From the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the reign of the Kanpyō emperor.
浦近く立つ秋霧は藻塩焼く煙とのみぞ見えわたりける
| ura tikaku tatu akigiri Fa mosiFo yaku kemuri to nomi zo miewatarikeru | Close by the bay Rising autumn mist, as Seaweed salt burning Smoke simply Appears everywere. |
Anonymous
Left.
限りなき下の思ひの行衛とて燃えん煙のはてや見るべき
| kagirinaki shita no omoi no yukue tote moen kemuri no hate ya mirubeki |
Without limit is My secret love: Does it lead to Burning smoke For her in the end to see? |
Lord Sada’ie.
955
Right (Win).
藻塩燒く浦の煙を風に見てなびかぬ人の心をぞ思ふ
| moshio yaku ura no kemuri o kaze ni mite nabikanu hito no kokoro o zo omou |
Seaweed salt burning On the shore, smoke Sighted in the wind; No trails from her Heart to me, alas… |
Nobusada.
956
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks smoke. The Left state: saying ‘sighted in the wind’ (kaze ni mite) sounds poor.
In judgement: the poem of the Right, which the Gentlemen of the Left have said ‘sounds poor’, has as its central section ‘sighted in the wind’, which I feel sounds extremely pleasant. The final section also sounds good. Thus, the Right wins.
Left (Win).
もしほ汲袖の月かげをのづからよそにあかさぬ須磨の浦人
| moshio kumu sode no tsukikage onozukara yoso ni akasanu suma no urabito |
Scooping seaweed salt, With moon-drenched sleeves: Naturally, This brings no light to The folk of Suma Bay. |
167
Right.
蟲明の松としらせよ袖の上にしぼりしまゝの波の月かげ
| mushiake no matsu to shiraseyo sode no ue ni shiborishi mama no nami no tsukikage |
‘At Mushiake I pine!’ – tell him that; From my sleeves Have I ever wrung Waves of moonlight. |
168
Left (Tie).
忘れじのちぎりうらむる故郷の心もしらぬ松蟲の聲
| wasureji no chigiri uramuru furusato no kokoro mo shiranu matsumushi no koe |
Never to forget, He vowed – how hateful! Around my aged home, All unknowing of my heart, The pine crickets sing their song… |
123
Right (Tie).
こぬ人をまつほの浦の夕なぎに燒くやもしほの身もこがれつゝ
| konu hito o matsuo no ura no yūnagi ni yaku ya moshio no mi mo kogaretsutsu |
For one who fails to come, I pine; within the bay of Matsuo In the evening calm, Burns seaweed salt, As does my breast with longing. |
124