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Naidaijin-ke uta’awase gen’ei gan-nen jūgatsu futsuka

Naidaijin-ke uta’awase 25

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Round One

Left (T – Win)

絶えずたく室の八島の煙にも猶立ちまさる恋もするかな

taezu taku
muro no yashima no
keburi ni mo
nao tachimasaru
koi mo suru kana		Endlessly kindled,
At Muro no Yashima
The smoke
Yet rising more
Is my love for you!

Lady Settsu
49

Right (M – Win)

杯のしひてあひみむとおもへども恋しきことのさむるよもなき

sakazuki no
shiite aimimu to
omoedomo
koishiki koto no
samuru yo mo naki		Over a cup of wine
To press you to meet
I thought, yet
My love for you
Will never cool in this world!

Lord Akikuni

50

Toshiyori states: the first poem’s ‘endlessly kindled’ is an error. Fires are not actually kindled at Muro no Yashima—vapour rising from clear waters in the land appears to be smoke, so I wonder about the use of ‘kindled’ in this context. Nevertheless, if one was referring to real smoke, why wouldn’t you compose in this way? The tone of the poem isn’t bad. The second poem is an interesting display of technique, but it doesn’t appear that one would have to compose like this. Saying ‘cup’ leads to ‘wine’ and emphasises the drinking of it, but then if there were no wine and no drinking, how could one press someone to do something? In addition, I wonder whether it’s appropriate to begin with ‘cup’? This is an excess of technique over substance. The Left is more poetic, so I say it’s the winner.

Mototoshi states: what are we to make of ‘Endlessly kindled, / At Muro no Yashima / The smoke’? And what do the fires kindled at this location resemble? There are two senses of ‘Muro no Yashima’: one is a location in Shimotsuke; the second refers to people’s dwellings—we know from earlier treatises that forges are described as ‘Muro’. Which of these two senses is being used here? Whichever it is, ‘endlessly’ does not appear to have been previously associated with either of them. For example, there’s Koreshige’s poem:

風ふけば室のやしまの夕煙心のうちに立ちにけるかな

kaze fukeba
muro no yashima no
yūkeburi
kokoro no uchi ni
tachinikeru kana		When the wind blows
Across Muro no Yashima
At eventide as smoke,
Within my heart,
My passion soars…

It does not appear that the smoke rises endlessly here. Exemplars of endlessly rising smoke are the peak of Asama, or Mount Fuji, and these seem to have long been the subject of compositions. It seeming that this poem sought to express the essential meaning of ‘endlessly kindled’, such enquiries need to be made and, if I may be so bold, do not appear, do they? The Right’s poem has ‘Over a cup of wine / To press you to meet / I thought, yet’—while the conception of ‘press’ here sounds extremely unusual, what does it mean that ‘My love for you / Will never cool in this world’? It seems that ‘cool’ as a piece of diction is being used to make drunkenness a metaphor for being in love. If that’s the case, then, well, there are many foundational texts on this. So, even if one gets drunk, what then happens? Is there a world where this never ‘cools’? There was the case of man in Cathay who spent a thousand nights drunk, but that was only three years and not without end. In the sutras there is the drunkenness of ignorance and that might be a world in which one would not find sobriety, but there is no way to make this applicable in this poem. It is a little better than the Left poem’s endless kindling and extremely charming.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn III: 15

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Left.

今日といへばやがて籬の白菊ぞ尋し人の袖と見えける

kyō to ieba
yagate magaki no
shiragiku zo
tazuneshi hito no
sode to miekeru		 On this day
At last, along my lattice fence
White chrysanthemums:
Seeming like the sleeves of
One who came to call…

Lord Kanemune.

449

Right.

さか月に浮べる今日の影よりやうつろひ初むる白菊の花

sakazuki ni
ukaberu kyō no
kage yori ya
uturoisomuru
shiragiku no hana		 In my wine cup
Floating on this day:
Does the moonlight
Bring on changing hues
For white chrysanthemum blooms?

Ietaka.

450

The Right say that having the phrase ‘at last, along my lattice fence’ (yagate magaki no) continuing one from the other is ‘unsatisfactory’ [kokoroyukazu]. The Left say that the Right’s phrasing sounds as if the change in colour is brought about by the blossom floating in the wine cup, rather than the moonlight, and query if this is appropriate.

Shunzei’s judgement: Is the Left’s ‘at last, along my lattice fence’ that poor [ashiku ya wa]? Furthermore, the Right’s poem simply means ‘when floating in the wine cup’ the colours ‘change’. Neither poem has any conspicuous faults [tomo ni toganaku kikoyu]. The round should tie.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 18

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Left (Win).

桃の花枝さしかはす陰なれば浪にまかせんけふのさか月

momo no hana
eda sashikawasu
kage nareba
nami ni makasen
kyō no sakazuki		 Peach blossoms
Thrust from the bough
Spreading shade, so
To the waves I shall entrust
My wine-cup today.

Lord Kanemune.

155

Right.

さか月の流れとゝもに匂らしけふの花吹く春の山風

sakazuki no
nagare totomo ni
niourashi
kyō no hana fuku
haru no yamakaze		 With the wine-cups’
Drift
Scent seems to come:
Blowing through the blossoms today is
The mountains’ breath of spring.

Nobusada.

156

The Right state that it is ‘difficult to find any imperfections in the Left’s poem,’ while the Left say that the Right’s ‘blowing through the blossoms’ (hana fuku) is ‘grating on the ear.’ (They probably make this comment because hana fuku sounded too close to the verb hanafuku which had the rather prosaic meaning of ‘sneeze’!)

Shunzei’s judgement is, ‘The Left have stated that the Right’s hana fuku grates on the ear, but it would seem to be following the spirit of the lines:

Gently blows the breeze in early dawn;
Wordless,
A mouth starts to smile.

However, as has been said, there are no imperfections in the Left’s poem, as so it should win.’ (According to the commentators, ‘a wordless mouth’ was a metaphor used for blossom, although the source of the lines Shunzei quotes is now obscure.)

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 17

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Left (Win).

散る花をけふのまとゐの光にて浪間にめぐる春のさか月

chiru hana o
kyō no matoi no
hikari nite
namima ni meguru
haru no sakazuki		 Falling blossoms
To the gathering today
Add lustre,
Circling between the waves go
The wine-cups of spring.

A Servant Girl.

153

Right.

岩間より流れてくだす盃に花の色さへ浮ぶけふかな

iwama yori
nagarete kudasu
sakazuki ni
hana no iro sae
ukabu kyō kana		 From the rock-clefts
Float down
Cups of wine –
Even the blossoms’ hues
Seem adrift upon them, today…

Lord Takanobu.

154

The Right team state that the Left’s poem, ‘seems good,’ while the Left state that the Right’s combination of nagarete (‘flow’) and kudasu (‘send down’) is ‘inharmonious and would be better reversed.’ (In his poem, Takanobu has combined an intransitive verb nagaru with a transitive one, kudasu, and the Left are complaining that it’s odd to have something flowing (on its own) and then being sent down (by someone), so it would have been better phrased as kudashite nagaru, ‘sent down and then flowed’.)

Shunzei comments that, ‘Both poems have superlative elements. The Right’s nagaretekudasu is not entirely inharmonious, but the Left’s “circling between the waves go the wine-cups of spring” is particularly fine. Thus, I award it victory.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 16

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Left (Tie).

流れ來て岩間をくだる盃はさして誰にと見えずも有るかな

nagarekite
iwama o kudaru
sakazuki wa
sashite tare ni to
miezu mo aru kana		 Drifting down
Through the rock clefts, come
The winecups,
Proffered by no one,
Or so it seems…

Lord Suetsune.

151

Right (Tie).

岩間分け流れもやらぬさかづきは心ざせどもかひなかりけり

iwama wake
nagare mo yaranu
sakaduki wa
kokorozasedomo
kainakarikeri		 Through the rock clefts
Unable to flow are
The winecups:
I would offer one, yet
‘Tis no use, at all.

Lord Tsune’ie.

152

Yet again, neither team has anything to say about the other’s poem.

Shunzei says, ‘Both Left and Right have composed on “rock cleft wine cups”, with a concept of “proffered to someone” (sashite tare ni) or “I would proffer, yet” (kokorozasedomo): these are truly identical in quality. The round must tie.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 15

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Left.

けふといへば岩間によどむ盃を待たぬ空まで花に酔ふらん

kyō to ieba
iwama ni yodomu
sakazuki o
matanu sora made
hana ni youran		 Talking of today,
Caught in clefts between the rocks, yet
The wine cups’
Not awaiting, even the skies seem
Drunk on blossom.

Lord Ari’ie.

149

Right (Win).

花の色は入日を殘す木のもとに春も暮れゆく三日月の空

hana no iro wa
irihi o nokosu
ki no moto ni
haru mo kureyuki
mika tsuki no sora		 The blossoms’ hues
Have caught the setting sun, while
Beneath the trees
Springtime dusk draws on,
A crescent moon within the sky.

Jakuren.

150

Both teams have no particular comments to make about the other’s poem.

Shunzei remarks, ‘Both poems are of similar quality, as has been mentioned by the gentlemen present, however, the Left’s poem is clearly in the spirit of “With blossom the heavens are drunk, in the season of plentiful peaches.” (A well known Chinese poem composed by Sugawara no Michzane.) But the Right’s “Springtime dusk draws on, a crescent moon” captures the light better, I think. Thus, it seems to be the winner.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 14

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Left (Win).

唐人の跡を伝ふるさかづきの浪にしたがふけふも來にけり

karahito no
ato o tsutauru
sakazuki no
nami ni shitagau
kyō mo kininkeri		 How Cathay folk
Did long ago, ‘tis told;
With wine cups,
Trailing ‘long the waves
Has this day come.

Lord Sada’ie.

147

Right.

植へをきし賤が心は桃の花弥生のけふぞ見るべかりける

ueokishi
shizu ga kokoro wa
momo no hana
yayoi no kyō zo
mirubekarikeru		 ‘Twas planted, long ago, and now
The peasants’ hearts,
Peach blossom
On this Third Month day
Must see.

Ietaka.

148

Both teams say they have no criticisms, as before.

Shunzei, however, says, ‘The Left’s poem, as in the last round, draws on an ancient example of the Waterside Poetry Party. The Right’s, “The peasants’ hearts, on this Third Month day must see”, however, is extremely difficult to grasp, and certainly prosaic, is it not? The Left must win.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 13

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Left (Tie).

さかづきの流れにつけて唐人の船乘りすなるけふをしぞ思

sakazuki no
nagare ni tsukete
karahito no
fune norisu naru
kyō o shi zo omou		 As the wine cups
Flow,
Cathay folk,
Boarding boats
This day, comes to my mind.

Kenshō.

145

Right (Tie).

ゆく水に浮ぶる花のさか月や流れての代のためしなるらん

yuku mizu ni
ukaburu hana no
sakazuki ya
nagarete no yo no
tameshi naruran		 Upon the flowing waters
Floating flowers of
Wine cups!
In times gone by,
Was there ever such a thing?

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.

146

Both Left and Right say they have no criticisms to make this round.

Shunzei says, ‘The Left’s poem recalls an ancient Chinese festival, while the Right’s mentions one from our own Court. In terms style and form, neither poem has any particular problems. The round must tie.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring I: 5

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Left (Tie).

むつき立けふのまとゐや百敷の豊明のはじめなるらん

mutsuki tatsu
kyô no matoi ya
momoshiki no
toyo no akari no
hajimenaruran		 On the year’s turn
Today, with a congenial gathering
At the hundredfold palace,
Do the banquets – rubicund faces all –
Perhaps, begin?

Kenshō

9

Right (Tie).

百敷や袖を連ぬる盃にゑひをすゝむる春の初風

momoshiki ya
sode o tsuranuru
sakazuki ni
ei o susumuru
haru no hatsukaze		 At the hundredfold palace,
Arrayed sleeves and
Wine cups are
Pressed to a pleasant drunkenness by
The first breeze of spring.

 

Jakuren

10

The Right state that ‘on the year’s turn’ (mutsuki tatsu) is an expression they ‘are not accustomed to hearing’ [kikinarezu oboyu]. The Left, in response, say that this expression occurs in the Man’yōshū. The Right then state that ‘rubicund faces all’ (toyo no akari) is unclear. The Left reply that the various Imperial seasonal banquets are referred to as such in Imperial proclamations. The Left have no criticisms of the Right’s poem.

Shunzei’s judgement: The gentlemen of the Right have stated that mutsuki tatsu is something particularly worthy of criticism, but I do not feel this to be the case at all [makoto ni oboehaberazu]. I definitely recall seeing poems containing mutsuki tatsu in the Man’yōshū. However, even if something occurs in the Man’yōshū, I do not feel either Left or Right should cite it in support [sayū naku shōko to subeshi to mo oboehaberazu]. Someone now dead once told me that we should pick the tasteful sections of the Man’yōshū [man’yōshū wa yūnaru koto o toru beki]. Meaning that in that anthology there are many poems which sound unpleasant [kikinikuki], such as ‘Dig it from Lord Yamada’s nose!‘ and ‘Drinking wine, weeping drunkenly‘ which it would be difficult to select now. To the time of that anthology, they did not avoid poetic faults [uta no yamai]. Therefore, such poems should definitely not be used as sources for poetry competitions [kanarazushimo uta’awase no toki wa rei to nasubekarazaru]. This is not the case with the poem in question, but it needs to be said. Moreover, in Imperial Proclamations,toyo no akari (豊明) appears to be written 豊楽. Both Left and Right have already given their opinions on the poem’s overall conception [fūtei]. In terms of its sense, in one area alone is it surprising: instead of ‘custom’ (narai wa) which is normal in poetry in these situations, it uses ‘congenial gathering’ (matoi), which evokes the plucking of a catalpa bow; when one uses toyo no akari, one would normally then continue with expressions such as “cloudless world” (kumori naki yo ). In the present poem, however, there is nothing for it to connect to. The Right’s poem simply concludes ‘first breeze of spring’ (haru no hatsukaze), and while one can hear the New Year in this, the scenery of ‘Pressed to a pleasant drunkenness’ (ei o susumuru) is more that of the Twisting Waters banquet (gokusui no en) or of composition on ‘peach blossom skies‘. In sum, then, the poem fails to sound elegant in style [uta no tei mo yū ni shi mo kikoehaberazarubeshi]. The Left’s matoi, too, has no links within the poem. Neither is worthy of a win I feel. Thus, this round is, again, a tie.