Lakes 水海
あふみがた磯のはま松おる波に舟でやすらむみつのうら人
| ōmigata iso no hamamatsu oru nami ni funade ya suramu mitsu no urabito | On the shore at Ōmi, Beach pines on the rocky strand Stand among the breaking waves where, Wondering whether to embark are The fisher-folk of Mitsu. |
Akinaka
大伴の御津の泊りに船泊てて龍田の山をいつか越え行かむ
| opotomo no mitu no tomari ni pune patete tatuta no yama o ituka koeyukamu |
In Ōtomo At Mitsu harbour Do I halt my boat; Tatsuta Mountain Am I soon to cross! |
Left.
石川や瀬見の小川に齋串立て祈ぎし逢ふ瀬は神にまかせつ
| ishikawa ya semi no ogawa ni igushi tate negishi au se wa kami ni makasetsu |
In Ishikawa At Semi Stream Will I plant a prayer stake; Whether we shall meet I entrust to the gods! |
667
Right (Win).
思かねその木のもとに木綿かけて戀こそ渡れ御津川の橋
| omoikane sono ki no moto ni yū kakete koi koso watare mitsukawa no hashi |
I cannot bear this feeling, so The base of this tree I’ll garland That my love may cross The bridge over Mitsu River. |
668
Both the Left and Right state they find no particular fault with the opposing poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s reference to prayer stakes is pretentious, but the final section ‘I entrust to the gods!’ (kami ni makasetsu) lacks resonance. The final line of the Right’s poem sounds fine [yoroshiku kikoyu]. It should win.
A poem Yamanoe no Okura composed when in China, and thinking of home.
いざ子ども早く大和へ大伴の御津の濱松待ち戀ひぬらむ
| iza kodomo payaku yamato pe opotomo no mitu no pama matu matikopinuramu |
Hey, now, everyone! Let’s haste back to Yamato! In Ōtomo Upon the beach at Mitsu, the pines Must long for our return… |
Left (Tie).
雪折の竹の下道跡もなし荒れにしのちの深草の里
| yuki ore no take no shitamichi ato mo nashi arenishi nochi no fukakusa no sato |
Snow-snapped Bamboo trails Bear no tracks After the storm At the estate of Fukakusa. |
95
Right
大伴の御津の濱風吹はらへ松とも見えじうづむ白雪
| ōtomo no mitsu no hama kaze fukiharae matsu tomo mieji uzumu shirayuki |
In Ōtomo Upon the beach at Mitsu, wind, Blow clean The pines, for they seem unlike themselves, Buried in drifted snow. |
96
On the spirit of reminiscence.
もろ人のねがひをみつのはま風に心すゞしきしでのをとかな
| moro hito no negai o mitsu no hama kaze ni kokoro suzushiki shide no oto kana |
A multitude of folk Have made their pleas–at Mitsu The breeze across the beach Soothes my heart, With the sound of offerings rattling. |
Former Abbot Jien
慈円
Composed when in China.
いざこどもはや日のもとへおほとものみつのはま松まちこひぬらん
| iza kodomo haya hi no moto e ōtomo no mitsu no hamamatsu machi koinuran |
Hey boys! Swiftly to the rising sun And Ōtomo’s Pine-covered beach at Mitsu I would return. |
Yamanoue no Okura (660-ca.733)
山上憶良
Sent to Hiyoshi Junior Priest [Haburibe no] Narinaka for his seventieth birthday celebrations.
なゝそぢにみつのはまゝつおいぬれどちよのゝこりは猶ぞはるけき
| nanaso ji ni mitsu no hama matsu oinuredo chi yo no nokori wa nao zo harukeki |
In their seventieth year The pines upon the beach at Mitsu Are aged, yet The remainder of their thousand years Stretches to yet greater distance. |
[Fujiwara no] Kiyosuke
藤原清輔