There was a man who had been secretly conversing with a woman who had a husband. When their relationship cooled, seeing that he had little time for her, the woman sent this to him.
我宿の軒のしのぶにことよせてやがても茂るわすれ草かな
| wa ga yado no noki no sinobu ni koto yosete yagate mo sigeru wasuregusa kana |
At my dwelling Ferns grow beneath the eaves Is your excuse; And in the end all that grows lush is The grass of your forgetfulness! |
Anonymous
Topic unknown.
独のみながめふるやのつまなれば人を忍の草ぞ生ひける
| Fitori nomi nagame Furu ya no tuma nareba Fito no sinobu no kusa zo oFikeru |
All alone I watch the long rains fall from my roof’s Ancient edge, as Memories of her, like the ferns’ Fronds grow thickly… |
Sada no Noboru
貞登
On hearing the spring rain fall when having nothing to do.
つくづくと春のながめのさびしきはしのぶにつたふのきの玉水
| tsukuzuku to haru no nagame no sabishiki wa shinobu ni tsutau noki no tamamizu |
Ceaselessly Spring’s long rains fill my gaze With sorrow: A tale told to the ferns By droplets from the eaves… |
Major Archbishop Gyōkei (1101-1165)
大僧正行慶
Left.
思ひこそ千島の奥を隔てねどえぞ通はさぬ壺の碑
| omoi koso chishima no oku o hedatenedo ezo kayowasanu tsubo no ishibumi |
My love Has not the Thousand Islands Barring it, yet The barbarians cannot pass The Stone at Tsubo – nor can I write to you! |
Kenshō
871
Right (Win).
思ひやる心幾重の峰越えて信夫の奧を尋ね入るらん
| omoiyaru kokoro ikue no mine koete shinobu no oku o tazuneiruran |
Dwelling on you, My heart numberless Peaks will cross To the depths of Shinobu, Perhaps to visit someone hidden there? |
Ietaka
872
As the previous round.
In judgement: the Left’s ‘Thousand Islands’ (chishima) is a familiar expression from the past, but I do not recall it being used in poetry. I am familiar with the Right’s ‘depths of Shinobu’ (shinobu no oku), so that is better. Again, the Right wins.
Topic unknown.
君こふる涙しぐれとふりぬれはしのぶの山も色づきにけり
| kimi koFuru namida sigure to Furinureba sinobu no yama mo irodukinikeri |
Loving you, When my tears, as drizzle Fall, Shinobu Mountain, too Does take on its hues… |
Hafuribe no Narishige
祝部成仲
Sent to her when Tomonori’s daughter had gone to Michinoku.
君をのみしのぶの里へゆくものをあびつの山のはるけきやなぞ
| kimi o nomi sinobu no sato Fe yuku mono wo abitu no yama no Farukeki ya na zo |
You, alone To the estates of Shinobu Have gone; As Mount Abitsu As far, it seems! |
The Daughter of Shigemoto
滋幹女
しのぶ山忍びて通ふ道もがな人の心の奥も見るべく
| shinobuyama shinobite kayou michi mogana hito no kokoro no oku mo mirubeku |
O Mount Shinobu! To secretly traverse Your paths – I wish I could! Then into my lady’s heart of Hearts could I catch a glimpse! |
Left (Win).
洩らすなよ雲ゐる嶺の初時雨木の葉は下に色變るとも
| morasunayo kumoiru mine no hatsu shigure ko no ha wa shita ni iro kawarutomo |
O, let it not leak out! Though the cloud-capped peaks’ First shower of rain, On the leaves’ underside Has left a change of hue… |
613
Right.
閨のうちは涙の雨に朽ち果てゝしのぶは茂る妻にぞ有ける
| neya no uchi wa namida no ame ni kuchihatete shinobu wa shigeru tsuma ni zo arikeru |
Within my bedchamber A rain of tears Has rotted all, so The weeping ferns secretly grow thick Around the edges… |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
614
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no defects worth criticising. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the initial and final sections of the Right’s poem lack connection with each other. Does the poem have a conception of hiddenness?
Shunzei’s judgement: The conception and configuration of the Left’s ‘cloud-capped peaks’ first shower of rain’ (kumoiru mine no hatsu shigure) seems charming [kokoro sugata okashiku mie]. On that basis, it should win.
Left.
蘆の屋の蔦這ふ軒の村時雨音こそ立てね色は隱れず
| ashi no ya no tsuta hau noki no murashigure oto koso tatene iro wa kakurezu |
My roof of reeds, Ivy twining on the eaves, is struck By a soft shower Sound is there none, but The hues cannot hide… |
429
Right.
今朝見れば蔦這う軒に時雨して忍のみこそ青葉也けり
| kesa mireba tsuta hau noki ni shigureshite shinobu nomi koso aoba narikeri |
When I looked this morning, The ivy twining on the eaves Was struck by a shower; Only the ferns remember To remain green-leaved. |
430
Neither team has any criticisms to make of the other’s poem, and say as much.
Shunzei’s judgement: Both poems are concern ‘a shower falling on ivy-clad eaves’, with the Left mentioning no sound from a ‘roof of reeds’ and the Right the different hues of ‘fern-remembered eaves’ (shinobu no noki). Thus, there is not much between them. I make them the same quality.
Left (Tie).
こひ死なぬ身のおこたりぞ年へぬるあらばあふよの心づよさに
| koishinanu mi no okotari zo toshi henuru araba au yo no kokoro zuyosa ni |
I have not died of love, So idly have I Passed the time; Within this world, that we’ll meet again Is firmly lodged within my heart. |
119
Right
あふことはしのぶの衣あはれなどまれなる色に亂そめけん
| au koto wa shinobu no koromo aware nado mare naru iro ni midare someken |
Meeting you, I recall, in much-dyed Shinobu garb, It’s sad, but Rare it is with passion To be shattered. |
120