Round Four

Willows

Left

あらたまのとしをつむらんあをやぎのいとはいづれの春かたゆべき

aratama no toshi o tsumuran aoyagi no ito wa izure no haru ka tayubeki

New jewels, The years seem to spin out Green willow Threads: when might The spring be that they snap?

Mochiki
8[i]

Right (Win)　

さほひめのいとそめかくるあをやぎをふきなみだりそ春の山風

saohime no ito somekakuru aoyagi o fuki na midari so haru no yamakaze

Princess Sao Has dyed the dangling threads of Green willow— O, don’t blow them into tangles, Spring breeze from the mountains!

Kanemori
9

While the Right’s poem was being recited, the gentlemen of the Left stated, ‘The current willow poem was already recited out of sequence, and yet they desire to recite it again. It seems they have forgotten basic procedure!’ This minor official replied, ‘His Majesty’s ruling has already been granted on this matter following the Left’s request when the poems on bush warblers were recited, so this objection cannot be raised again.’

In the Left’s poem ‘New jewels, / The years seem to spin out / Green willow’ lacks sense. While the Right’s poem has nothing worth mentioning about it, it does not appear to have any faults, and thus it wins.

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[i] A variant on this poem is included in Goshūishū (I: 74), as well as in some texts of this match: Composed on willows for the Palace Poetry Match held in Tentoku 4. あらたまのとしをへつつもあをやぎのいとはいづれのはるかたゆべき aratama no / toshi o hetsutsu mo / aoyagi no / ito wa izure no / haru ka tayubeki ‘New jewels, / The years pass ever by with / Green willow / Threads: when might / The spring be that they snap?’ Given Saneyori’s judgement, however, I am following Hagitani and Taniyama (1965, 80) in prioritising this version.