Tag Archives: soko

Kinkai wakashū 625

The moon above the riverside.[i]

千はやぶるみたらし川の底きよみのどかに月の影はすみけり

chihayaburu
mitarashigawa no
soko kiyomi
nodoka ni tsuki no
kage wa sumikeri
The mighty
Mitarashi River has
A bed so pure—
Tranquil, the moon’s
Light shines clear.[ii]

625


[i] Even though it is not specified in the headnote, the poem makes it clear that Sanetomo is referring to a specific river, the Mitarashi here.

[ii] This poem shows influence from Shinkokinshū XIX: 1889, and also: Topic unknown. まこもかる淀のさは水ふかけれどそこまで月の影はすみけり makomo karu / yodo no sawamizu / fukakeredo / soko made tsuki no / kage wa sumikeri ‘Reaping wild rice / In the Yodo’s marsh-waters, / So deep, yet / Right down to the bed, the moon’s / Light is clear.’ Former Major Counsellor Masafusa (Shinkokinshū III: 229)

Kinkai wakashū 619

月さゆるみもすそ川の底きよみいづれの代にかすみはじめけん

tsuki sayuru
mimosusogawa no
soko kiyomi
izure no yo ni ka
sumihajimeken
Chill, the moon
Upon the Mimosuso River,
Its bed so clear—
In which age was it,
That it began to be so, I wonder?[i]

619


[i] See: Composed for a picture of the Rinji Festival at the Kamo Shrine on a folding screen prepared for the entrance of a Junior Consort to the palace in the 6th year of Bunji (1190). 月さゆるみたらし河にかげみえてこほりにすれる山あゐの袖 tsuki sayuru / mitarashigawa ni / kage miete / kōri ni sureru / yama’ai no sode ‘Chill, the moon, / Upon the Mitarashi River / Shines, seeming as / A design of ice upon / Indigo sleeves.’ Master of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office Toshinari (Shinkokinshū XIX: 1889)

Yōzei’in miko futari uta’awase 12

Left

ひくるればひとめのもりにぬるとりのあかつきがたになきつつぞたつ

hi kurureba
hitome no mori ni
nuru tori no
akatsukigata ni
nakitsutsu zo tatsu
Since the setting of the sun
Avoiding others’ eyes within the forest
Slept a bird that
At the edge of dawn
Sobbing, does depart!

22

Right

ねをあさみそこをはなるるうきくさのけさのおきにぞながれわびぬる

ne o asami
soko o hanaruru
ukikusa no
kesa no oki ni zo
nagare wabinuru
Shallow the roots
Separating from the river’s bed,
Of the drifting waterweed,
This morning rising,
Swept away in desolation!

23

Sumiyoshi-sha uta’awase kaō ni-nen 06

Round Six

Left (Tie)

すみよしのまつのむらだちかぜさえてしきつのなみにやどる月かげ

sumiyoshi no
matsu no muradachi
kaze saete
shikitsu no nami ni
yadoru tsukikage
At Sumiyoshi
The pines crowd together
In the chilly wind, as
Upon the waves at Shikitsu
Lodges moonlight.

Lord Fujiwara no Sane’ie
Supernumerary Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Right Division
Exalted Junior Third Rank[1]
11

Right

なにはえのそこにやどれる月をみてまたすみのぼるわがこころかな

naniwae no
soko ni yadoreru
tsuki o mite
mata suminoboru
wa ga kokoro kana
At Naniwa Bay,
Lodged on the bottom,
The moon fills my gaze, as
Once more, clearly soars
My heart!

Lord Fujiwara no Atsuyori
Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade
Without Office[2]
12

In the Left’s poem, I can say that the configuration of ‘Upon the waves at Shikitsu / Lodges moonlight’ is pleasant. In the Right’s poem, saying ‘Lodged on the bottom, / The moon fills my gaze, as / Once more, clearly soars / My heart!’ appears to show deep thought but, while it appears that ‘Naniwa Bay’ encompasses Sumiyoshi, the conception of the topic expressing ‘over the shrine’ sounds somewhat vague. Then again, the Left’s tone is more in keeping with a poem for a poetry match, but it lacks any language particularly evocative of the topic, so the round ties.


[1] Jūsan’i-gyō ukon gonchūjō Fujiwara ason Sane’ie 従三位行右近衛権中将藤原朝臣実家

[2] San’i jūgoige Fujiwara ason Atsuyori 散位従五位上藤原朝臣敦頼

GSIS XI: 647

When a woman told him to throw himself into a pool.

身をすててふかきふちにも入りぬべしそこの心のしらまほしさに

mi o sutete
Fukaki Futi ni mo
irinubesi
soko no kokoro no
siramaFosisa ni
I shall cast off all restraint, and
Into a deep pool, indeed,
Plunge—
For at the bottom your heart’s depths
I would come to know…

Minamoto no Michinari

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Teiji-in uta’awase 14

Left

さはみづにかはづなくなりやまぶきのうつろふいろやそこにみゆらむ

sawamizu ni
kawazu nakunari
yamabuki no
utsurou iro ya
soko ni miyuramu
Among the marsh waters
The frogs are crying;
The kerria’s
Fading hues—might
They see them below the surface there?

27

Right (Win)

ちりてゆくかたをだにみむはるがすみはなのあたりはたちもさらなむ

chiriteyuku
kata o dani mimu
harugasumi
hana no atari wa
tachi mo sara namu
Scattering off
If only I might see them, but
The spring haze
Around the blossoms is
Already rising!

28

Sahyōe no suke sadafumi uta’awase 16

Love on Meeting

Left (Win)

人ごころいまはかぎりになりぬればみるこそみぬにおとらざりけれ

hitogokoro
ima wa kagiri ni
narinureba
miru koso minu ni
otorazarikere
My human heart
Now has its bound
Reached, so
Seeing you compared to not
Is no worse!

31

Right

わかれてはのちぞかなしきにごりえのそこともしらぬありかとおもへは

wakarete wa
nochi zo kanashiki
nigorie no
soko to mo shiranu
arika to omoeba
Parting does
Later bring such sadness:
A muddy inlet’s
Depths leave me unknowing
Of where she is, so…

Mitsune
32

Sahyōe no suke sadafumi uta’awase 7

The Middle of Autumn

Left (Tie)

くもゐよりてりやまさるときよたきのそこにてもみむあきのつきかげ

kumoi yori
teri ya masaru to
kiyotaki no
soko nite mo mimu
aki no tsukikage
From the clouds
Does it shine most bright?
On Kiyotaki’s
Riverbed I see
Autumn moonlight.

13

Right

人しれぬねをやなくらんあきはぎのはなさくまでにしかのこゑせぬ

hito shirenu
ne o ya nakuran
aki hagi no
hana saku made ni
shika no koe senu
That no one may know
Quietly, does he cry?
Until the autumn bush clover
Blooms flower
The stag’s bell stays silent.

Mitsune
14

KYS IX: 582

The first time he spoke with Kamo no Narisuke, he took a shallow wine-cup and composed:

ききわたるみたらしがはの水きよみそこのこころをけふぞみるべき

kikiwataru
mitarashigawa no
mizu kiyomi
soko no kokoro o
kyō zo mirubeki
Listening,
The River Mitarashi’s
Waters are so pure
That to the bottom of my heart
I can see today.

Kunimoto, the Governor of Tsu


Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta’awase 79

Left

白露ぞ霜となりける冬のよはあまの河さへ水こほりけり

shiratsuyu zo
shimo to narikeru
fuyu no yo wa
ama no kawa sae
mizu kōrikeri
Silver dewdrops
Have turned to frost
On this winter’s night
Even the River of Heaven’s
Waters have frozen.

153

Right

冬の海に降りいる雪やそこにゐて春たつ浪の花とさくらん

fuyu no umi ni
furi’iru yuki ya
soko ni ite
haru tatsu nami no
hana to sakuran
Upon the sea in winter,
Falling down, is the snow:
Does it rest upon the bed and
With the waves breaking in springtime
Bloom into blossom?

154