blossoms’ hue Has dyed my sleeves, So I do regret The sorrow of changing clothes On this day today… |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
源重之
For a folding screen for His Majesty, in the Tenryaku Era.
散りぬべき花見る時は管のねの長き春日も短かゝりけり
| tirinubeki Fana miru toki Fa suga no ne no nagaki Faru Fi mo midikakarikeri |
Sure to fall are These blossoms – at the sight Sedge-root Long spring days do Seem so short! |
Fujiwara no Kiyomasa (?-958)
藤原清正
A poem from the Empress’ Poetry Competition in the Kanpyō period.
春たてど花もにほはぬ山里は物うかる音に鶯ぞなく
| Faru tatedo Fana mo niFoFanu yamazato Fa mono’ukaru ne ni uguFisu zo naku |
Spring has come, yet The blossoms do not shine At my mountain home How reluctantly Does the warbler sing… |
Ariwara no Muneyana
在原棟梁
我が行きは七日は過ぎじ龍田彦ゆめこの花を風にな散らし
| wa ga yuki pa nanuka pa sugizi tatutapiko yume kono pana wo kaze ni na tirasi |
My journey Will not pass seven days, so O, Tatsutahiko, I beg you these blossoms Do not scatter with your winds! |
峯つづき花に心のとまりつつ雪もやられず志賀の山越
| mine tsuzuki hana ni kokoro no tomaritsutsu yuki mo yararezu shiga no yamagoe |
All along the peaks The blossoms in my heart Do rest, and There is no snow at all On the path across the Shiga Mountains. |