Composed one year when there was an intercalary moon in the Third Month.[1]
さくら花春くははれる年だにも人のこころに飽かれやはせぬ
| sakurabana haru kuFaFareru tosi dani mo Fito no kokoro ni akare ya wa senu | O, cherry blossoms! Even when extra spring Is added to the year, To folk’s hearts Won’t you give satisfaction? |
Ise
[1] Probably 904.
Left (Tie)
東路や萱津の原の朝霧に起き別るらん袖はものかは
| azumaji ya kayatsu no hara no asagiri ni okiwakaruran sode wa mono ka wa | On the eastern roads, Upon the field of Kayatsu With the morning mists Does he rise and part, but Are his sleeves as mine? |
Lord Ari’ie
1161
Right
さまざまにうつる心も鏡山影見ぬ人を恋ふるものかは
| samazama ni utsuru kokoro mo kagamiyama kage minu hito o kouru mono ka wa | Many Hearts does she attract upon Mirror Mount, But with one whose face remains unseen Would I fall in love? |
Lord Takanobu
1162
The Right state: the Left’s poem is fine. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: both poems are certainly by men entranced by thoughts of player-girls. The configuration and diction of ‘are his sleeves as mine?’ (sode wa mono ka wa) and ‘would I fall in love?’ (kouru mono ka wa) are both not unpleasant. Thus, I make this a tie.
Left (Tie)
君ゆへもかなしき琴の音は立てつ子を思ふ鶴に通ふのみかは
| kimi yue mo kanashiki koto no ne wa tatetsu ko o omou tsuru ni kayou nomi ka wa |
For you In sadness has my zither Put forth strains, so Can a crane calling for her chick Be the only one to cry? |
A Servant Girl
1101
Right
よそになる人だにつらき琴の音に子を思ふ鶴も心知られて
| yoso ni naru hito dani tsuraki koto no ne ni ko o omou tsuru mo kokoro shirarete |
Strangers to me – Even they the pain Within my zither’s strains, As a crane calling for her chick, Feel in their hearts! |
Ietaka
1102
Left and Right together: no faults to mention.
In judgement: both Left and Right mention ‘a crane calling for her chick’ (ko o omou tsuru). This would appear to be after the conception of the pentachord in Bai’s Works: ‘The third and fourth strings are chill, and at night a crane, loving her chick, calls from her cage.’ This is not the usual zither with seven strings, but it is certainly also a kind of zither. In the topic ‘On Zithers’ there is certainly no issue with alluding to Japanese zithers or Chinese ones, is there? In any case, neither poem seems greatly inferior or superior, so the round ties.
Left.
人心緒絶えの橋に立かへり木の葉降りしく秋の通ひ路
| hito kokoro odae no hashi ni tachikaeri ko no ha furishiku aki no kayoiji |
Our hearts On the broken bridge at Odae Do stand; Fallen leaves swept along The autumn paths back and forth… |
Lord Sada’ie.
1011
Right.
思はずに緒絶えの橋と成ぬれどなを人知れず戀わたるかな
| omowazu ni odae no hashi to narinuredo nao hito shirezu koi watarukana |
Unthinkingly To the broken bridge of Odae Have we come, yet Still, unknown to all, Might our love make a crossing? |
Lord Tsune’ie.
1012
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the purpose of ‘fallen leaves swept along’ (ko no ha furishiku) in the Left’s poem. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: Both the poems of the Left and of the Right use ‘bridge of Odae’ (odae no hashi) which is tasteful. The Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along’ must be following Ise Monogatari. The gentlemen of the Right must surely be pretending ignorance! The poem of the Right, too, has an elegant total configuration, but ‘unknown to all’ (hito shirezu) is at odds with the emotional overtones. Thus the Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along the autumn paths back and forth’ is better. I make it the winner.
Left
時鳥雲井の声を聞く人は心も空になりぞしにける
| Fototogisu kumowi no kowe wo kiku Fito Fa kokoro mo sora ni nari zo sinikeru |
A cuckoo From the clouds your call Folk hear, and Their hearts with the skies One do become! |
11
Right (Win)
小夜更けて起きて待たずば時鳥はつかなる音もいかで聞かまし
| sayo Fukete okite matazuba Fototogisu Fatukanaru ne mo ikade kikamasi |
A brief night dawns, and Had I not awaited to arise A cuckoo’s Momentary cry Somehow I might have heard… |
12
At a time when she was living with relatives, and the bush-clover was blooming particularly beautifully, the master of the house was somewhere else and not communicating, so she sent this to him.
白露も心おきてや思ふらむぬしもたづねぬやどの秋はぎ
| siratuyu mo kokoro okite ya omoFuramu nusi mo tasunenu yado no aki Fagi |
Silver dewdrops Also fall on their hearts I feel; As the master pays no call On his dwelling’s autumn bush-clover. |
Chikuzen Wet Nurse
筑前乳母
Left.
筒井つゝ井筒にかけし丈よりも過ぬや通ふ心深さは
| tsutsui tsutsu itsutsu ni kakeshi take yori mo suginu ya kayou kokoro fukasa wa |
The pipe well Covered over: More than its height Have passed The depths of our hearts. |
Kenshō.
853
Right (Win).
筒井つにかけしためしをいかに我結び知らせん春の若水
| tsutsui tsu ni kakeshi tameshi o ika ni ware musubi shirasen haru no wakamizu |
The pipe well Was covered once, So how can I Tell you that cupping my hands For Spring’s water, makes me young once more. |
Lord Takanobu.
854
The Right state: the upper section of the Left’s poem is little different from its origin poem, while its lower part is grating on the ear. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no particular faults to mention.
In judgement: in addition to the use of ‘the pipe well’ (tsutsui tsu) by both Left and Right not being that unusual, the Left’s ‘pipe well’ having surpassed its height does not sound that profound in conception. ’Spring’s water, makes me young’ (haru no wakamizu) isn’t bad, so the Right wins.