Left
あきののをみなへし るともささわけにぬれにしそでやはなとみゆらむ
aki no no o mina heshi ru to mo sasa wake ni nurenishi sode ya hana to miyuramu Through the autumn meadows[1]
3
Right
をみなへしあきののかぜにうちなびきこころひとつをたれによすらん
ominaeshi aki no nokaze ni uchinabiki kokoro hitotsu o tare ni yosuran The maidenflower,
The Minister of the Left[2] [3]
[1] This poem is an acrostic, where the syllables of the word ‘maidenflower’ (ominaeshi ) are included as part of other words in the poem. It is thus understood that the final reference to ‘flowers’ (hana 花) is to these.
[2] Fujiwara no Tokihira 藤原時平 (871-909).
[3] Kokinshū IV: 230; Shinsen man’yōshū 532; Kokin rokujō 3660
いもがかみうつをざさののはなれごまたはれにけらしあはぬ思へば
imo ga kami My darling’s hair
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
あさまだきをざさが原を分けゆけば露けぎ袖を人やとがめん
asa madaki Just before the break of dawn
Daishin
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
露しげきをざさが原を分けゆけば衣のすそになびくしら玉
tsuyu shigeki Drenched with dew is
Higo
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
葉をしげみ道見えずとてやすらへばそよそよといふをざさ原かな
ha o shigemi So lush the leaves
Kanemasa
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
まとはるるまくずまじりの玉ざさはたまさかにかるもうるさかりけり
matowaruru Entangled with
Tadafusa
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
山川の岩まのささのひたすらにしのびしふしはあらはれにけり
yamakawa no Along a mountain stream
Toshiyori
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
ふむ人もなき庭に生ふる玉ざさのこたふばかりにふるあられかな
fumu hito mo No folks’ feet tread
Nakazane
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
あさタに露のしら玉みるものをいたくなかりそ岡のささはら
asa yū ni Morning and evening both
Akinaka
Left (Win).
霜結ぶ秋の末葉の小篠原風には露のこぼれしものを
shimo musubu
Bound with frost
A Servant Girl.
467
Right.
月見れば霜に光を添へてけり秋の末葉の有明の空
tsuki mireba
Looking at the moon,
Lord Takanobu.
468
The Right state that, ‘If it were ‘dewdrops flung by the wind’ (tsuyu wa kaze ni koboreshi ), the conception [kokoro] of the Left’s poem would be easier to understand.’ The Left respond that, ‘The meanings of both are identical. However, in the Right’s poem it is not clear what the ‘last leaf’ (sueba ) is.’
Shunzei’s judgement: ‘The Right’s poem, in addition to the expression ‘autumn’s last leaf’ having no clear referent, shows a weakness of conception [kokoro sukunaku kikoyu ] with ‘looking at the moon’ (tsuki mireba ). The Left, progressing from, ‘bound with frost’ (shimo musubu ) to ‘leaf tips’ (sueba ) and then ‘dwarf-bamboo grove’ (ozasawara ) sounds most fine [yoroshiku kikokyu ]. Thus, the Left must win.
'Simply moving and elegant'