つゆむすぶあきはて方のきりぎりすくさのねごとにさむくこそなけ
| tsuyu musubu akihategata no kirigirisu kusa no ne goto ni samuku koso nake | Drenched with dew At the far edge of dawn The crickets Crying from the roots of every stalk, So cold, do sing.[i] |
5[ii]
[i] This poem is built around a wordplay in its final section, which has kusa no ne goto ni 草の根ごとに (‘the roots of every stalk of grass’) and ne goto ni samuku 音ごとに寒く (‘every chirp coldly’).
[ii] Motozane-shū (64) with the headnote ‘Crickets’ (kirigirisu きりぎりす).
Crickets
Left
ゆふさればこゑふりたててきりぎりすつゆをさむみやよもすがらなく
| yū sareba koe furitatete kirigirisu tsuyu o samumi ya yomosugara naku | When the evening comes Louder grow the cries Of the crickets— Is it the dewdrops’ chill that Has them cry the night away? |
Yoshimine no Yukikara
3
Right (Win – Tie in a certain text)
きりぎりすあきのよぶかくおもふかなねざめてきけどこゑのたえねば
| kirigirisu aki no yobukaku omou kana nezamete kikedo koe no taeneba | Crickets Deep on autumn nights Do fill my thoughts! I awaken and listen, yet Their cries then fade away… |
Miyaji no Okifuru
4
Left
あき風にほころびぬらむ藤ばかまつづりさせてふきりぎりす鳴く
| akikaze ni hokorobinuramu fujibakama tsuzurisase chō kirigirisu naku | The autumn wind Seems to have burst the buds of The asters ‘Sew them back together!’ say The crickets’ cries. |
Ariwara no Muneyana
94
Right
秋の夜のあめときこえて降りつるは風に散りつる紅葉なりけり
| aki no yo no ame to kikoete furitsuru wa kaze ni chiritsuru momiji narikeri | On an autumn night The sound of rain Falling is The wind scattered Scarlet leaves. |
95
Topic unknown.
あき風のふきくるよひはきりぎりす草のねごとにこゑみだれけり[1]
| akikaze no fukikuru yoi wa kirigirisu kusa no ne goto ni koe midarekeri | The autumn wind Comes gusting late at night, when The crickets From every single blade of grass Let out confused cries. |
Anonymous
[1] This poem appears in the ‘Poetry Contest held at Prince Koresada’s House’ (Koresada shinnō-ke uta’awase (42).
