Tag Archives: Heat Haze

Spring II: 21

Left (Tie).

いつとなく思亂れて過ぐる世にうら山しきは遊ぶいとゆふ

itsu to naku
omoimidarete
suguru yo ni
urayamashiki wa
asobu itoyū
Unendingly
Suffering
I pass my time within this world;
How I envy,
The wavering haze…

Kenshō.

101

Right (Tie).

空に知れ春の軒端に遊ぶ糸の思ふ筋なき身の行衛をば

sora ni shire
haru no nokiba ni
asobu ito no
omousujinaki
mi no yukue oba
Learn from the heavens!
Above my eaves in springtime,
Wavering fronds
To my disjointed thoughts
Show the way…

Nobusada.

102

Neither team has anything special to say about the other’s poem.

Shunzei states, ‘Both poems have splendid poetic form on a theme of the poet bewailing his lot. They must tie.’

Spring II: 20

Left (Win).

おぼつかな何ばかりなるいとゆふの軒端に人のながめ分くらん

obotsukana
nani bakari naru
itoyū no
nokiba ni hito no
nagamewakuran
How unclear!
For what, do
The wavering hazes
Along the eaves’ edges folks’
Gaze interrupt?

Lord Kanemune.

99

Right.

佐保姫や霞の衣織りつらん春のみ空に遊ぶいとゆふ

sao hime ya
kasumi no koromo
oritsuran
haru nomi sora ni
asobu itoyū
Has the goddess of Spring
A garb of haze
A’woven?
‘Tis only in the springtime skies, that
The heat haze wavers…

Lord Tsune’ie.

100

Here, the Right say that, ‘it’s unclear what gaze it is the haze is interrupting,’ but the Left have no comments to make.

Shunzei, however, says, ‘It is not the case that there is no reason to say “For what, do the wavering hazes” (nani bakari naru itoyū). The Right’s poem has “A garb of haze a’woven?”. “A’woven” (oritsuran) does not seem to correspond with the conclusion of the verse. In general terms, it’s banal [kotogoto furinitarubeshi]. The Left’s conclusion is somewhat difficult to interpret [kikiwakigataki yō], but in construction the poem is superb [utazama masari].’