One day, he was summoned to the Thunder Pavilion to take wine with His Majesty; rain was falling fiercely as evening drew on and when he rose to take his leave, he took his wine-cup and…
秋はぎの花をば雨にぬらせども君をばましてをしとこそおもへ
| aki Fagi no Fana woba ame ni nurasedomo kimi woba masite osi to koso omoFe | The autumn bush clover’s Blooms by the raindrops Have been soaked, yet, My lord, far more Do I regret leaving you. |
Composed when the former Teishi Emperor made a progress to Naniwa.
君がため波の玉しくみつの浜ゆき過ぎがたしおりてひろはん
| kimi ga tame nami no tamashiku mitsu no hama yukisugigatashi orite hirowan | For my Lord’s sake The waves scatter gems On the beach at Mitsu— So hard it is to pass them by I would disembark and gather them up! |
Prince Sadakazu
Left
あひみてはむつましくこそなるときけつれなさのみもまさるきみかな
| aimite wa mutsumashiku koso naru to kike tsurenasa nomi mo masaru kimi kana | On meeting So kind would She become, I heard, but Simply in cruelty does That lady excel! |
35
Right (Win)
あかずしてわかれし人をゆめにみてうつつにさへもおつるなみだか
| akazushite wakareshi hito o yume ni mite utsutsu ni sae mo otsuru namida ka | Unsated Did I part from her to See her in my dreams, but Even in the waking world Will my tears fall? |
36
やをとめのそでかとぞみるをみなへしきみをいはひてなではじめてき
| yaotome no sode ka to zo miru ominaeshi kimi o iwaite nadehajimeteki | As eight sacred maidens’ Sleeves do they appear, The maidenflowers, Celebrating our Lord’s reign With a first gentle touch. |
49
うゑながらかつはたのまずをみなへしうつろふあきのほどしなければ
| uenagara katsu wa tanomazu ominaeshi utsurou aki no hodo shi nakereba | I planted them, yet Still unreliable are The maidenflowers, for They fade and autumn Is nothing but brief… |
50
Left Final Round
をみなへしこのあきまでぞまさるべきつゆをもぬきてたまにまどはせ
| ominaeshi kono aki made zo masarubeki tsuyu o mo nukite tama ni madowase | The maidenflowers This autumn Have been fine, indeed— Strung with dewdrops As pearls let you be! |
His Majesty
21[1]
Right
きみによりのべをはなれしをみなへしおなじこころにあきをとどめよ
| kimi ni yori nobe o hanareshi ominaeshi onaji kokoro ni aki o todomeyo | For My Lord Have you left your meadows, O, maidenflower, Wishing as we, Autumn—hold here! |
Her Majesty, the Empress
22[2]
The flowers of the Right were inferior, but the poems of the Right won.
[1] Shinsen man’yōshū 528
[2] Shinsen man’yōshū 548
Composed at the Kameyama mansion, in the Eighth Month, Kenji 2 [September 1276], when the first topic announced was ‘the colour of pines floating on a pond’.
池水に松のちとせをうつしても君にふたたびあふがうれしさ
| ikemizu ni matsu no chitose o utsushitemo kimi ni futatabi au ga ureshiki | In the pond waters The pine’s thousand years Are reflected, yet Once more, my Lord, To meet you brings me joy! |
The Regent and Former Prime Minister
摂政前太政大臣
[One of] Seven poems composed at a banquet at the residence of the Tachibana Minister of the Right.
この岡に小鹿踏み起しうかねらひかもかもすらく君故にこそ
| kono woka ni osika pumi’okosi ukanerapi kamokamo suraku kimi yuwe ni koso | Upon this hill My tread has awoken the fauns While sighting my aim; Everything and anything we do Is for you, my Lord. |
Kosobe no Shitsuma
巨曽倍津嶋