While he was residing at Mount Hiei, and someone asked him for some incense, he sent this, attached to a branch of plum from which the blossom had scattered.
春すぎてちりはてにける梅の花ただかばかりぞ枝にのこれる
Faru sugite tiriFatekeru mume no Fana tada ka bakari zo eda ni nokoreru
Spring is gone and All scattered are The plum blossoms: Only their fragrance Lingers on the branch!
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!
