Tag Archives: passes

Entō ōn’uta’awase 15

Round Fifteen

Left (Win)

山たかみみだれてにほふ花桜人もすさめぬ春やへぬらん

yama takami
midarete niou
hanazakura
hito mo susamenu
haru ya henuran
In these mountain heights
The riotous glow of
Blooming cherries:
Is there no one to sing their praises
As spring passes by?[1]

Chikanari
29

Right

行末の山のかひより昨日みし雲もさながら桜なりけり

yukusue no
yama no kai yori
kinō mishi
kumo mo sanagara
sakura narikeri
On my way
Through mountain passes
Yesterday I saw
Clouds of white—all were
Cherries![2]

Ie’kiyo
30

The Right’s poem, having ‘mountain passes yesterday I saw’ sounds like it conveys the conception of Tsurayuki’s poem well, but isn’t it a bit pointless to end up with something that sounds like a Travel poem? The Left’s poem has the fine conception of the old poem which goes ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms’, so thus it must win.


[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. 山たかみ人もすさめぬさくら花いたくなわびそ我みはやさむ yama takami / hito mo susamenu / sakurabana / itaku na wabi so / ware mihayasamu ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms. / Do not be aggrieved / For I will do it.’ Anonymous (KKS I: 50).

[2] An allusive variation on: When he was instructed by His Majesty to compose a poem, he composed this and presented it. 桜花さきにけらしもあしひきの山の峡よりみゆる白雲 sakurabana / sakinikerashi mo / ashihiki no / yama no kai yori / miyuru shirakumo ‘The cherry blossom / Seems to have bloomed, and from / The leg-wearying / Mountain passes / Appears white billowing clouds.’ Tsurayuki (KKS I: 59)

Kanpyō no ōntoki chūgū uta’awase 11

Winter

Round Eleven

Left

霜のうへにふる初雪の朝氷とけむほどこそひさしかりけれ

shimo no ue ni
furu hatsuyuki no
asagōri
tokemu hodo koso
hisashikarikere
Upon the frosts
Falls first snow, turning
Icy in the morning;
The time when it will melt is
Far away, indeed.

20[1]

Right (Win)

いつのまにふりつもりけんみよしのの山のかひよりくづれ落つる雪

itsu no ma ni
furitsumoriken
miyoshino no
yama no kai yori
kuzure’otsuru yuki
All of a sudden
Has it fallen and piled high
In fair Yoshino
The mountain passes are
Blocked by fallen snow.

21


[1] Kokin rokujō I: 696