Left (Tie).
聞きわたるありなれ河の水にこそ影を傡べて住まゝほしけれ
kikiwataru
arinaregawa no
mizu ni koso
kage o narabete
sumamahoshikere |
Echoes cross
The Arinare River’s
Waters;
Bringing to mind the face
Of the one I would be with… |
Kenshō
985
Right.
涙川逢ふ瀬も知らぬみをつくし丈越す程になりにけるかな
namidagawa
ause mo shiranu
miotsukushi
take kosu hodo ni
narinikeru kana |
A river of tears:
I know no way for us to meet, so
The channel buoys, my soul,
Are flooded over –
That is how they be! |
Nobusada
986
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we are not accustomed to hearing the expression ‘Arinare River’ (arinaregawa), and the ending of the poem is old-fashioned. The Gentlemen of the Left state: ‘are flooded over’ (take kosu hodo) sounds excessively modern.
In judgement: ‘Arinare River’ is unusual, and the final section of the Left’s poem is certainly old-fashioned. The ‘river of tears’’ (namidagawa) ‘channel buoys’ (miotsukushi) do seem to be enduring an excess of water, don’t’ they! The round should tie.
Left (Win).
浪ぞ寄る来てもみるめはなき物を浦見馴れたる志賀の里人
nami zo yoru
kitemo mirume wa
naki mono o
urami naretaru
shiga no satobito |
The waves roll in,
Approaching yet, seaweed
Have I none
And accustomed to despair am I
Like one dwelling in Shiga… |
A Servant Girl.
761
Right.
君故に涙の川に揺らさるるみをつくしともなり果てねとや
kimi yue ni
namida no kawa ni
yurusaruru
miotsukushi tomo
narihatene to ya |
For your sake
In a river of tears
I am afloat;
Though I am not a channel buoy,
Is that how I am to reach my end? |
Lord Tsune’ie
762
The Right state: the Left’s initial line is unsatisfactory. The Left state: the Right’s central line is also unsatisfactory.
In judgement: it is not just that the Right’s central line is unsatisfactory. A channel buoy, planted in a river and rotting away is quite a commonplace occurrence. For something to be ‘afloat’ (yurasaru), you would need to refer to flotsam, either of wood or bamboo. The Left should win.
Left (Tie).
和歌の浦やなぎたる朝のみをつくし朽ちねかひなき名だに殘らで
waka no ura
yanagitaru asa no
miotsukushi
kuchine kainaki
na dani nokorade |
At Waka Bay
In the calm of morning,
The channel buoys stand: exhausted
I crumble, not even my useless
Name remaining to me. |
183
Right (Tie).
思ひかね我夕暮の秋の日に三笠の山はさしはなれにき
omoikane
ware yūgure no
aki no hi ni
mikasa no yama wa
sashihanareniki |
I cannot think on it more:
Here, in my evening,
Autumn days,
Mikasa Mountain is
Far away, indeed… |
184
'Simply moving and elegant'