yama takami midarete niou hanazakura hito mo susamenu haru ya henuran
In these mountain heights The riotous glow of Blooming cherries: Is there no one to sing their praises As spring passes by?[1]
Chikanari 29
Right
行末の山のかひより昨日みし雲もさながら桜なりけり
yukusue no yama no kai yori kinō mishi kumo mo sanagara sakura narikeri
On my way Through mountain passes Yesterday I saw Clouds of white—all were Cherries![2]
Ie’kiyo 30
The Right’s poem, having ‘mountain passes yesterday I saw’ sounds like it conveys the conception of Tsurayuki’s poem well, but isn’t it a bit pointless to end up with something that sounds like a Travel poem? The Left’s poem has the fine conception of the old poem which goes ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms’, so thus it must win.
[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. 山たかみ人もすさめぬさくら花いたくなわびそ我みはやさむ yama takami / hito mo susamenu / sakurabana / itaku na wabi so / ware mihayasamu ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms. / Do not be aggrieved / For I will do it.’ Anonymous (KKS I: 50).
[2] An allusive variation on: When he was instructed by His Majesty to compose a poem, he composed this and presented it. 桜花さきにけらしもあしひきの山の峡よりみゆる白雲 sakurabana / sakinikerashi mo / ashihiki no / yama no kai yori / miyuru shirakumo ‘The cherry blossom / Seems to have bloomed, and from / The leg-wearying / Mountain passes / Appears white billowing clouds.’ Tsurayuki (KKS I: 59)
When the Nishi-shijō Ise Virgin[1] was still a princess, while there were some tender feelings between them, it was decided that she should become Ise Virgin,[2] so at dawn on the following day, he had this sent to her, attached to a branch of sakaki.
伊勢のうみの千ひろのはまにひろふともいまはなにてふかひかあるべき
ise no umi no tiFiro no Fama ni FiroFu to mo ima Fa nani teFu kaFi ka arubeki
By the sea at Ise Across a thousand yards of beach Would I gather them, but Now what use Might be these seashells?
When a man who was Assistant Governor of Kii ceased to come to call, she sent this to the man’s elder sister to say how heartless this was and the sister sent this in reply, to say how she sympathized.
紀伊国の名草の浜は君なれや事のいふかひ有と聞きつる
ki no kuni no nagusa no Fama Fa kimi nare ya koto no iFukaFi ari to kikituru
In the land of Ki Might consolation upon Nagusa Beach You find A shell? Saying it has some point Or so I have heard.
isana tori
opomi no umi wo
oki sakete
kogikitaru pune
pe tu kite
kogikuru pune
oki tu kai
itaku na pane so
pe tu kai
itaku na pane so
wakakusa no
tuma no
omopu tori tatu
In the whale-hunting
Sea of Ōmi
From far off in the offing
Boats come rowing;
Nearing the shore,
Boats come rowing;
Off in the offing, oars
Beat not so hard!
By the shore, oars
Beat not so hard!
A fresh blade of grass –
My husband’s
Beloved birds you’ll start to flight!
