yorozuyo mo tokiwa naranan kyō no tame iwaite ōsu sono no yomogi wa
For ten thousand ages more Evergreen, I would you be! For today’s Celebration, lushly growing Mugwort in the grounds…
3
Right
そののうちにおふるよもぎのえだしげみすゑさかゆべくみゆるきみかな
sono no uchi ni ouru yomogi no eda shigemi sue sakayubeku miyuru kimi kana
Within the grounds A’growing, the mugwort’s Branches are lush To the very end they flourish, As do you appear to, my Lord!
4
In ancient times, folk arose on this day with the dawn together with the birds and, taking those branches of mugwort from within their grounds that resembled people, dried them in the shade and made medicinal draughts—I wonder, were both Left and Right unaware of this? There is not even a dewdrop’s worth of diction in accordance with the topic, so I must make this round a tie.
かたかたにとるかたもなきよもぎぐさひとかずならぬここちこそすれ
katakata ni toru kata mo naki yomogigusa hito kazu naranu kokochi koso sure
Both sides say Nothing noteworthy about Mugwort plants,so Neither is worth much, I feel!
kasugayama chie ni sakayuru sakakiba wa yorozuyo made no kimi ga tame ka
Upon Kasuga Mountain A thousand branches grow, Leafy, on the sacred tree— Until ten thousand ages pass Will they ward my Lord!
Lady Kazusa 69
Right
君がよはいふかぎりなしみよしののこがねがみねにみよをまつまで
kimi ga yo wa iu kagiri nashi miyoshino no kogane ga mine ni miyo o matsu made
My Lord’s reign— Words cannot describe: ‘til fair Yoshino’s Golden peak’s Age one must await!
Lady Shikibu 70
The poem of the Left seems poetic to an extraordinarily outlandish degree! The poem of the Right’s ‘‘til fair Yoshino’s / Golden peak’s / Age one must await!’ has a sufficient conception of felicitation. Thus, these tie.
That the Left is addressed to Mount Kasuga is highly admirable. Is the Right’s ‘golden peak’ a reference to Mount Mitake? It’s very difficult to say anything profound here. Arbitrarily, I would make this a tie—the quality of the poems makes that seem right.
obotsukana izure izuchi no michi naramu shiori mo miezu fureru shirayuki
How strange! Which is which Path, I wonder? Even the laden branches go unseen In the falling snow, so white.
Retired from the World 47
Right
雪ふかみとなりのさともうづもれてけぶりのみこそしるしなりけれ
yuki fukami tonari no sato mo uzumorete keburi nomi koso shirushi narikere
So deep the snow, that The estate next door Is buried; Trails of smoke are the only Sign it’s there!
Senior Assistant Minister Past Lecturer
48
The poem of the Left’s ‘even the laden branches go unseen’ and what follows is both poetic and a familiar usage. As for the Right’s poem, how can ‘the estate next door be buried’ unless it’s the only place that snow is falling and nowhere else? Thus, I feel that the snow falling to conceal the broken branches has more feeling to it.
The Left’s ‘which path’ gives me the impression that there are many of them. This sense of multiplicity is something I can imagine—which is a good thing—and, I think, see me using myself. ‘Laden branches’ are something which occur on peaks deep in the mountains. It might be a bit remiss of me, but I wonder whether I can imagine snow drifting so high on a mountain peak?
As for the Right’s poem, we use ‘next door’ when there’s a fence of some sort between one estate and another, don’t we? As such, saying that the smoke is the sign is rather vague. Even if there’s been a quite extraordinary snowfall, there would be something other to notice as well as the smoke, so this is an error, isn’t it. It would be acceptable to refer to smoke if the estate were further away.
tsuyu sugaru niwa no hagiwara irozukinu ika naru hito no omoisomuran
All clung with dew, The bush clover grove in the grounds Has taken on such hues, that I wonder who it is Might have just fallen into passion’s flames?
Chikanari 61
Right (Win)
おく露は秋のならひの萩が枝にあまるや雁の涙なるらん
oku tsuyu wa aki no narai no hagi ga e ni amaru ya kari no namida naruran
Dewdrops falling is Autumn’s custom for The bush clover branches, but Added to them are the goose Tears, perhaps?[1]
Ie’kiyo 62
The Left’s poem has a person’s feelings being dyed by the bush-clover, but I cannot think why this should be? The Right’s poem seems particularly pleasant. Thus, it wins.
[1] An allusive variation on: Composed on the occasion of a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house. 秋の夜のつゆをばつゆとおきながらかりの涙やのべをそむらむ aki no yo no / tsuyu oba tsuyu to / okinagara / kari no namida ya / nobe o somuran ‘On Autumn nights / The dew as dewdrops / Falls, but, / Perhaps goose tears / Stain the fields?’ Mibu no Tadamine (KKS V: 258)
furusato no hagi no shitaba mo irozukinu tsuyu nomi fukaki aki no urami ni
In this old, familiar place The bush clover’s underleaves, too, Have changed their hue— Only the dew is deep As autumn’s misery…[1]
Dōchin 55
Right (Win)
白露の玉ぬきみだる萩が枝に涙かずそふ秋の夕暮
shiratsuyu no tama nukimidaru hagi ga e ni namida kazusou aki no yūgure
Silver dewdrop Pearls are strung in tangles on The bush clover’s branches— Innumerable tears added On an autumn evening…
Dharma Master Nyokan 56
Left and Right both have a refined style, yet the Right has a better tone and sounds elegant. Thus, it wins.
[1] An allusive variation on: 比日之 暁露丹 吾屋前之 芽子乃下葉者 色付尓家里 kono koro no / akatoki tsuyu ni / wa ga yado no / hagi no shitaba wa / irozukinikeri ‘Around thus time near / Dawn, the dewfall on / My dwelling’s / Bush clover underleaves / Has changed their hue!’ Anonymous (MYS X: 2182)
