Composed at the home of the Regent and Former Prime Minister.
霜枯るゝ花とも見ずは白菊の移ろふ色を歎かさらまし
| shimogaruru hana to mo mizu wa shiragiku no utsurou iro o nagekazaramashi |
If frost-burned Flowers I failed to spot, White chrysanthemums’ Shifting hues Might not cause me grief… |
Minamoto no Koremitsu
Left (Win).
さまざまの花をば菊に分とめて墻根に知らぬ霜枯の比
| samazama no hana o ba kiku ni waketomete kakine ni shiranu shimogare no koro |
Of all the many Flowers, the chrysanthemums Alone are last; I knew not they were by the fence, and Now burned by frost… |
493
Right.
移ろふか又咲花もなき花と菊にも染めつ深き心を
| utsurou ka mata saku hana mo naki hana to kiku ni mo sometsu fukaki kokoro o |
Is it their changing hues? Later blooming flowers Are there flowers none, so The chrysanthemums stain The depths of my heart… |
494
The Right state that the Left’s poem is difficult to understand, and that it would have better to have had ‘unknown to all’ (shirarenu) in place of ‘I knew not’ (shiranu).The Left state that the ‘diction of the Right’s poem does not flow smoothly’ [kotoba, todokohoritari].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘alone at last’ (waketomete) is something I wonder at the meaning of, however, the final section is excellent [yoroshiku haberubeshi]. The Right’s poem appears to express the conception [kokoro aru yō ni wa haberu o], but due to the dual use of ‘flowers’ (hana), ‘chrysanthemums’ (kiku) are reduced to a hidden topic [kakushidai naru yō naru], and this sounds insufficient. The Left wins.
Left.
初霜や秋をこめても置きつらん今朝色變る野路の篠原
| hatsujimo ya aki o kometemo okitsuran kesa iro kawaru noji no shinohara |
Have the first frosts In the midst of autumn Fallen? This morning has brought a change of hue To the arrow-bamboo groves in Noji! |
465
Right (Win).
いかに又秋は夕と眺め來て花に霜置く野邊の明ぼの
| ika ni mata aki wa yūbe to nagamekite hana ni shimo oku nobe no akebono |
How much more striking Than an autumn evening Spent gazing, is The frost fallen on the flowers In the fields at dawn! |
466
Neither team finds any fault with the other’s poem this round and say as much.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘frost’ (shimo) on the ‘arrow-bamboo groves in Noji’ (noji no shinohara) is certainly elegant [yū ni wa haberubeshi]. The Right’s ‘frost fallen on the flowers’ (hana ni oku shimo) is, too; although there is no difference in formal quality [uta no sama wa ikuhodo sabetsu naku] between them, ‘frost fallen on the flowers’ at ‘dawn’ (akebono) is more arresting [midokoro ya haberu] than ‘arrow-bamboo groves’.
Left.
春秋に富める宿には白菊を霞の色に浮べてぞ見る
| haru aki ni tomeru yado ni wa shiragiku o kasumi no iro ni ukabete zo miru |
Long life’s Blessings to this house: White chrysanthemums In pale blue haze Adrift, I see… |
453
Right.
君を思ふ祝に菊を摘み初めて秋も限らぬ花とこそ見れ
| kimi o omou iwai ni kiku o tumisomete aki mo kagiranu hana to koso mire |
Wishing for my Lord’s Long life, chrysanthemums I have first plucked; Not of autumn alone Do these flowers seem! |
454
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left say that they do not feel the Right’s poem quite expresses all that it attempts to do.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘Long life’s blessings to this house’ (haru aki ni tomeru yado ni wa) must be a reference to the Hall of Longevity. What does ‘in pale blue haze adrift’ (kasumi no iro ni ukabu) mean, though? Even though sake is referred to as ‘flowing haze’, to simply say ‘in pale blue haze’ suggests that one is really referring to haze, itself. Left and Right have strengths and weaknesses and there is no clear difference between them.
Left.
むぐらはふ賤が垣根も色はへて光ことなる夕顔の花
| mugurawau shizu ga kakine mo irowaete hikari kotonaru yūgao no hana |
Creeping from the matted growth The peasant’s fence Shines with the fair hues Of a special light: Moonflower blooms. |
275
Right.
たそがれにまがひて咲ける花の名をゝちかた人や問はば答へむ
| tasogare ni magaite sakeru hana no na o ochikata hito ya towaba kotaemu |
In the dusk Entangled, blooming; The flowers’ name A distant stranger Were I to ask, would he reply? |
276
The Right wonder whether the expression ‘shine with fair hues’ (irowayu) is quite proper. The Left complain that ‘in the poem “distant stranger/will I raise my voice” there is no mention of moonflowers.
Shunzei states, ‘In the Left’s poem, it might be acceptable to talk of the “fence’s hue” (kakine no iro), but “shines with the fair hues” (irowaete)is undesirable. As for the Right’s poem, the response to the “distant stranger” in the original poem contains the phrase ‘when in Spring’ (haru sareba). It is certainly not a reference to moonflowers. In Genji, the Prince sees some white blossoms, and mentions the “distant strangers”; his bodyguard hears and understands, saying, “Those are called moonflowers,” and this is no mistake, however, to refer to Genji so obliquely is poor. It does the work a disservice. Still, with the Left’s “shines with fair hues” it is difficult to determine a winner. A tie it is!”
Left (Tie).
さかづきの流れにつけて唐人の船乘りすなるけふをしぞ思
| sakazuki no nagare ni tsukete karahito no fune norisu naru kyō o shi zo omou |
As the wine cups Flow, Cathay folk, Boarding boats This day, comes to my mind. |
145
Right (Tie).
ゆく水に浮ぶる花のさか月や流れての代のためしなるらん
| yuku mizu ni ukaburu hana no sakazuki ya nagarete no yo no tameshi naruran |
Upon the flowing waters Floating flowers of Wine cups! In times gone by, Was there ever such a thing? |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
146
Both Left and Right say they have no criticisms to make this round.
Shunzei says, ‘The Left’s poem recalls an ancient Chinese festival, while the Right’s mentions one from our own Court. In terms style and form, neither poem has any particular problems. The round must tie.’
Left (Win).
をそくとくをのがさまざま咲く花も一つ二葉の春の若草
| osoku toku ono ga samazama saku hana mo hitotsu futaba no haru no wakakusa |
Slow, or distant, Each has their own Way to bloom, yet all the flowers First put forth fresh leaves, Fresh grasses in the springtime |
45
Right.
いろいろの花咲くべしと見えぬかな草立ほどの野邊のけしきは
| iroiro no hana sakubeshi to mienu kana kusa tatsu hodo no nobe no keshiki wa |
In many colours Will the flowers bloom – The scene does not seem so, When just the grass has sprouted All across the plain… |
46
Both teams state that their poems are of the same order.
Shunzei remarks that both poems are in the spirit of the Kokinshū’s ‘In green/The grasses seem as one/When seen in springtime’, and neither has a substantial advantage over the other, except that the Right’s ‘when just the grass has sprouted’ might be an ‘undesirable expression’?
In reply:
春されば 野邊にまづ咲く 見れどあかぬ 花まひなしに たゞ名のるべき 花の名なれや
| Faru sareba nobe ni madu saku miredo akanu Fana maFinasi ni tada nanorubeki Fana no na nare ya |
Spring is come, and The plain before me blooms, and Of the sight never will I have my fill; Such flowers, for no recompense, Should they be styled, Their name given? |