Flames.
君がもるゑじのたくひのひるはたえよるはもえつつ物をこそ思へ
| kimi ga moru wezi no taku Fi no Firu wa tae yoru Fa moetsutsu mono o koso omoFe | My lord stands guard at the Palace, A conscript kindling flames which Dwindle with the daytime, and Ever burn at night: As do I, for love of him. |
The end of the Sixth Month.
わぎもこがあせにそほつるねよりがみなつのひるまはうとしとやおもふ
| wagimoko ga ase ni soFoturu neyorigami natu no Firuma Fa utosi to ya omoFu | My darling girl Has sweat-soaked Sleep-tangled hair Daytime in summer is So troublesome, I feel! |
Sone no Yoshitada
Left
ひとりぬる我が手枕を昼はほし夜はぬらして幾代へぬらん
| hitori nuru wa ga tamakura o hiru wa hoshi yo wa nurashite iku yo henuran | Sleeping alone, Pillowed on my arm, In daytime it’s dry, and At night it’s drenched— How many ages will pass by so? |
184[1]
Right
ほのに見し人におもひをつけそめて心からこそしたにこがるれ
| hono ni mishi hito ni omoi o tsukesomete kokoro kara koso shita ni kogarure | Faintly did I see Her, and the fires of passion First ignited; From within my heart, I secretly smoulder. |
185[2]
[1] Shinsenzaishū XII: 1251/This poem is also included in Mandaishū (XII: 2360) with the headnote, ‘A poem from the Poetry Contest in One Hundred Rounds held by the Tōin Empress’.
[2] A minor variant of this poem, with a headnote attributing it to this contest, appears in Shokukokinshū (XI: 1038): よそにみし人におもひをつけそめてこころからこそしたにこがるれ yoso ni mishi / hito ni omoi o / tsukesomete / kokoro kara koso / shita ni kogarure ‘Casually did I see / Her, and the fires of passion / First ignited; / From within my heart, / I secretly smoulder.’
Left (Win).
大方の露は干る間ぞ別れける我が袖一つ殘る雫に
| ōkata no tsuyu wa hiruma zo wakarekeru wa ga sode hitotsu nokoru shizuku ni |
In general, The dew would daytime dry become While we are parted, but On my sleeves alone Remain droplets… |
Lord Sada’ie.
813
Right.
明ぬればひると聞しをいかなれば戀する袖は濡れまさる覧
| akenureba hiru to kikishi o ika nareba koisuru sode wa nuremasaruran |
When daylight comes Dry they should be, I heard, but Why is it, then, that The sleeves of one in love are So exceedingly damp? |
Lord Tsune’ie.
814
The Right state: the conception of the Left’s poem is somewhat unclear. The Left state: the contents of the Right’s poem are pedestrian.
In judgement: is the conception of the Left’s poem, of the droplets remaining on one’s sleeves throughout the day being dewfall really that unclear? On hearing the Right’s akenureba hiru, I wondered what had happened to the morning? In addition, just having hiru and not hiruma is confusing. The poem does not say enough.
Left.
歸りつる今朝こそあらめいかにこは干る間も知らぬ袖の氣色ぞ
| kaeritsuru kesa koso arame ika ni ko wa hiru ma mo shiranu sode no keshiki zo |
Having come home This morning, I am certain, Why is it that A daytime dry moment is a stranger To my sleeves? |
Lord Kanemune.
809
Right.
をのづから暮れ行く空を待つ程も頼むことゝは夢路成けり
| onozukara kureyuku sora o matsu hodo mo tanomu koto to wa yumeji narikeri |
While I For darkening skies Do wait, The only thing in which I can place my trust Is the path of dreams. |
Jakuren.
810
The Right state: we find no particular faults to mention. The Left state: we wonder about the appropriateness of placing one’s trust in dreams during the daytime. Was he having a nap?
In judgement: the conception of the Left’s poem is well developed from beginning to end. The Right’s poem has an elegant configuration, but it is unacceptable to have the speaker napping. However, the Left’s ‘Why is it that’ (ika ni ko wa) is unsatisfactory style. I have to say the poems are equal and tie.
Left.
物思へばひま行く駒も忘られてくらす涙を先おさふらん
| mono’omoeba hima yuku koma mo wasurarete kurasu namida o mazu osauran |
Sunk in gloomy thought, That the hours had flown so fast I did forget; First, the tears shadowing my sight I should suppress… |
A Servant Girl.
805
Right (Win).
人知れぬ戀忘れ貝拾ひかね塩の干る間も袖は濡れけり
| hito shirenu koi wasuregai hiroikane shio no hiru ma mo sode wa nurekeri |
Unknown to all is My love, and a forgotten mussel shell I could not find, so Even when the beach is daytime dry My sleeves are soaked. |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
806
The Right state: while ‘shadowed’ (kakikurasu) is a normal turn of phrase, we find ‘tears shadowing my sight’ (kurasu namida) to be unsatisfactory. The Left state: we wonder about the appropriateness of using shio no hiru ma alone for a play on words with hiru.
In judgement: The Left’s ‘That the hours had flown so fast I did forget’ (hima yuku koma mo wasurarete) gives the impression that the conception of the poem ought to be of waiting for dusk, but ‘First, the tears shadowing my sight I should suppress’ (kurasu namida o mazu osauran) seems to be something entirely different. As for the Right’s ‘Even when the beach is daytime dry my sleeves are soaked’ (shio no hiru ma mo sode wa nurekeri), I ask you, how can you think daytime isn’t a part of the phrase? The Right must win.
Composed on the conception of swearing one’s love in the middle of the day:
涙にや朽ちはてなましから衣袖のひるまと頼めざりせば
| namida ni ya kutiFatenamasi karakoromo sode no Firuma to tanomezariseba |
With tears Completely rotted will be My Cathay robe For to daytime dry the sleeves There is no one I can trust. |
Nakahara no Kiyoshige
中原清重