Round Two

Left

ゆきふればしるしのすぎもはなさきてみわの山べもいかがたづねむ

yuki fureba shirushi no sugi mo hana sakite miwa no yamabe mo ikaga tazunemu

When the snow has fallen, The symbolic cedars, too, Bloom with blossom— To Miwa’s mountainside How might I make my way?

Lord Saburō
45

Right (Win)

しらゆきにふるの山みちうづもれてたどるばかりになりもゆくかな

shirayuki ni furu no yamamichi uzumorete tadoru bakari ni nari mo yuku kana

In snow, so white, Furu’s ancient mountain paths Are buried, so Simply I must feel my way As I go along!

Ushigimi
46

The Left’s poem is an entirely transparent adaptation of an earlier work. This poem is:

ふる雪に印の杉もうづもれていづこなるらむ三輪の山本

furu yuki ni shirushi no sugi mo uzumorete izuko naruruamu miwa no yamamoto

In the falling snow, Even the symbolic cedars Are buried Where might be Miwa mountain’s foot?[i]

The Right’s poem has nothing of interest about it, nor does it have any faults to indicate. Thus, there are insufficient grounds for judgement.

The Left’s poem follows the conception of a poem which appeared in the Kaya Palace Poetry Match.[ii] Although this is an earlier work, truly, it’s not that good, and so this poem doesn’t seem that superlative. Why couldn’t one visit if blossom has simply bloomed? The former poem says it would be difficult to get there because it’s buried in snow. The Right’s poem isn’t that good, but it seems better than the Left, so it should win.

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[i] The source of this poem is unclear, however,

[ii] Snow. ふるゆきにすぎのあをばもうづもれてしるしも見えずみわのやまもと furu yuki ni / sugi no aoba mo / uzumorete / shirushi mo miezu / miwa no yamamoto ‘In the falling snow / The green cedar needles / Are buried, so / The symbol goes unseen, / Of Miwa mountain’s foot.’ Lady Settsu (Kaya no in shichiban uta’awase 55). This poetry match, Kaya no in shichiban uta’awase 高陽院七番歌合 (‘Seven Round Poetry Match held at the Kaya Palace’), was sponsored by Fujiwara no Morozane 藤原師実 (1042-1101) and held on the 19^th day of the Eighth Month, Kahō 1 [1.10.1094]. The judge, Minamoto no Tsunenobu 源経信 (1016-1097), approved of this poem, saying it was ‘extremely charming’. It was later included in Kin’yōshū (IV: 285), with the headnote, ‘Composed on the conception of snow at the Poetry Match held at the Residence of the Former Uji Chancellor’.