Singing Girls 妓女
絵にかくと筆もおよばじ乙女子が花のすがたを誰にみせまし
| e ni kaku to fude mo oyobaji otomego ga hana no sugata o tare ni misemashi | A painted picture No brush can match – The maidens’ Blossoming forms: To whom should I reveal? |
Nakazane
Tag Archives: picture
Love IX: 18
Left
いとはれて胸やすからぬ思をば人の上にぞ書きうつしつる
| itowarete mune yasukaranu omoi o ba hito no ue ni zo kakiutsushitsuru |
Being despised And my unquiet heart Filled with feelings Upon her I paint them out! |
Kenshō
1115
Right (Win)
いかにせん絵にかく妹にあらねどもまこと少き人心かな
| ika ni sen e ni kaku imo ni aranedomo makoto sukunaki hitogokoro kana |
What am I to do? A lady painted in a picture She is not, yet How lacking are Her feelings! |
Nobusada
1116
The Right state: what is the Left’s poem about? In appeal: it reflects Changkang, who, feeling a woman living next door was beautiful, painted her and was then able to meet her. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: I, too, was unsure of the meaning of ‘my unquiet heart filled with feelings upon her’ (mune yasukaranu omoi woba hito no ue ni zo), and after reading the Left’s response, I am still unclear. In general, in these cases it is customary to cite the source of such things, and to hear of such wide reading is interesting indeed, but this is simply, ‘it reflects Changkang, who, feeling a woman living next door was beautiful, painted her and was then able to meet her’, so it would be difficult to locate within the usual Three Histories; furthermore, I have no recollection of a person named in this Chinese manner, and so an ignorant old man like myself can only ask, who is this Nagayasu? More importantly, though, I do not feel the conception of this poem is particularly well-matched to the topic. The Right’s ‘a lady painted in a picture’ (e ni kaku imo) is a little over-explicit, but ‘how lacking are’ (makoto sukunaki) would seem to be in the style of the Kazan Archbishop, and as I feel this is easier to understand than Nagayasu, I make the Right the winner.
Love IX: 16
Left (Tie)
人しれずつくす心はかひぞなきこや絵にかける姿なるらむ
| hito shirezu tsukusu kokoro wa kai zo naki ko ya e ni kakeru sugata naruramu |
Unknown to all Exhausting my heart Is so pointless, for This is but a painted picture Of her… |
Lord Suetsune
1111
Right
いざさらばつれなき人を絵にかきて見てだに恋のなぐさめにせん
| iza saraba tsurenaki hito o e ni kakite mite dani koi no nagusame ni sen |
So, then, so be it! Of that cruel one I’ll paint a picture, and Just gazing at it will love’s Pain ease… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1112
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem is colloquial.
In judgement: the Left, with ‘this is but a painted picture’ (koya e ni kakeru), and the Right, with ‘so, then, so be it!’ (iza saraba), are of similar styles.
Love IX: 15
Left (Win)
思あまり絵にかきとめてなぐさむる妹が上にも涙落ちけり
| omoi amari e ni kakitomete nagusamuru imo ta ue ni mo namida ochikeri |
Too much in love I paint a picture for Consolation, but Upon my darling Tears fall… |
Lord Kanemune
1109
Right
かきとめて変らぬ色もをみなへしあはれと見れば露ぞこぼるる
| kakitomete kawaranu iro mo ominaeshi aware to mireba tsuyu zo koboruru |
Painted in Changeless hues is my love – A maidenflower I glimpse in sorrow, Drenched with dew… |
Ietaka
1110
The Right state: the Left’s poem certainly has no faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no conception of Love.
In judgement: both Gentlemen’s pictures are ‘painted’ (kakitomete), with the Left then using ‘upon my darling’ (imo ga ue ni mo), which certainly has a conception of love. The Right simply draws a picture of a maidenflower and drenches it with dew, so it does not seem as if he is being moved by the sight of a person. Thus, again, the Left seems the superior poem.