On the day of an imperial visit to the Naniwa Palace, in Kyōun 3 [706].
あし辺ゆくかものはがひにしもふりてさむきゆふべのことをしぞおもふ
| ashibe yuku kamo no hagai ni shimo furite samuki yūbe no koto o shi zo omou | Huddled in the reeds Upon the ducks’ folded wings Frost falls and In the evening’s cold My mind is full of thoughts. |
The Tawara Emperor
When he visited the Naniwa Palace in Kyōun 3 [706]
葦辺行く鴨の羽交ひに霜降りて寒き夕は大和し思ほゆ
| asibe yuku kamo no pagapi ni simo purite samuki yupube pa yamato si omopoyu | Huddled in the reeds Upon the ducks’ folded wings Frost falls and In the evening’s cold My thoughts dwell upon Yamato. |
Prince Shiki
Left
蘆間分け月にうたひて漕ぐ舟に心ぞまづは乗りうつりぬる
| ashima wake tsuki ni utaite kogu fune ni kokoro zo mazu wa nori’utsurinuru | Parting the reeds, and Singing to the moon, Boats come rowing out – My heart, it is, that is first Aboard and carried away… |
Kenshō
1141
Right (Win)
浪の上にくだるを舟のむやひして月にうたひし妹ぞ戀しき
| nami no ue ni kudaru o fune no muyaishite tsuki ni utaishi imo zo koishiki | Upon the waves, Her boat departs, Vanishing into the mist; That moon-sung Girl is dear to me, indeed! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1142
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks much of a conception of pleasure girls. In appeal: the poem was written in the conception of Mochitoki’s Chinese poem on pleasure girls ‘the reed-leaves are fresh in springtime’. The Left state: the Right’s poem has nothing worth mentioning.
In judgement: is the conception of pleasure girls really absent from the Left’s ‘parting the reeds, and singing to the moon’ (ashima wake tsuki ni utaite)? The case certainly cannot rely on ‘the reed-leaves are fresh in springtime’. A Chinese poem expresses its topic in its initial line. It is normal for the introduction of the topic to be vague. Japanese and Chinese poetry have aspects where they are similar, and aspects where they differ. Thus, it is not appropriate to cite a Chinese poem’s broaching of its topic as evidence for a Japanese poem’s content. There are certainly other examples by Mochitoki, such as his overlong line in ‘in a boat atop the waves, but I find the same pleasure in life’. The line about reed-leaves can in no way function as proof. Thus this poem, as ‘an old fisherman sings a single shanty’ could be said to be about an old man. As a result, given the lack of clarity in the poem, it is not possible to accept that it is about a pleasure girl. The Right’s poem concludes ‘that moon-sung girl is dear to me, indeed’ (tsuki ni utaishi imo zo koishiki). The final line seems to be almost pointlessly pedestrian, but the poem is certainly about love for a pleasure girl. The Right must win.
置く霜に生ひたる葦の枯れ伏して菅田の池にあらはれにけり
| okushimo ni oitaru ashi no karefushite sugata no ike ni arawarenikeri |
With the frost fall The shapes of grown reeds Withering down At Sugata Pond Have appeared! |
Minamoto no Morotoki
源師時
A futher poem sent by the Elder Maiden of Ishikawa to Ōtomo no Tanushi.
我が聞きし耳によく似る葦の末の足やむ我が背つとめ給ぶべし
| wa ga kikisi mimi ni yoku niru asi no ure no asi yamu wa ga se tutometabubesi |
As I have heard So it does seem to be: As the reed tips Pierce your legs, my darling, Get well soon! |
The above poem was presented by the Elder Maiden of Ishikawa to Chūrō, when she visited him on hearing that his legs were troubling him.
和歌の浦や入り江の葦の霜の鶴かかる光にあはむとや見し
| waka no ura ya irie no ashi no shimo no tsuru kakaru hikari ni awamu to ya mishi |
O Waka Bay! In the reeds upon your shore Did frost-covered cranes With the light I once see become one? |
Ietaka
Composed to accompany a painting of the few remains of the bridge at Naraga on a folding screen for His Majesty, during the Tenryaku era.
葦間より見ゆる長柄の橋柱昔の跡のしるべなりけり
| asima yori miyuru nagara no Fasibasira mukasi no ato no sirube narikeri |
From between the reeds Can one see at Nagara The bridge pillars: A trace from long ago To guide us now… |
Fujiwara no Kiyotada
藤原清正
Left (Win).
忘れずよほのぼの人を三嶋江のたそがれなりし蘆のまよひに
| wasurezu yo honobono hito o mishimae no tasogare narishi ashi no mayoi ni |
Never will I forget you Who I glimpsed faintly In the dusk of Mishima Bay A single reed Causes confusion. |
647
Right.
花の色に移る心は山櫻霞のまより思ひそめてき
| hana no iro ni utsuru kokoro wa yamazakura kasumi no ma yori omoisometeki |
A blossom’s hue Has caught my heart; A mountain cherry Through the parted mists Has set me on the path of love. |
648
The Gentlemen of the Right state: saying simply ‘dusk’ (tasogare) when it should be ‘the hour of dusk’ (tasogare toki) sounds somewhat strange. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is composed to recall the Kokinshū’s ‘A mountain cherry through the drifting mists’ (yamazakura kasumi no ma yori), but is inferior to the original.
Shunzei’s judgement: in regard to the Left’s poem, it is certainly the case that, even without the ‘hour’, ‘in the dusk’ is a standard expression. The Right’s poem sounds old-fashioned. The Left, though, does not sound unpleasant, even though its mentioning of ‘never will I forget’ (wasurezu yo) recollects ‘a tiled kiln’. It should win.
Left.
憂しつらし安積の沼の草の名よかりにも深き縁は結ばで
| ushi tsurashi asaka no numa no kusa no na yo kari ni mo fukaki en wa musubade |
How cruel and cold! At Asaka Marsh The once seen reeds do grow; Briefly, a deep Bond will not be made. |
645
Right.
かゝりける姿の池の鴛の聲聞きては袖の濡れし數かは
| kakarikeru sugata no ike no oshi no koe kikite wa sode no nureshi kazu ka wa |
Such a Form! On Sugata Pond The loving mandarin duck calls I hear and my sleeves: Drenched how many times? |
646
Neither team has any criticisms this round.
Shunzei’s judgement: ‘The Left’s ‘At Asaka Marsh’ (asaka no numa) and the Right’s ‘On Sugata Pond the loving mandarin duck calls’ (sugata no ike no oshi no koe) are both tasteful in diction [yū no kotoba ni wa haberu], but beginning with ‘How cruel and cold!’ (ushi tsurashi) sounds like the poet is writing a love letter, and this is overly informal for a poetry competition [uta’awase ni wa kegen naru yō ni ya haberan]. ‘On Sugata Pond the loving mandarin duck calls’ is charming, but why did the poet not continue with ‘I did hear and my sleeves’ (kikishi wa sode no)? In any case, this round neither poem is markedly superior to the other.
Left (Win).
靡かじな海士の藻塩火焚き初めて煙は空にくゆりわぶ共
| nabikaji na ama no moshiobi takisomete kemuri wa sora ni kuyuriwabutomo |
She has not so much as waved to me, yet The fisher-folk salt fires Have begun to kindle and The smoke into the skies Has yet to rise… |
607
ight.
葦の屋の隙漏る雨の雫こそ音聞かぬより袖は濡れけれ
| ashi no ya no hima moru ame no shizuku koso oto kikanu yori sode wa nurekeri |
Through a roof of reeds’ Chinks, drenching rain Drops Make no sound, yet Soak my sleeves. |
608
The Right state that it should be kuyuru in the Left’s poem – and that they are not accustomed to hearing kuyuri. The Left state that, ‘while the rain falling on a roof of reeds would make no sound, once it became drops dripping through, it would. In addition, while it “makes no sound”, how can it be love?’
Shunzei’s judgement: The gentlemen of the Right’s claim that the Left’s poem should be kuyuri is incorrect. This is simply a case of the same diction as in utsuru-utsuri, todomaru-todomari – I should not have to give more examples. In form the poems do have good and bad points [utazama zen’aku arubeki]. I have the feeling I have recently seen something similar to the Right’s metaphorical use of a roof of reeds. Or maybe it was not that recently. The Left’s ‘has yet to rise’ seems better. I shall make it the winner.