夏草の茂みにまじる姫百合のしられぬ恋はくるしかりけり
| natsu kusa no shigemi ni majiru himeyuri no shirarenu koi wa kurushikarikeri |
The summer grasses’ Lushness is mixed with Scarlet lilies: A secret love is Painful, indeed. |
Tag Archives: koi
MYS X: 1984
Kokin rokujō VI: 3552
MYS XII: 3048
Love V: 5
Left (Tie).
言はぬ間は思ふも心九十九髪さは僞りの夢や見てまし
| iwanu ma wa omou mo kokoro tukumogami sa wa itsuwari no yume ya mitemashi |
While he’s said not a word, If love in his heart Arrived for my white hair, Then a false dream Would I see in truth? |
Lord Kanemune.
849
Right.
戀初めし心の色に積む年は我黒髪に現れにけり
| koi someshi kokoro no iro ni tsumu toshi wa wa ga kurogami ni arawarenikeri |
Since I first awoke to love The hues of passion in my heart by The drifting years Upon my raven tresses Are made clear. |
Nobusada.
850
The Right state: is this a reference to the recent poem ‘seeing a dream with white hair’ (yume o miru to mo tsukumogami)? The Left state: ‘drifting years’ (tsumu toshi) is grating on the ear.
In judgement: both poems refer to hair, and the Gentlemen of the Right have asked whether the Left are referring to a ‘recent poem’, and I wonder when this poem might have been composed? It is impossible to entirely avoid referring to poems which are not included in the anthologies. Needless to say, though, it is normal for one’s poems not to resemble others to a great extent. In addition, I do not feel that ‘drifting years’ is that grating on the ear. However, simply saying ‘Upon my raven tresses are made clear’ (wa ga kurogami ni arawarenikeri) does not convey a strong sense of gray hair, I think. Finally, the configuration of the Left’s ‘then a false dream’ (sa wa itsuwari no) is particularly unacceptable, I think. So, a tie.
Love V: 1
Left.
昔我振分髪を見てしより戀に亂て老いぞしにける
| mukashi ware furiwakegami o miteshi yori koi ni midarete oi zo shinikeru |
Long ago, I, Your hair, bunched on either side, Did glimpse, and ever since In a confusion of love Have I grown old. |
Lord Suetsune.
841
Right (Win).
色に染む心は同じ昔にて人のつらきに老を知るかな
| iro ni somuru kokoro wa onaji mukashi nite hito no turaki ni oi o shiru kana |
Being charmed by beauty My heart is just the same As long ago, but How cruel for me now, Feeling my age… |
Lord Takanobu.
842
The Right state: ‘Your hair, bunched on either side’ (furiwakegami) appears very abruptly. In addition, we wonder about the appropriateness of evoking youthful love. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to indicate.
In judgement: the confusion evoked by ‘your hair, bunched on either side’ seems to have lasted rather too long. The Right’s poem sounds exactly as it should be. Thus, the Right should win.
KYS VII: 379
Sent to a woman who had fled from him.
恋すてふ門司の関守いく度かわれ書きつらむ心づくしに
| koFisu teFu mozi no sekimori iku tabi ka ware kakituramu kokoro dukusi ni |
Love – with that Word I am warden of the barrier at Moji; How many times have I written it? To the utter exhaustion of my heart! |
Fujiwara no Akisuke (1090-1155)
藤原顕輔
This poem is also: Akisuke-shū 顕輔集 (1155?) 5.
KYS VII: 375
Composed in the conception of Love at the poetry competition held at the house of Lord Saneyuki.
恋わびておさふる袖や流れいづる涙の川の堰なるらむ
| koFi wabite osaFuru sode ya nagare’iduru namida no kaFa no iseki naruramu |
Grieving for love, Are my wave-dashed sleeves For this outflowing River of tears A dam, perhaps? |
Fujiwara no Michitsune (1060?-?)
藤原道経
Love IV: 28
Left (Win).
頼めぬを待ちつる宵も過果てゝつらさ閉ぢむる片敷の床
| tanomenu o machitsuru yoi mo sugihatete turasa tojimuru katashiki no toko |
He did not say he’d come, and so To waiting through the night I have put an end, Sealing my unhappiness In a single bed… |
Lord Sada’ie.
835
Right.
我戀や衛士の焚く火となりぬらん夜のみひとり燃えあかす哉
| wa ga koi ya eshi no taku hi to narinuran yoru nomi hitori moeakasu kana |
Has my love, like Conscripts’ kindled flame Become? Through the night alone Afire? |
Lord Tsune’ie.
836
The Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of both ‘sealing’ (tojimuru) and ‘a single bed’ (katashiki no toko). The Left state: it sounds as if the ‘conscripts’ kindled flame’ (eshi no taku hi) is alone.
In judgement: the Left’s poem, beginning with ‘to waiting through the night I have put an end’ (machitsuru yoi mo sugihatete) and then continuing with ‘sealing my unhappiness’ (tsurasa tojimuru) does not sound bad, but ‘single bed’ should surely have been ‘sleeve’ (sode). The ‘conscripts kindled flame’ would certainly not have been ‘burning alone’ (hitori moyu). The Left should win, it seems.
Love IV: 26
Left (Win).
慰めてまどろむ程の戀ならば夜さへ物は思はざらまし
| nagusamete madoromu hodo no koi naraba yoru sae mono wa omowazaramashi |
Feeling some relief, Enough, at least, to doze: If that was my love, then Until the fall of night I would wish to avoid these gloomy thoughts. |
Lord Suetsune.
831
Right.
目に見えぬ夜こそまされ天雲のよそに成行く人のつらさは
| me ni mienu yoru koso masare amagumo no yoso ni nariyuku hito no tsurasa wa |
When all goes unseen At night, it overwhelms me: The cloudy heavens’ Distance, where he has gone So heartlessly. |
Ietaka.
832
The Right state: there are no faults to indicate. The Left state: we wonder about the suitability of the impression conveyed by ‘When all goes unseen at night’ (me ni mienu yoru) on hearing it.
In judgement: the poem of the Right, with its ‘The cloudy heavens’ distance, where he has gone’ (amagumo no yoso ni nariyuku) is elegant, but it is certain that ‘When all goes unseen’ (me ni mienu) recalls the expression from the Kokin Preface, ‘unseen gods and demons’. The Left’s poem sounds pleasantly realised from beginning to end. It should win.