Composed when a man who had said she could definitely rely on him to come with the evening, said she would not see him until the 20th of the month.
契りおきし人も梢の木間よりたのめぬ月の影ぞもりくる
| tigiri okisi Fito mo kozuwe no ko no ma yori tanomenu tuki no kage zo morikuru |
He promised, but He does not come, and from the treetops Through the trees The fickle moon’s Light comes dripping. |
Horikawa, from the Regent’s Household
摂政家堀川
Left.
人心さのみはいかゞ水無瀬川我には淺き契なるらむ
| hito kokoro sa nomi wa ikaga minasegawa ware ni wa asaki chigiri naruramu |
Her heart Is just like it; why as The Minase River So shallow for me Should her feelings be? |
Lord Suetsune
993
Right (Win).
いかにして影をも見まし澤田河袖つくほどの契りなりとも
| ika ni shite kage o mo mimashi sawadagawa sode tsuku hodo no chigiri naritomo |
No matter what I would see her face in The River Sawada, Even if my sleeves get drenched By my feelings… |
Ietaka.
994
Both Left and Right together state: there are no faults to indicate.
In judgement: using ‘the Minase River’ (minasegawa) preceded by ‘is just like it; why as’ (sa nomi wa ika ni) sounds charming in style, but ‘should her feelings be?’ (chigiri naruramu) means the end of the poem is a bit dry! ‘The River Sawada, even if my sleeves get drenched’ (sawadagawa sode tsuku hodo no) sounds pleasant. Thus, the Right wins.
Left (Tie).
聞きわたるありなれ河の水にこそ影を傡べて住まゝほしけれ
| kikiwataru arinaregawa no mizu ni koso kage o narabete sumamahoshikere |
Echoes cross The Arinare River’s Waters; Bringing to mind the face Of the one I would be with… |
Kenshō
985
Right.
涙川逢ふ瀬も知らぬみをつくし丈越す程になりにけるかな
| namidagawa ause mo shiranu miotsukushi take kosu hodo ni narinikeru kana |
A river of tears: I know no way for us to meet, so The channel buoys, my soul, Are flooded over – That is how they be! |
Nobusada
986
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we are not accustomed to hearing the expression ‘Arinare River’ (arinaregawa), and the ending of the poem is old-fashioned. The Gentlemen of the Left state: ‘are flooded over’ (take kosu hodo) sounds excessively modern.
In judgement: ‘Arinare River’ is unusual, and the final section of the Left’s poem is certainly old-fashioned. The ‘river of tears’’ (namidagawa) ‘channel buoys’ (miotsukushi) do seem to be enduring an excess of water, don’t’ they! The round should tie.
A poem about the provinces for the enthronement ceremony in Tenroku 1 [970]: The Izumi River.
泉河のどけき水のそこ見れば今年葉陰ぞすみまさりける
| idumigaFa nodokeki midu no soko mireba kotosi Fakage zo sumimasarikeru |
At Izumi River The peaceful waters’ Bed I see; This year the shadows of the leaves Are truly clear, indeed. |
Taira no Kanemori
平兼盛
泉川のどけき淵の陰見れば今年の秋ぞすみはじめける
| idumigaFa nodokeki Futi no kage mireba kotosi no aki zo sumiFazimekeru |
Izumi River’s Peaceful pools In shadow do I see; This year’s autumn is, indeed, Drawing to an end. |
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu
いにしへの人は水際に影絶えて月のみ澄める広沢の池
| inishie no hito wa migiwa ni kage taete tsuki nomi sumeru hirosawa no ike |
In ancient times Did folk by the water’s edge Leave their shadows – gone now, and Only the moon is clear above The pond at Hirosawa. |
Minamoto no Yorimasa
源頼政
咲きにけり苗代水に影見えて田中の里の山吹の花
| sakinikeri naFasiro midu ni kage miete tanaka no sato no yamabuki no Fana |
So, they have bloomed; Among the waters of the seedling beds Do I see the light; At the dwelling among the rice-fields Of the kerria blooms. |
Taikenmon’in Horikawa
待賢門院堀河
はかなしや田中の里は稲妻の程なき影を頼めてぞふる
| hakanashi ya tanaka no sato wa inazuma no hodo naki kage o tanomete zo furu |
So briefly At this dwelling among the fields Upon the lightning’s Lengthless light Can I rely and lie me down… |
Minamoto no Akinaka
Left (Tie).
我戀や晴れゆくままの空の雲よそにのみして消ぬべき哉
| wa ga koi ya hareyuku mama no sora no kumo yoso ni nomi shite kienubeki kana |
Is my love As the clearing Clouds with within the skies? While you remain distant Must I fade away… |
Lord Ari’ie.
921
Right.
をのづから閨もる月も影消えてひとりかなしき浮雲の空
| onozukara neya moru tsuki mo kage kiete hitori kanashiki ukigumo no sora |
From my Bedchamber the flooding moon Light has vanish; To be alone is sad, as The heartless drifting, clouds. |
Lord Takanobu.
922
The Right state: the central line of the Left’s poem is stiff. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no particular faults.
In judgement: the statements in regard to both poems are at variance with my own opinion. I will refrain from expressing that here, although I do regret that, somewhat. If, indeed, a central line is core, then it is better for it to lack connection with the remainder of the poem. In the case of the Left’s poem, however, it seems well linked with what follows. As for the Right’s poem, ‘bedchamber the flooding moon’ (neya moru tsuki) is not phrasing which is acceptable to me. However, the Left’s initial section seems pleasant, and the Right’s final section is elegant. Thus, the round is a tie.
夏の日の暮れば灯す篝火の幾夜か川にかげ浮かぶらむ
| natsu no hi no kurureba tomosu kakaribi no ikuyo ka kawa ni kage ukaburamu |
When to summer days’ Dusk comes, kindled Torches, Every night upon the river Do seem to float their light. |
Fujiwara no Tametada (? – 1136)
藤原為忠