Left (Tie).
吉野河はやき流れを堰く岩のつれなき中に身を砕くらん
yoshinogawa
hayaki nagare o
seku iwa no
tsurenaki naka ni
mi o kudakuran |
The River Yoshino’s
Swift flow is
Dammed by boulders;
With the chilling of our bond
It seems my very self will shatter… |
A Servant Girl
995
Right.
ありとても逢はぬためしの名取川朽ちだにはてよ瀬せの埋れ木
ari tote mo
awanu tameshi no
natorigawa
kuchi dani hateyo
sese no mumoregi |
We live, yet
Cannot meet – our situation
A source of rumours; in the River Natori
Let all rot away with
The drowned trees in the rapids! |
Jakuren.
996
Both Left and Right together state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: both poems are extremely good. This is a tie of quality.
大堰川鵜舟の手縄うちはへて夜な夜な瀬せをすみかとぞする
ōikawa
ubune no tanawa
uchihaete
yonayona sese o
sumika to zo suru |
Upon the River Ōi
The cormorant boats’ hawsers
Are tangled;
Night after night upon the rapids
Do they make their dwelling. |
Composed when he had gone to the Uji River.
朝ぼらけ宇治の川ぎり絶々にあらはれ渡る瀬々の網代木
asaborake
udi no kaFagiri
taedae ni
araFarewataru
sese no aziroki |
At the dawn
The mists across Uji River
Fade in and out
Drifting across
The fishing nets in the rapids. |
Middle Councillor [Fujiwara no] Sadayori (995-1045)
中納言定頼
宇治川の瀬瀬にありてふ網代木に多くのひをもわびさするかな
udigaFa no
sese ni ari teFu
aziroki ni
oFoku no Fi wo mo
wabisasuru kana |
On Uji River
Many are the rapids, they say, so
The fishing nets
Have many days
Of grief, too! |
沢田川せせのうもれ木あらはれてはなさきにけり春のしるしに
sawadagawa
sese no umoregi
araharete
hana sakinikeri
haru no shirushi ni |
At the River Sawada
Drowned trees in the rapids
Lie scattered, and
The blossom has bloomed,
Both a mark of spring! |
沢田川流れてひとの見え越すはたれに見せましせせの白玉
sawadagawa
nagarete hito no
miekosu wa
tare ni misemashi
sese no shiratama |
The Sawada River
Flows on, and she
Do I see beyond it;
To whom would I reveal
These pearls from the rapids? |
沢田川せせの白糸くりかへし君うちはへて万よばへよ
sawadagaFa
sese no sira’ito
kurikaFesi
kimi utiFaFete
yorodu yobaFeyo |
At Sawada River
White spume from the rapids
Time and time again
Ever for you, my love,
A myriad times call out! |
'Simply moving and elegant'