Topic unknown.
難波潟みじかき蘆のふしのまも逢はでこの世をすぐしてよとや
| naniwagata mijikaki ashi no fushi no ma mo awade kono yo o sugushiteyo to ya | In the Naniwa tidelands, Brief, indeed, are the reeds’ Span between the knots upon their stalks, but Such times in this world without meeting you— Are you really telling me to just go on like that? |
Ise
Love Interrupted by a Single Night 隔一夜恋
笛竹のあなわづらはし一夜をもこぬをつらさのふしになせとや
| fuetake no ana wazurawashi hito yo o mo konu o tsurasa no fushi ni nase to ya | A bamboo flute – Unplayed, does suffer so; Even the space of a single night He does not come, does wrench and Knot – ‘Lie down and sleep!’ should I say that? |
Toshiyori
Left
笛竹のただ人ふしを契とてよよの恨を残せとや思ふ
| fuetake no tada hitofushi o chigiri tote yoyo no urami o nokose to ya omou |
A bamboo flute has But a single joint – and for but one night Did we join together, so Night after night of despair Did you think to leave behind? |
Lord Sada’ie
1089
Right (Win)
はるばると浪路分来る笛竹をわが恋妻と思はましかば
| harubaru to namiji wakekuru fuetake o wa ga koizuma to omowamashikaba |
Along the distant Sea-lanes, forging, came A bamboo flute: My own true love – If only I could think it that! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1090
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks any faults to mention. The Left state: the Right’s poem has not faults to point out.
In judgement: ‘night after night of despair’ (yoyo no urami o) in the Left’s poem sounds profound, but in actual fact is quite prosaic. In the Right’s poem, ‘sea-lanes, forging, came a bamboo flute’ (namiji wakekuru takefue o) has, I think, the contemporary conception of ‘it has come forging through many waves’. It seems evocative. Thus, the Right must win.