庭に立つ麻布小衾今宵だに妻よしこせぬ麻ち小衾
| niFa ni tatu asade kobusuma koyoFi dani tuma yosikosenu asati kobusuma |
Standing in the grounds, Hemp, turned meagre bedding, but Even on this night My wife will not draw near My hempen bedding! |
Tag Archives: niwa
Eikyū hyakushu 343
雨の下降るとはすれどはかなきは庭にたまらぬ霙なりけり
| ame no shita furu to wa suredo hakanaki wa niwa ni tamaranu mizore narikeri |
Beneath the rain, It falls, yet Even briefly Upon the grounds settles not – The sleet. |
Eikyū hyakushu 359
紅葉ばを夜半の嵐の敷く庭は物忘れせて朝きよめすな
| momijiba o yowa no arashi no shiku niwa wa monowasuresete asa kiyomesu na |
Scarlet leaves By the midnight storm Are spread around the grounds: Put all from your mind, and Clear them not this morning! |
Minamoto no Nakazane
源仲実
Love VI: 17
Left.
いつも聞く物とや人の思らむ來ぬ夕暮れの秋風の聲
| itsumo kiku mono to ya hito no omouramu konu yūgure no akikaze no koe |
Always do I hear The same, is that what He thinks? This evening, when he has not come Whispers the autumn wind. |
A Servant Girl.
933
Right (Win).
心あらば吹かずもあらなん宵宵に人待つ宿の庭の松風
| kokoro araba fukazu mo aranan yoiyoi ni hito matsu yado no niwa no matsukaze |
If you have any pity, Then I would not have you blow Night after night While I wait for him, through my home’s Garden pines, o, wind! |
Nobusada.
934
Both Left and Right state: we can grasp the sense of the opposing poem.
In judgement: I am unable to tell what it is that ‘does not come one evening’ (konu yūgure). ‘Whispers the autumn wind’ (akikaze no koe) is also perhaps rather novel. The Right’s ‘Garden pines, o, wind!’ (niwa no matsukaze) sounds pleasant. It should win.
Eikyū Hyakushu 147
古里のしづけき庭は夏草の所得顔にしげるなりけり
| furusato no shizukeki niwa ni natsu kusa no tokoroegao ni shikeru narikeri |
In the ancient estate’s Quiet garden The summer grasses, So self-satisfied, Have grown thickly. |
Winter II: 3
Left (Win).
訪へかしな庭の白雪跡絶えてあはれも深き冬の朝を
| toekashi na niwa no shirayuki ato taete aware mo fukaki fuyu no ashita o |
I would go a’calling; In my garden the white snowfall Has covered all the tracks; How deep is my sorrow, On this winter morning! |
545
Right.
軒のうち雀の聲は馴るれども人こそ知らぬ今朝の白雪
| noki no uchi ni suzume no koe wa naruredomo hito koso shiranu kesa no shirayuki |
From underneath the eaves To the sparrows’ chirps Have I grown accustomed, yet No one noticed This morning’s fall of snow so white… |
545
The Right state that the Left’s initial line makes their poemsound like a reply. In addition, the final line is ‘overly forceful’ [itau tsuyoku]. The Left merely comment that the Right’s use of ‘sparrow’ (suzume) is ‘inappropriate’.
Shunzei’s judgement: Even though the Left’s poem is not a reply, starting with ‘I would go a’calling’ (toekashi na) is common in the reply style [zōtōtei]. In addition, ‘Winter Mornings’ is not a topic which one needs to approach obliquely. There are only the good and bad points of the poetry. ‘From underneath the eaves to the sparrows’ chirps have I grown accustomed’ (noki no uchi ni suzume no koe wa naruru) is not an expression much used about morning snow. However, the final section of the poem appears fine. ‘Sparrows’ chirps’ (suzume no koe) is, perhaps, somewhat colloquial [zoku no chikaku]. Despite the comment by the gentlemen of the Right that the final section of the Left’s poem is ‘overly forceful’, it is a better ‘Winter Morning’ poem.
Winter I: 8
Left.
いつしかと移ろふ色の見ゆるかな花心なる八重の白菊
| itsu shika to utsurou iro no miyuru kana hanagokoronaru yae no shiragiku |
All at once Your colours change I see; What a flower’s heart you have, Eightfold chrysanthemum! |
495
Right (Win).
花ならぬ匂ひも後はなき物を移ろひ殘れ庭の白菊
| hana naranu nioi mo nochi wa naki mono wo utsuroinokore niwa no shiragiku |
Flowers are there none, But a trace of scent Of what’s gone Leave trailed behind, O, garden chrysanthemums! |
496
The Right remark that the Left’s poem, ‘seems overly humorous’ [tawabure ni nitari]. The Left counter by wondering, ‘Whether it really is possible to separate flower and scent?’
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem, even though it has a ‘flower’s heart’ (hanagokoro) ‘changing’ (utsurou), seems to lack the conception of a poem on ‘lingering chrysanthumums’ [zangiku no kokoro sukunaku kikoyuru ni ya]. As for the Right’s poem, although it is true that flower and scent are not separate, there are poems composed on plum blossom, such as ‘The plum blossoms’/Scent, disturbingly,/Clings to my sleeves’ or ‘Leave behind your scent, at least’, so ‘a trace of scent’ (nioi mo nochi wa) does not seem to be a fault. ‘Leave trailed behind’ (utsuroinokore), too, is not unpleasant [yoroshikarazaru ni arazu]. The Right should win.
Winter I: 4
Left.
山里は梢さびしく散果てゝ嵐の音も庭の枯葉に
| yamazato wa kozue sabishiku chirihatete arashi no oto mo niwa no kareba ni |
In a mountain home The treetops, desolately, Are completely bare; The storm-wind’s sound Is in my garden’s withered leaves… |
487
Right (Win).
木葉散る外山の暮を分行ば袖に嵐の聲ぞ砕くる
| ko no ha chiru toyama no kure o wakeyukeba sode ni arashi no koe zo kudakuru |
All the leaves are fallen, as Through the distant mountain’s dusk I make my way; Upon my sleeves, the storm-wind’s Cry is shattered. |
488
The Right state that the Left’s poem ‘seems superficially appealing, but actually has nothing remarkable about it.’ The Left question how the poet can ‘make his way through the dusk’ (kure o wakeyuku) and ‘shatter’ (kudakuru) the wind.
Shunzei’s judgment: The lower section of the Left’s poem is charming [okashiku koso haberu], but the initial section is frequently used, and old fashioned [tsune no furugoto nite]. The Right’s shattering of the wind in ‘the distant mountains’ dusk’ is a questionable expression [obotsukanaki yō], but the Left’s initial section really does sound as if it lacks any artistry [muisugite kikoyu]. The Right’s total effect is most fine [sugata yoroshiku miehaberi]. It should win.
Winter I: 3
Left.
かつ惜しむ眺めも移る庭の色よ何を梢の冬に殘さん
| katsuoshimu nagame mo utsuru niwa no iro yo nani o kozue no fuyu ni nokosan |
A slight regret I feel, as My gaze shifts With the garden’s hues; What of the treetops Will remain in winter? |
485
Right.
散り積もる紅葉かき分來て見れば色さへ深き山路なりけり
| chiritsumoru momiji kakiwake kitemireba iro sae fukaki yamaji narikeri |
Fallen in drifts, Forging through the scarlet leaves I come, and see The depth of colour laid Upon the mountain paths. |
486
The Right state that the Left’s poem is lacking in conception [kokoro yukazu]. The Left respond that the Right’s poem, as in the previous round, is old-fashioned in both conception and diction [kokoro kotoba onaji yō ni furumekashi].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem does seem to have some conception about it, despite the Right’s criticism of this as lacking. Although the Right’s ‘depths of colour’ (iro sae fukaki) appears easy to grasp, again, the round should tie.
Autumn III: 22
Left.
蟲の音の弱るもしるく淺茅生に今朝は寒けくはだれ霜降る
| mushi no ne no yowaru mo shiruku asajū ni kesa wa samukeku hadare shimo furu |
The insects’ cries Have plainly weakened; Cogon grass, where On this chilly morning Patchy frost has fallen. |
463
Right.
思ふより又あはれは重ねけり露に霜置く庭の蓬生
| omou yori mata aware wa kasanekeri tsuyu ni shimo oku niwa no yomogyū |
I feel Yet more sadness Laid upon me: Upon the dew has frost fallen In my tangled mugwort garden… |
464
The Right find no fault with the Left’s poem. The Left wonder about the appropriateness of ‘upon the dew has frost fallen’ (tsuyu ni shimo oku).
The Right respond, ‘This refers to when frost falls upon something where dew has already fallen.’ In reply, the Left say, ‘Surely, it is when both of them fall together. We do wonder about frost falling on top of dew.’
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem has an unclear link between its initial and final sections. On the matter of the Right’s ‘frosty dew’, this has the same sense as in the Right’s poem in the previous round. The dew has frozen into frost, surely? However, as the Left’s poem is not worthy of a victory, the round must tie.