A poem composed by someone unknown.
梨棗黍に粟つぎ延ふ葛の後も逢はむと葵花咲く
| nasi natume kimi ni apatugi papu kudu no noti mo apamu to apupi pana saku | As for pear and jujube and Millet, too, do I long to meet you; As trailing kudzu parts and Meets again, so on The day we meet will hollyhocks bloom. |
Left
頼むなるあさけ神しも幣はせん君が心やわれになびくと
| tanomu naru asake kami shimo nusa wa sen kimi ga kokoro ya ware ni nabiku to | Worship she does The goddess Asake, so should even I make her an offering? Then might my lady’s heart Trail in my direction… |
Kenshō
1153
Right (Win)
鏡山君に心やうつるらむいそぎ立たれぬ旅衣かな
| kagamiyama kimi ni kokoro ya utsururamu isogi tatarenu tabigoromo kana | Upon Mirror Mount Has my heart Found lodging? For In haste to rise and don My travelling garb, I am not! |
Lord Tsune’ie
1154
Left and Right state: there are no faults to mention in either poem.
In judgement: both Left and Right here refer to a ‘person’ (kimi), with the Left’s ‘making her an offering’ (nusa wa sen) that she might ‘trail in my direction’ (ware ni nabiku ya), while the Right’s has left his heart on Mirror Mount and ‘is not in haste to rise and don his travelling garb’ (isogi tatarenu tabigoromo): each of these poems is evocative, and makes effective use of wordplay, with the Left’s ‘make her an offering’ certainly resembling something I have come across previously, but the initial ‘goddess Asake’ is poor. The Right’s ‘Mirror Mount’ (kagami yama) is something I am familiar with, and this has a gentle tone. Thus, the Right wins.
Left
君とわが寝しさむしろの塵なれば形見がてらにうちも払はず
| kimi to wa ga neshi samushiro no chiri nareba katami ga tera ni uchi mo harawazu | My love and I Did sleep upon these blankets, so Even the dust there Is a memento – I cannot brush it away! |
Lord Suetsune
1135
Right (Win)
ひとり寝の床のさ筵朽ちにけり涙は袖をかぎるのみかは
| hitorine no toko no samushiro kuchinikeri namida wa sode o kagiru nomi ka wa | Sleeping solo on My bed’s blankets, They have rotted away; Tears on more than sleeves Have that effect… |
Ietaka
1136
The Right state: ‘did sleep’ (neshi) is particularly unimpressive. The Left state: ‘more than sleeves’ (sode o kagiru) is, perhaps, over-definite.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, despite ‘did sleep upon these blankets’ (neshi samushiro) referring to something which definitely exists, it still sounds as if there is not much poetic expression in the poem. ‘Is a memento’ (katami ga tera) fails to resemble ‘for blossom viewing’ (hanami ga tera). As for the Right’s poem, I certainly would not say that ‘tears on more than sleeves have that effect’ (namida wa sode o kagiru nomi ka wa) is over-definite. It is somewhat difficult to make out on hearing, but the configuration is poetic, indeed, so the Right should win, it seems.
[One of] a number of poems composed on the occasion of an embassy to Silla, exchanged in sadness at parting, or noting emotions on voyage, or ancient poems which matched the location.
武庫の浦の入江の洲鳥羽ぐくもる君を離れて恋に死ぬべし
| muko no ura no irie no sudori pa kugumoru kimi wo panarete kopi ni sinubesi |
At the Bay of Muko Along the inlets seabirds Wrapped in wings – Parted from your embrace, my Lord, I shall die of love. |
On parting.
朝戸出の君が姿をよく見ずて長き春日を恋ひや暮らさむ
| asa tode no kimi ga sugata wo yoku mizute nagaki parupi wo kopi ya kurasamu |
In the morning, opening the door My lord’s form I could not see well, so How through this long spring day Can I live with my love? |
禊する瀬見の小川の清き瀬に君が齢を猶祈るかな
| misogisuru semi no wogaFa no kiyoki se ni kimi ga yoFaFi wo naFo inoru kana |
In cleansing Semi Stream’s Pure rapids For my Lord’s long life I will ever pray! |
Minamoto no Shitagō
源順
君が代を尾上の松にくらべむに幾代の春か逢はむとすらむ
| kimi ga yo o onoe no matsu ni kurabemu ni ikuyo no haru ka awamu to suramu |
My Lord, your reign To the pines of Onoe Will be compared! Everlastingly spring Will it encounter! |
Fujiwara no Akisuke
藤原顕輔
この頃は宮城野みにこそまじりけれ君を雄鹿の角もとむとて
| kono goro Fa miyagino ni koso mazirikere kimi wo wosika no tuno mo tomu tote |
Around this time Miyagi plain You do traverse; “My Lord, of the stags’ Antlers take heed”, I’d say! |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
源重之
Sent to the house of someone who had gone to Shinano.
月影は飽かず見るとも更級の山の麓に長居すな君
| tukikage Fa akazu miru tomo sarasina no yama no Fumoto ni nagawisu na kimi |
The moonlight can Never sate your gaze, but In Sarashina At the mountain’s foot Stay not too long, my lord! |
Ki no Tsurayuki
紀貫之
Left (Tie).
かきくらし降りくる雨も君ならば濡るとてさらに厭はざらまし
| kakikurashi furikuru ame mo kimi naraba nuru tote sara ni itowazaramashi |
All is darkened by The falling rain, but Were that to be you, my love, I would be drenched, but It would not be unwelcome! |
Lord Kanemune.
941
Right.
ひとり寢の床にしもなど音す覧しづかたにそゝく暁の雨
| hitorine no toko ni shimo nado otosuran shizukata ni sosoku akatsuki no ame |
Sleeping solo In my bed, so why Is there the sound Of quiet dripping Dawntime rain? |
Lord Takanobu.
942
The Right state: while the Left’s poem does have a desirable sentiment, its expression is outrageous. The Left state: why, indeed, should there be a sound in the poet’s bed?
In judgement: the Left’s desirable sentiment is perfectly commonplace in poetry. The Right, with ‘dawntime rain’ (akatsuki no ame), is elegant. The poems are comparable and tie.