Left.
人心緒絶えの橋に立かへり木の葉降りしく秋の通ひ路
hito kokoro
odae no hashi ni
tachikaeri
ko no ha furishiku
aki no kayoiji
Our hearts
On the broken bridge at Odae
Do stand;
Fallen leaves swept along
The autumn paths back and forth…
Lord Sada’ie .
1011
Right.
思はずに緒絶えの橋と成ぬれどなを人知れず戀わたるかな
omowazu ni
odae no hashi to
narinuredo
nao hito shirezu
koi watarukana
Unthinkingly
To the broken bridge of Odae
Have we come, yet
Still, unknown to all,
Might our love make a crossing?
Lord Tsune’ie.
1012
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the purpose of ‘fallen leaves swept along’ (ko no ha furishiku ) in the Left’s poem. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: Both the poems of the Left and of the Right use ‘bridge of Odae’ (odae no hashi ) which is tasteful. The Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along’ must be following Ise Monogatari . The gentlemen of the Right must surely be pretending ignorance! The poem of the Right, too, has an elegant total configuration, but ‘unknown to all’ (hito shirezu ) is at odds with the emotional overtones. Thus the Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along the autumn paths back and forth’ is better. I make it the winner.
散り積もる木の葉が下の忘れ水澄むとも見えず絶間のみして
tiritumoru
ko no Fa ga sita no
wasuremidu
sumu tomo miezu
taema nomi site
Scattered and drifted are
The leaves from the trees, and beneath is
A forgotten stream
How unclear it seems,
Appearing only now and then…
Ise no Taifu (989?-1060?)
伊勢大輔
When he drew the topic of dew, when people were composing poetry on randomly selected topics at the residence of the Minister of the Left.
我ならぬ草葉もものは思ひけり袖より外におけるしらつゆ
aFare naranu
kusaba mo mono Fa
omoFikeri
sode yori Foka ni
okeru siratuyu
Not only I, but
All the grassy leaves
Are sunk in gloomy thought
For in places other than my sleeves
Fall silver dewdrops.
Fujiwara no Tadakuni
藤原忠国
葉かへせぬ歎の杜は冬来れど常にもかもな常しなへなり
Fa kaesenu
nageki no mori Fa
Fuyu kuredo
tune ni mo kamo na
tokosinaFe nari
The leaves never turn
In Nageki’s sacred groves, where
Winter comes, yet
It is always that
They are ever unchanging.
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Sent to a lady at the beginning.
木葉散る山の下水埋もれて流れもやらぬ物をこそ思へ
ko no Fa tiru
yama no sitamidu
udumorete
nagare mo yaranu
mono wo koso omoFe
Leaves fall from the trees, and
On the mountain, streams
Buried
Cease their flow,
As all my thoughts are set on you…
Eikaku
叡覚
Brushwood
いつとなく葉がへぬ山のしひしばに人のこころをなすよしもがな
itsu to naku hagaenu yama no shiishiba ni hito no kokoro o nasu yoshi mogana If only the ever Unchanging leaves on the mountain Brushwood Her heart could Somehow become!
Minamoto no Nakazane 源仲実
Topic unknown.
鷂のと帰る山の椎柴の葉がへはすとも君はかへせじ
hashitaka no
tokaeru yama no
shiishiba no
hagae wa su tomo
kimi wa kaeseji
Sparrowhawks
Fly back and forth on the moutain where
The brushwood
Changes its leaves, yet
You will ever be true.
Anonymous
Falling Leaves
はげしさのみ山おろしはてもなくていかで木のはをこきちらすらん
hageshisa no miyamaoroshi wa te mo nakute ikade ko no ha o kokichirasuran Wild is The wind from out the mountains: With no hands How does it the leaves from off the trees Seem to scatter all around?
Minamoto no Toshiyori 源俊頼
Falling Leaves
やどにしくにしきをみればうれしくてさすがに木のはちらばをしまる
yado ni shiku nishiki o mireba ureshikute sasuga ni ko no ha chiraba oshimaru Spread around my house, I gaze upon the brocade, And am pleased; Indeed, if the leaves from the trees Fall, it is a pleasure!
Minamoto no Akinaka 源顕仲
A poem about the provinces for the enthronement ceremony in Tenroku 1 [970]: The Izumi River.
泉河のどけき水のそこ見れば今年葉陰ぞすみまさりける
idumigaFa
nodokeki midu no
soko mireba
kotosi Fakage zo
sumimasarikeru
At Izumi River
The peaceful waters’
Bed I see;
This year the shadows of the leaves
Are truly clear, indeed.
Taira no Kanemori
平兼盛
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