Tag Archives: nihgt

Love IX: 5

Left
笛竹のただ人ふしを契とてよよの恨を残せとや思ふ

fuetake no
tada hitofushi o
chigiri tote
yoyo no urami o
nokose to ya omou
A bamboo flute has
But a single joint – and for but one night
Did we join together, so
Night after night of despair
Did you think to leave behind?

Lord Sada’ie
1089

Right (Win)
はるばると浪路分来る笛竹をわが恋妻と思はましかば

harubaru to
namiji wakekuru
fuetake o
wa ga koizuma to
omowamashikaba
Along the distant
Sea-lanes, forging, came
A bamboo flute:
My own true love –
If only I could think it that!

The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1090

The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks any faults to mention. The Left state: the Right’s poem has not faults to point out.

In judgement: ‘night after night of despair’ (yoyo no urami o) in the Left’s poem sounds profound, but in actual fact is quite prosaic. In the Right’s poem, ‘sea-lanes, forging, came a bamboo flute’ (namiji wakekuru takefue o) has, I think, the contemporary conception of ‘it has come forging through many waves’. It seems evocative. Thus, the Right must win.