On the shape of a pine tree floating in the pond at the Asuka Mansion.
いけみづにまつのみどりをうつしてぞちとせのかげもいろまさりける
ikemizu ni matsu no midori o utsushite zo chitose no kage mo iro masarikeru In the pond’s waters The pine trees’ green Is reflected; The face of a thousand years in Superlative hues!
Ōe no Masafusa
Left
雪のうちのみやまからこそおいはくれかしらのしろく成るをまづみよ
yuki no uchi no miyama kara koso oi wa kure kashira no shiroku naru o mazu miyo Within the snows From the mountains deep, O, come, old age! My head to white Is turned—see that first!
149
Right
松の上にかかれる雪はよそにして時まどはせる花とこそみれ
matsu no ue ni kakareru yuki wa yoso ni shite toki madowaseru hana to koso mire Upon the pine trees Clings snow: From afar, The season has led astry The blossom, it does appear!
150
Zithers 筝
まつかぜの吹くにかよひてことの音は秋のしらべの身にもしむかな
matsukaze no fuku ni kayoite koto no ne wa aki no shirabe no mi ni mo shimu kana The wind through pine trees Blowing blending with A zither’s notes— The melodies of autumn Do pierce my soul!
Daishin
Hotsprings 出湯
みくまののゆごりのまつをさすさをのひろひ行くらんかくていとなし
mikumano no yugori no matsu o sasu sao no hiroiyukuran kakute itonashi In fair Kumano The pine trees take the waters – Thrusting boat-poles in As in a stately promenade: How busy they are!
Toshiyori
Left (Win).
與謝の海の沖つ潮風浦に吹けまつなりけりと人に聞かせん
yosa no umi no
oki tsu shio kaze
ura ni fuke
matsunarikeri to
hito ni kikasen
By the sea at Yosa,
Tidewinds on the offing,
Blow across the bay!
That I am waiting without end,
Tell him!
A Servant Girl
983
Right.
浪かくるさしでの磯の岩根松ねにあらはれてかはくまもなし
nami kakuru
sashide no iso no
iwane matsu
ne ni arawarete
kawaku ma mo nashi
Waves beat
Upon the shore at Sashide, where
The pine trees on the crags
Roots are bared and
Never dry for but a moment.
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
984
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks any faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: the configuration of the Left’s ‘Blow across the bay!’ (ura ni fuke ) and its links with the preceding and subsequent lines, sounds charming. The Right’s poem is stylistically elegant, but the poem more closely resembles a poem on the topic of ‘Love and Pine Trees’. Thus, the Left wins.
During the same reign, when there was an imperial excursion and His Majesty commanded the composition of poems.
大井河川辺の松に事問はむかかる御幸やありし昔も
oFowigawa
kaFabe no matu ni
koto toFamu
kakaru miyuki ya
arisi mukasi mo
At Ōigawa:
O, pine trees on the bank
I would ask you something:
Was there ever such an imperial visit
In the days of long ago?
Ki no Tsurayuki
'Simply moving and elegant'