A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
恋しきに侘びてたましひまどひなば空しきからの名にやのこらむ
| koFisiki ni wabite tamasiFi madoFinaba munasiki kara no na ni ya nokoramu | If, for love of you and Suffering, my soul Should wander in confusion, As an empty husk— Would that be my reputation? |
Anonymous
Composed on the Third Day at a banquet at the estate of Yakamochi, Lord Ōtomo.
漢人も栰を浮べて遊ぶとふ今日そわが背子花蘰せな
| karabito mo pune wo ukabete asobu topu kepu so wa ga seko pana kadurasena |
The folk of Cathay, too, Drift in their boats At play, ‘tis said, Upon this day, my love, Won’t you wear, this garland, in your hair? |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
Left (Win).
唐衣裾野の庵の旅枕袖より鴫の立つ心地する
| karakoromo susono no io no tabimakura sode yori shigi no tatsu kokochisuru |
Clothed in Cathay robes In a hut at Susono My traveller’s pillow – My sleeve – from which the snipe I feel are starting. |
399
Right.
旅衣夜半のあはれも百羽がき鴫立つ野邊の暁の空
| tabi makura yowa no aware mo momohagaki shigi tatsu nobe no akatsuki no sora |
Clad in traveller’s garb All night long in lonely reverie As beating wings time and again Snipe start from the fields Into the dawning sky. |
400
The Right query whether it is possible to draw an association between ‘Cathay robes’ and snipe? The Left wonder about the usage of’lonely reverie as beating wings’.
Shunzei’s judgement: The criticisms from both teams are ones I have encountered before. As the poet has used ‘My sleeve – from which the snipe’ (sode yori shigi), and ‘a hut at Susono’ (susono no io), it requires the use of ‘Cathay robes’ (kara koromo) – there is no more to it than that. As for the Right, saying ‘Snipe start from the fields’ (shigi tatsu nobe) and ‘All night long in lonely reverie as beating wings time and again’ (yowa no aware mo momohagaki) – there is no fault to be found here, either. However, saying ‘My sleeve – from which the snipe’ is better. It must win.
Left (Tie).
さかづきの流れにつけて唐人の船乘りすなるけふをしぞ思
| sakazuki no nagare ni tsukete karahito no fune norisu naru kyō o shi zo omou |
As the wine cups Flow, Cathay folk, Boarding boats This day, comes to my mind. |
145
Right (Tie).
ゆく水に浮ぶる花のさか月や流れての代のためしなるらん
| yuku mizu ni ukaburu hana no sakazuki ya nagarete no yo no tameshi naruran |
Upon the flowing waters Floating flowers of Wine cups! In times gone by, Was there ever such a thing? |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
146
Both Left and Right say they have no criticisms to make this round.
Shunzei says, ‘The Left’s poem recalls an ancient Chinese festival, while the Right’s mentions one from our own Court. In terms style and form, neither poem has any particular problems. The round must tie.’
During the reign of Retired Emperor Horikawa, when he offered a hundred poem sequence, he composed this in the conception of the beginning of Spring.
こほりゐし志賀の唐崎うちとけてさゞ波よする春風ぞふく
| koFori wisi siga no karasaki utitokete sazanami yosuru Faru kaze zo Fuku |
Once ice-locked, Around Kara Cape in Shiga There is a melting and The wavelets lap With the blowing breeze of Spring. |
Minister of the Treasury [Ōe no] Masafusa