Composed on the conception of the beginning of winter at the time a hundred poem sequence was presented during the reign of Former Emperor Horikawa.
泉川水の水曲のふしづけに岩間の氷る冬は来にけり
| idumigaFa midu no miwada no Fusiduke ni iFama no koForu Fuyu Fa kinikeri |
On the River Izumi The water pools Around the fish-traps, Frozen between the rocks, Winter has come, indeed. |
Fujiwara no Nakazane
藤原仲実
A poem composed on the 17th day of the Eighth Month Tempyō 4 by Takahashi no Mushimaro, when Fujiwara no Umakai was sent into the west to inspect the military forces there.
白雲の 龍田の山の 露霜に 色づく時に うち越えて 旅行く君は 五百重山 い行きさくみ 敵守る 筑紫に至り 山のそき 野のそき見よと 伴の部を 班ち遣はし 山彦の 答へむ極み たにぐくの さ渡る極み 国形を 見したまひて 冬こもり 春さりゆかば 飛ぶ鳥の 早く来まさね 龍田道の 岡辺の道に 丹つつじの にほはむ時の 桜花 咲きなむ時に 山たづの 迎へ参ゐ出む 君が来まさば
| sira kumo no tatuta no yama no tuyusimo ni iroduku toki ni utikoete tabi yuku kimi pa ipopeyama iyukisakumi adamamoru tukusi ni itari yamanosoki no nosoki miyo to tomo no be wo akati tukapasi yamabiko no kotapemu kipami taniguku no sawataru kipami kunikata wo misitamapite puyugomori paru sariyukaba tobu tori no payaku kimasane tatsutadi no wokabe no miti ni nitutuzi no nipopamu toki no sakurabana sakinamu toki ni yamatadu no mukaemawidemu kimi ga kimasaba |
Clouds of white On Tatsuta Mountain When the frosty dewfall Shades it, Across it You will go, my Lord, Many mountains Passing, and At foe-warding Tsukushi arrive; On the mountains end, On the plains end, gazing; Sentry squads Dividing for despatch; Echoes from the mountains’ Bounds, Toad Testing limits Of the land A’viewing; Sealed in winter, then When spring comes once more As a soaring bird Swiftly return! When upon the trails of Tatsuta Upon the hillside paths Ochre azaleas Bloom brightly; When cherry blossom Blooms, Bearing elder flowers Will we come to greet you! Should you come home again… |
Shun’e
俊恵
Left (Win).
埋火のあたりの円居飽かぬ間は夜床の衾よそにこそ見れ
| uzumibi no atari no matoi akanu ma wa yodoko no fusuma yoso ni koso mire |
A charcoal fire-pit, And friendly folk gathered around: While I would not have it end My night time bedding Seems of little point! |
585
Right.
片敷きの袖冴え渡る冬の夜は床に衾の甲斐も無きかな
| katashiki no sode saewataru fuyu no yo wa toko ni fusuma no kai mo naki kana |
Just my single Sleeve is so chill On this winter’s night, The blankets on my bed Seem to do no good at all… |
586
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the use of ‘bedding of little point’ (fusuma yoso ni)? The Gentlemen of the Left state: we find no faults in the Right’s poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: Both poems are on ‘bedding’ (fusuma), with the Left saying that it seems of little purpose at a gathering around a charcoal fire-pit, and the Right, that it seems to be thin when the cold comes. So, we go from it doing no good, even if you do have it on, to it being pointless when you are happy and warm. What point are these poems trying to make, I wonder? The Left should win.
Left.
椎柴は冬こそ人に知られけれ言問ふ霰殘す木枯
| shiishba wa fuyu koso hito ni shirarekere koto tou arare nokosu kogarashi |
The brushwood, That ‘tis winter to folk Does tell; Hail raising cries from leave Left by the freezing winds. |
575
Right (Win).
深山邊を夕越え來れば椎柴の末葉に傳ふ玉霰哉
| fukayamabe yū koekureba shiishiba no ureba ni tsutau tama arare kana |
Just on the edge of mountain deeps, When evening has passed by, The brushwood’s Leaf-tips display Gemstone hail! |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
576
The Right state that the final section of the Left’s poem is ‘fierce’ [arashi]. The Left state that the Right’s ‘gemstone hail’ (tama arare) ‘sounds poor’ [kikiyokarazu].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Gentlemen of the Right have stated that the final section of the Left’s poem is ‘fierce’ – how can they say this? I would say that it appears perfectly pleasant [yoroshiku koso miehabere, ikaga]. However, the Right’s ‘when evening has passed by’ (yū koekureba) and ‘leaf-tips’ (ureba) seem a rather overblown style to me [kotogotoshiki fūtei ni miehaberi]. ‘Gemstone’ (tama), though, in addition to being a word used to praise something, is used in conjunction with ‘hail’, in ‘the echoes are chill as pearls falling one by one from a dragon’s jaw’ . There is nothing to criticise about it. Thus, the Right should win.
Left.
落ち積もる朽葉も下に無かりけり色も變らぬ嶺の椎柴
| ochitsumoru kuchiba mo shita ni nakarikeri iro mo kawaranu mine no shiishiba |
Fallen, piled Leaves underfoot Are there none; Unchanging are the hues Of brushwood on the peak. |
573
Right.
椎柴のしばしと思し世の中の四十の冬に成りけるかな
| shiishiba no shibashi to omoishi yo no naka no yosoji no fuyu ni narikeru kana |
To brushwood Briefly turned my thoughts Within this sad world Forty winters Have I reached. |
574
The Right can find nothing to criticise in the Left’s poem. The Left say, ‘This is a personal lament, as in the previous round.’
Shunzei’s judgement: ‘The Left’s poem sounds like a congratulatory poem (shūgen) without being one, and its diction and overall conception are splendid [sugata kotoba yoroshiku]. With regard to the Right’s poem, while it is true that one does not normally compose personal laments for poetry competitions [jukkai wa uta’awase ni uchimakasenu koto], it is not the case that there are absolutely no examples of this. While it is true that I find the diction and overall conception of the poem difficult to grasp [uta no sugata kotoba koso nanigoto to wa kokoroezu nagara], it sounds tasteful [yū ni kikoete], and it’s difficult to declare a winner this round. I must make it a tie.’
Left (Win).
冬ごもる賤の妻木に事添ひて風も折ける嶺の椎柴
| fuyugomoru shizu no tsumaki ni koto soite kaze mo orikeru mine no shiishiba |
Hemmed in by winter, Woodsmen make kindling, Just as The wind, too, does break The brushwood on the peak. |
569
Right.
冬寒み椎の眞柴を折鎖せど宿には風もたまらざりけり
| fuyu samumi shii no mashiba o orisasedo yado ni wa kaze mo tamarazarikeri |
In winter’s chill Evergreen brushwood I break to stop my door, yet My dwelling the wind Does naught to stop… |
570
The Right wonder about the use of ‘just as’ (koto soite). The Left merely state that the Right’s poem is ‘commonplace’ [tsune no koto nari].
Shunzei’s judgement: In the Left’s poem, should it not be ‘to the woodsmen’s kindling/add, will you?’ (shizu no tsumaki ni/soeyo to ya)? Using ‘just as’ (koto soite) does not seem a suitable expression in that it sounds somewhat pompous [yōyōshiku kikoyuru hodo]. As for the Right’s poem, ‘in winter’s chill’ (fuyu samumi) is an ordinary expression. ‘I break to stop my door, yet’ (orisasedo), too, lacks strong feeling. The final section of the Left’s poem, though, sounds pleasant [yoroshiku kokoyu]. It should win.