On blossom.
奥山に棲むといふ鹿の夕さらず妻どふ萩の散らまく惜しも
| wokuyama ni sumu to ipu sika no yopi sarazu tumadopu pagi no tiramaku wosimo |
Deep within the mountains Lives a stag; Every evening He calls upon his bride, the bush clover, but That it is scattered, brings him only regret… |
Left
山深み種ある岩に生ふる松の根よりもかたき戀や何なる
| yama fukami tane aru iwa ni ouru matsu no ne yori mo kataki koi ya nani naru |
Deep with the mountains, Upon the crags where seeds Grow into pines, Rooted firmly – how hard Will our love be? |
Lord Ari’ie
1041
Right (Win)
契きなまた忘れずよ初瀬河布留川野邊の二本の杉
| chigirikina mata wasurezu yo hatsusegawa furukawa nobe no futamoto no sugi |
You vowed it, did you not. Not to forget me more. In the River Hatsuse and River Furu’s meadows Stand twin cedars. |
Jakuren
1042
Left and Right together state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: While there are such things in the heart of the mountains as ‘crags where seeds grow into pines’ (tane aru iwa ni ouru matsu), it is normally by the sea or on rocky coastlines that one finds firmly rooted pine trees. Surely, mountain pines are but lightly rooted? Cedars on River Hatsuse recollects ‘Nor will I ever; a solid brick-kiln’ (wasurezu yo kawaraya), but ‘You vowed it, did you not’ (chigirikina) also reminds me of the old phrase ‘Both our sleeves wringing out’ (katami ni sode o shiboritsutsu), which is most fine. Thus, the Right wins.
天雲のたゆたひ来れば九月の黄葉の山もうつろひにけり
| amakumo no tayutapikureba nagatuki no momidi no yama mo uturopinikeri |
As Heaven’s clouds Come fluttering In the Longest Month Autumn leaves upon the mountains Have paled in hue. |
The Gentlemen of the Right. These, too, had the sons of the Courtiers Fujiwara no Shigetoki and Hirokage, the Governor of Awa, construct an extremely large suhama upon which all the chrysanthemums were grown together; because the area was cramped when they brought it in, they made preparation to bring it in all at once, attaching wheels to sections, thinking to do it in one, but were startled by the Gentlemen of the Left bringing in their blooms one by one – when all were brought in and assembled together, they made a single charming spectacle, yet though assembled, they were separated and thus seemed incomplete. The initial poem became mixed in with all the others.
山深く入りにし身をぞいたづらに菊の匂ひに憩へ来にける
| yama Fukaku irinisi mi wo zo itadura ni kiku no nioFi ni ikoFekinikeru |
Deep within the mountains Have I entered in; Idly has The chrysanthemums’ scent Brought me to my ease. |
11
A poem composed by the deceased Emperor on the occasion of a visit to the Yoshino Palace.
み吉野の山のあらしの寒けくにはたや今夜も我が独り寝む
| miyosino no yama no arasi no samukeku ni pata ya koyopi mo wa ga pitori nemu |
Though in fair Yoshino The storm-winds off the mountains Feel so chill, Yet again tonight Will I sleep alone? |
Emperor Monmu (683-707; r. 697-707)
文武
Topic unknown.
岩根踏み重なる山はなけれども逢はぬ日数を恋や渡らん
| iFane Fumi kasanaru yama Fa nakeredomo aFanu Fi kazu wo koFi ya wataran |
Crag trodden Layered mountains Are there none, yet Over the number of days we meet not I wonder, will our love span? |
The Elder Maiden of Sakanoue
坂上郎女
奥山の草隠れなる畑つ守知られぬ恋に病ふ頃かな
| okuyama no kusagakurenaru hatatsumori shirarenu koi ni yamau koro kana |
Deep within the mountains Hidden among the grasses, A field warden With unknown love is Stricken sick these days! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
君さらば山にかへりて冬毎に雪踏み分けておりよとぞ思ふ
| kimi saraba yama ni kaFerite Fuyugoto ni yuki Fumiwakete oriyo to zo omoFu |
If you should Return to the mountains, then With every winter Forge through the snow And descend, I beg you! |
Left (Tie).
足引の山路の秋になる袖はうつろふ人のあらしなりけり
| ashihiki no yamaji no aki ni naru sode wa utsurou hito no arashi narikeri |
Leg wearying Mountain trails in autumn Have my sleeves become, For she fades from my life, as A departing storm… |
Lord Sada’ie.
971
Right.
この世には吉野の山の奧にだにありとはつらき人に知られじ
| kono yo ni wa yoshino no yama no oku ni dani ari to wa tsuraki hito ni shirareji |
Within this world, were I In the Yoshino mountains’ Heart, even so That cruel One would know it not! |
Jakuren.
972
The Right state: the Left’s poem does not refer to a specific mountain – we wonder whether this is acceptable? In addition, ‘in autumn have my sleeves’ (aki ni naru sode) and ‘she…as a storm’ (hito no arashi) is difficult to understand. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to indicate.
In judgement: in connection with the criticism made of the Left’s poem, I do not feel that it is always essential to refer to a specific mountain. The other matters are, indeed, difficult to understand. The underlying sense of the Right’s poem seems overly pretentious. It is reminiscent of the tales of Boyi and Shuqi, or of Jie Zhitui, and Mount Shouyang and Mount Mian. Really, it does put me in mind of the Four White-Headed Recluses of Mount Shang, where it says, ‘They emerged due to the plans of Zhang Liang, made for Huidi, who said, “Though I may lie down with the greybeards, enjoying Mount Shang myself, all, in the end, are people under Zhang Liang.”’ It is extremely difficult, in the end, to make these sentiments relevant to our own land. Thus, I find it inappropriate to accept the content of the Right’s poem. The Left’s poem has its faults, too, so cursorily, I make this round a tie.
Topic unknown.
小笹原葉末の露は玉に似て石なき山を行く心地する
| ozasawara hazue no tsuyu wa tama ni nite ishinaki yama o yuku kokochisuru |
In the groves of young broad-leaved bamboo Dewdrops on the leaf-tips Resemble jewels; Through mountains with no rocks I feel as if I travel! |
Saigyō
西行