Fans (扇)
つねよりも身にもしむかな夕ざれの君にあふぎのかぜの気色は
| tsune yori mo mi ni mo shimu kana yūsare no kimi ni ōgi no kaze no keshiki wa |
More than normal does It pierce my soul! At early evening, The sight of you By fan’s breeze brushed… |
Minamoto no Akinaka
An allusive variation on: Horikawa hyakushu 646.
A poem composed in winter in the Eleventh Month, by His Majesty, when the Major Controller of the Left, Prince Kazuragi, and others, were granted the name Tachibana.
橘は実さへ花さへその葉さへ枝に霜降れどいや常葉の木
| tatibana pa mi sape pana sape sono pa sape e ni simo puredo iya toko pa no ki |
O, orange tree: Fruit and flowers both, And leaves, too, Even should frost fall on your branches Evegreen will you be! |
The above poem was composed in winter, on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month, after Prince Kazuragi, Junior Third Rank, and Prince Sai, Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, among others, surrendered their membership of the imperial family and were granted the name of Tachibana. At that time Former Emperor [Genshō], the Emperor [Shōmu], and Empress [Kōmyō], were present in the Empress’ quarters, and hosted a banquet at which poems celebrating the name of Tachibana were composed, and sake was presented to the new members of the family. It is alternatively said, ‘This poem was composed by the Former Emperor. In addition, the Emperor and the Empress each composed a single poem. Those poems were lost and cannot now be located.’ If one seeks copies of the documents now, they say that on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month [Tenpyō] 8 [736], Prince Kazuragi and other submitted a request to the throne to be granted the name of Tachibana. On the 17th day the request was granted.
Summer Garb (夏衣)
身にちかくなるとはすれど衣川ひとへにのみはえこそたのまね
| mi ni chikaku naru to wa suredo koromogawa hitoe ni nomi wa e koso tanomane |
Close to my flesh: To that I am accustomed, yet The River Robe In just a single layer: In that I cannot place my trust! |
Lady Higo from the Residence of the Kyōgyoku Regent
京極関白家肥後
Left.
巳に過ぎて午こそ物は悲しけれ戀や未の歩み成らむ
| mi ni sugite muma koso mono wa kanashikere koi ya hitsuji no ayuminaramu |
More than I can bear, past the hour of the snake, The hour of the horse is All the more sad; Love is like a sheep’s Steps to the slaughter… |
Kenshō.
807
Right (Win).
命さへ身の終りにや成ぬらん今日暮すべき心地こそせぬ
| inochi sae mi no owari ni ya narinuran kyō kurasubeki kokochi koso senu |
Has my very life At the hour of snake, its end Reached? That I should live throughout this day, Is something I cannot bear… |
Lord Takanobu.
808
The Right state: we cannot admire the Left’s poem. The Left state: in the Right’s poem ‘Has my very life at the hour of snake, its end’ (inochi sae mi no owari) sounds as if it is referring to two different matters.
In judgement: the Left’s poem simply says that after the hour of the snake comes the hour of the horse. It is unnecessary to say such things. The final line certainly seems to have nothing to do with anything. As for the fault of the Right’s poem, ‘life’ and ‘self’ have always had different meanings. Its first line, too, sounds elegant. Once more, the Right should win.