Left (Win)
鴨のゐる入江の浪を心にて胸と袖とにさはぐ戀かな
| kamo no iru irie no nami o kokoro nite mune to sode to ni sawagu koi kana |
Ducks flock on The inlet’s waves Within my heart, so My breast and sleeves both Are raucous with love! |
Lord Sada’ie
1055
Right
佐保川の霧のまよひの程だにも妻もとむとて千鳥鳴夜を
| saogawa no kiri no mayoi no hodo dani mo tsuma motomu tote chidori naku yo o |
To the vernal river: The mist brings confusion And in its midst, Seeking a mate, A plover cries at night… |
Jakuren
1056
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of ‘my breast and sleeves both are raucous’ (mune to sode to ni sawagu)? The Left, in appeal, state: there is ‘the river-mouths of my sleeves’ (sode no minato) and ‘when I think, upon my breast’ (omoeba mune ni) so linking ‘breast’ and ‘sleeve’ is entirely uncontroversial. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we find no faults to mention in the Right’s poem.
In judgement: I understand the views of the Left’s poem held by both teams. It has also been said that the Right’s poem lacks faults. However, in ‘seeking a mate, a plover cries at night’ (tsuma motomu tote chidori naku yo o) only the two words ‘at night’ (yo o) have any conception of love. The remainder of the poem is simply about plovers, so there is little of love about it. ‘Breast and sleeves both’ (mune to sode to) should win.
When Major Captain of the Left Asamitsu had sent her pledges of his love, and she was urged to respond, she sent him this.
ちはやぶるかものやしろの神もきけ君わすれずはわれもわすれじ
| tiFayaburu kamo no yasiro no kami mo kike kimi wasurezu Fa ware mo wasurezi |
Puissant Kamo Shrine’s Deity, hear me! If my love forsakes me not, Then never will I forsake him! |
Uma no Naishi
馬内侍
On the morning when the messengers departed for the extraordinary Kamo Festival, she sent this to the Principal Wife of the Minister of the Left attached to the flowers used to decorate their hair.
ちはやぶるかもの河辺のふぢなみはかけてわするる時のなきかな
| tiFayaburu kamo no kaFabe no Fudinami Fa kakete wasururu toki no naki kana |
Puissant Kamo’s river shore by Wisteria waves is Washed; forgotten Never will you be! |
Hyōe
兵衛
On taking the ceremonial wine cup in the Imperial Presence on the day of the extraordinary Kamo Festival, during the Engi period.
かくてのみやむへきものかちはやぶるかもの社のよろづ世を見む
| kakute nomi yamubeki mono ka tiFayaburu kamo no yasiro no yoroduyo wo mimu |
With this simply Should it end? Puissant Kamo Shrine Will see ten thousand ages pass! |
The Sanjō Minister of the Right
(Fujiwara no Sadakata 藤原定方 (873-932))
Topic unknown.
霜置かぬ袖だにさゆる冬の夜に鴨の上毛を思ひこそやれ
| simo wokanu sode dani sayuru Fuyu no yo ni kamo no uFage wo omoFi koso yare |
Frost has not fallen On my sleeves, yet, how cold they are This winter’s night, The down-clad ducks, Come to my mind… |
Captain of the Outer Palace Guards, Right Division, [Fujiwara no] Kintō.
Her reply:
かれにけるあふひのみこそかなしけれあはれとも見ず賀茂の瑞垣
| karenikeru aFuFi nomi koso kanashikere aFare tomo mizu kamo no midugaki |
Withered A hollyhock -and our love – yes, It’s sad; But, fondly of it I do not think: Distant as the grounds of Kamo Shrine… |