On the moon passing over the plain, when he presented a fifty poem sequence.
行く末は空もひとつの武蔵野に草の原より出づる月影
| yukusue wa sora mo hitotsu no musashino ni kusa no hara yori izuru tsukikage |
Its destination: The skies, one with Musashi Plain, where From among the fields of grass Emerges moonlight. |
The Regent and Prime Minister (Fujiwara no Yoshitsune)
Left (Tie).
故郷を出でしにまさる涙かな嵐の枕夢に別れて
| furusato ni ideshi ni masaru namida kana arashi no makura yume ni wakarete |
My home I left in floods Of tears; The wild wind round my pillow Breaks us apart in dreams… |
Lord Sada’ie
899
Right.
東路の夜半の眺めを語らなん都の山にかゝる月影
| azumaji no yowa no nagame o kataranan miyako no yama ni kakaru tsukikage |
Upon the eastern roads All night I turn my gaze – Tell him that, O moonlight, sinking Toward the mountains round the capital! |
Nobusada
900
Both Left and Right say they find no faults.
In judgement: the Left starts with ‘My home I left in floods’ (furusato ni ideshi ni masaru) and concludes with ‘the wild wind round my pillow breaks us apart in dreams’ (arashi no makura yume ni wakarete) – this is a form of words the quality of which I am entirely unable to convey with my own clumsy expressions, but the Right’s ‘O moonlight, sinking toward the mountains round the capital’ (miyako no yama ni kakaru tsukikage) is awash with a sense of tears, so it is most unclear which should win or lose. Both truly seem to reflect the conception of this topic ‘Love and Travel’ well. The poems have been so good every round that my brush is drenched with this old man’s tears, and I can find no other way to express it.
Left.
有明の名ばかり秋の月影に弱り果てたる蟲の聲かな
| ariake no na bakari aki no tsukikage ni yowarihatetaru mushi no koe kana |
Dawn it is in Name alone; in autumn The moonlight is At its faintest As are the insects’ songs… |
477
Right (Win).
暮れて行秋の名残も山の端に月と共にや有明の空
| kureteyuku aki no nagori mo yama no ha ni tsuki to tomo ni ya ariake no sora |
Turning to dusk, Is there a memento of autumn, too, Upon the mountains’ edge Together with the moon in The dawning skies? |
478
The Right question the Left’s use of ‘Dawn it is in name alone’ (ariake no na bakari). The Left find no fault with the Right’s poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: I do not feel there is anything particularly wrong with ‘name alone; in autumn’ (na bakari aki no), but the Right’s ‘Together with the moon in the dawning skies’ (tsuki to tomo ni ya ariake no sora) seems most fine [yoroshikuhaberubeshi]. Thus, the Right wins.
Left.
今日といへばやがて籬の白菊ぞ尋し人の袖と見えける
| kyō to ieba yagate magaki no shiragiku zo tazuneshi hito no sode to miekeru |
On this day At last, along my lattice fence White chrysanthemums: Seeming like the sleeves of One who came to call… |
449
Right.
さか月に浮べる今日の影よりやうつろひ初むる白菊の花
| sakazuki ni ukaberu kyō no kage yori ya uturoisomuru shiragiku no hana |
In my wine cup Floating on this day: Does the moonlight Bring on changing hues For white chrysanthemum blooms? |
450
The Right say that having the phrase ‘at last, along my lattice fence’ (yagate magaki no) continuing one from the other is ‘unsatisfactory’ [kokoroyukazu]. The Left say that the Right’s phrasing sounds as if the change in colour is brought about by the blossom floating in the wine cup, rather than the moonlight, and query if this is appropriate.
Shunzei’s judgement: Is the Left’s ‘at last, along my lattice fence’ that poor [ashiku ya wa]? Furthermore, the Right’s poem simply means ‘when floating in the wine cup’ the colours ‘change’. Neither poem has any conspicuous faults [tomo ni toganaku kikoyu]. The round should tie.
Left (Win).
心には見ぬ昔こそ浮びけれ月に眺むる廣澤の池
| kokoro ni wa minu mukashi koso ukabikere tsuki ni nagamuru hirosawa no ike |
Within my heart Unseen times of old Arise, Gazing at the moon Over Hirosawa Pond… |
419
Right.
行方なくながむる空も廣澤の池の心に澄める月影
| yukuenaku nagamuru sora mo hirosawa no ike no kokoro ni sumeru tsukikage |
Endlessly Drawing my gaze: the skies, and Hirosawa Pond – right at the heart – Bright moonlight. |
420
The Right state that the Left’s poem is ‘extraordinarily accomplished’ [sugoburu yoroshi]. The Left have no criticisms to make of the Right’s poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s final section, ‘Gazing at the moon’ (tsuki ni nagamuru) is superb [yoroshiku haberi]. Thus, it must win.
Left (Tie).
廣澤の池冴えわたる月影は都まで敷く氷成けり
| hirosawa no ike saewataru tsukikage wa miyako made shiku kōri narikeri |
Upon Hirosawa Pond, so brightly falls The moonlight that All up to the capital is spread A sheet of ice, or so it seems. |
417
Right.
月清み都の空も雲清みて松風拂ふ廣澤の池
| tsuki kiyomi miyako no sora mo kumo sumite matsukaze harau hirosawa no ike |
The moon, so clear; The skies above the capital Swept clean of cloud by Winds rustling in the pines Round Hirosawa Pond. |
418
Both Left and Right state that their opinions are as in the previous round.
Shunzei’s judgement: I do wonder about ‘Upon Hirosawa Pond, so brightly falls’ (hirosawa no ike saewataru) followed by ‘All up to the capital is spread a sheet of ice’ (miyako made shiku kōri). ‘The skies above the capital swept clean of cloud by winds rustling in the pines’ (miyako no sora mo kumo sumite matsukaze harau) is elevated in expression [take aru sama], and although ‘the moon, so clear’ (tsuki kiyomi) is archaic diction [furuki kotoba], in this poem it may be difficult to judge it entirely appropriate [yoroshi to mo kikinashigataku]. Thus, this round should tie.
Left (Win).
眺めやる心のはては廣澤の池より遠ちに出る月影
| nagameyaru kokoro no hate ha hirosawa no ike yori ochi ni izuru tsukikage |
Gazing out My heart goes From Hirosawa Pond somewhere far away With the moonlight… |
409
Right.
廣澤の池には沈む月影の音羽の山に立ちのぼる哉
| hirosawa no ike ni wa shizumu tsukikage no otowa no yama ni tachinoboru kana |
Into Hirosawa Pond sinks Moonlight: Above Mount Otowa Does it rise again? |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
410
The Right can find no fault with the Left’s poem this round. The Left, on the other hand, say that the Right’s poem, ‘is more redolent of Otowa Mountain than Hirosawa Pond’.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Right seem to be gazing too far away. The Left must win.
Left.
風通ふ扇に秋のさそはれてまづ手なれぬる閨の月影
| kaze kayou ōgi ni aki no sasowarete mazu te narenuru neya no tsukikage |
The breeze wafted By my fan to autumn Beckons; Accustomed before me to have A moonlit bed. |
261
Right (Win).
うちはらふ扇の風のほどなきに思ひこめたる荻の音かな
| uchiharau ōgi no kaze no hodo naki ni omoikometaru ogi no oto kana |
Sweeping My fan, the breeze Ceaselessly Brings thoughts of Rustling silver grass. |
262
Both teams consider the other’s poems to be ‘not bad’ this round.
Shunzei, however, finds fault with both: ‘The Left’s “bed” (neya) does occur in both Chinese poetry and our own, however, I cannot help but find it undesirable. The Right’s “Sweeping my fan” (uchiharau ōgi) and “Brings thoughts of silver grass” (omoikometaru ogi) are both fine examples of mangled expression, and are, moreover, unclear. Thus, “a moonlit bed” must win, I feel.