Left (Win)
はるのよのちよをひとよになしてしかあくやあかずやねでこころみむ
| haru no yo no chiyo o hitoyo ni nashiteshika aku ya akazu ya nede kokoromimu | Spring nights By the thousand, into a single night Have been made— Am I satisfied or not, Sleepless, how will I know? |
25
Right
あひみてもなほなぐさまぬこひなればわがみなれどももてぞわづらふ
| ai mite mo nao nagusamanu koi nakereba wagami naredomo mote zo wazurau | Seeing and meeting you Has not eased My yearning, but without it My sorry self would yet Suffer from your treatment! |
26
Kerria
Left
のどかなるはるもやあるとたづねつつこえてをりみんやへのやまぶき
| nodoka naru haru mo ya aru to tazunetsutsu koete ori min yae no yamabuki | ‘Is it due to gentle Spring I wonder?’ Always I do ask Overcome, by picking to gaze upon Eightfold kerria blooms… |
17[i]
Right (Win)
やへさけるかひこそなけれやまぶきのちらばひとへもあらじとおもふに
| yae sakeru kai koso nakere yamabuki no chiraba hitoe mo araji to omou ni | To have bloomed eightfold Has little point for The kerria, for If they scatter then, not even briefly Will they be here, I feel… |
18[ii]
[i] This poem is included in Fubokushō (VI: 2017), attributed to Kanemori, with the headnote ‘Kerria, Poetry Match held by the Reikeiden Junior Consort, Second Month, Tenryaku 11’.
[ii] This poem is included in Shikashū (I: 46) as an anonymous poem with the headnote ‘Composed for the Poetry Match held at the Residence of the Reikeiden Junior Consort’.
Willow
Left (Win in a certain text)
あをやぎのえだにかかれるいとなくははるのくるをもしらずやあらまし
| aoyagi no eda ni kakareru ito naku wa haru no kuru o mo shirazu ya aramashi | If, from the green willow Branches hanging Were there no threads, then Of spring’s coming Would there be any knowing? |
15
Right (Win)
あさごとにまづもみるかなあをやぎのいとはよるよるいろやまさると
| asa goto ni mazu mo miru kana aoyagi no ito wa yoruyoru iro ya masaru to | Every single morning First will I behold them! For the green willow Threads after each night Might be the best hue of all? |
16
Warblers
Left (Win)
うぐひすのこゑなかりせばゆききえぬやまざといかではるをしらまし
| uguisu no koe nakariseba yuki kienu yamazato to ikade haru o shiramashi | Should the warbler’s Song be made to cease, then though The snow has vanished from This mountain retreat, how Would one know ‘tis spring? |
Nakatsukasa
7[i]
Right
かがみやまはるくるかげやみえつらむたにのうぐひすいでてなくなり
| kagamiyama haru kuru kage ya mietsuramu tani no uguisu idete naku nari | Upon Mirror Mountain Signs of coming spring Have appeared, it seems, for In the valleys warblers Have emerged to sing. |
8
[i] This poem is included in Shūishū (I: 10), attributed to Middle Counsellor [Fujiwara no] Asatada, with the headnote ‘From a palace poetry match on the 29th day of the Third Month, Tenryaku 10’ [12.5.956]. It is also included in Shūishō (I: 6) as an anonymous poem in some texts, or attributed to Nakatsukasa in others, with the headnote ‘When a poetry match was held at the palace on the 29th day of the Third Month, Tenryaku 10’.
While he was residing at Mount Hiei, and someone asked him for some incense, he sent this, attached to a branch of plum from which the blossom had scattered.
春すぎてちりはてにける梅の花ただかばかりぞ枝にのこれる
| Faru sugite tiriFatekeru mume no Fana tada ka bakari zo eda ni nokoreru | Spring is gone and All scattered are The plum blossoms: Only their fragrance Lingers on the branch! |
Dharma Master Jogan
Round Four
Willows
Left
あらたまのとしをつむらんあをやぎのいとはいづれの春かたゆべき
| aratama no toshi o tsumuran aoyagi no ito wa izure no haru ka tayubeki | New jewels, The years seem to spin out Green willow Threads: when might The spring be that they snap? |
Mochiki
8[i]
Right (Win)
さほひめのいとそめかくるあをやぎをふきなみだりそ春の山風
| saohime no ito somekakuru aoyagi o fuki na midari so haru no yamakaze | Princess Sao Has dyed the dangling threads of Green willow— O, don’t blow them into tangles, Spring breeze from the mountains! |
Kanemori
9
While the Right’s poem was being recited, the gentlemen of the Left stated, ‘The current willow poem was already recited out of sequence, and yet they desire to recite it again. It seems they have forgotten basic procedure!’ This minor official replied, ‘His Majesty’s ruling has already been granted on this matter following the Left’s request when the poems on bush warblers were recited, so this objection cannot be raised again.’
In the Left’s poem ‘New jewels, / The years seem to spin out / Green willow’ lacks sense. While the Right’s poem has nothing worth mentioning about it, it does not appear to have any faults, and thus it wins.
[i] A variant on this poem is included in Goshūishū (I: 74), as well as in some texts of this match: Composed on willows for the Palace Poetry Match held in Tentoku 4. あらたまのとしをへつつもあをやぎのいとはいづれのはるかたゆべき aratama no / toshi o hetsutsu mo / aoyagi no / ito wa izure no / haru ka tayubeki ‘New jewels, / The years pass ever by with / Green willow / Threads: when might / The spring be that they snap?’ Given Saneyori’s judgement, however, I am following Hagitani and Taniyama (1965, 80) in prioritising this version.
Round Three
Left (Win)
わがやどの梅がえになくうぐひすは風のたよりにかをやとめこし
| wa ga yado no ume ga e ni naku uguisu wa kaze no tayori ni ka o ya tomekoshi | Upon my dwelling’s Branch of plum a’singing, Has the warbler By a message on the breeze Carrying fragrance perhaps been summoned? [i] |
Asatada
5[ii]
Right
さほひめのいとそめかくるあをやぎをふきなみだりそ春の山風
| saohime no ito somekakuru aoyagi o fuki na midari so haru no yamakaze | Princess Sao Has dyed the dangling threads of Green willow— O, don’t blow them into tangles, Spring breeze from the mountains! |
Kanemori
6
Warblers should have appeared here, but this is a poem about willows, so it loses.
しろたへの雪ふりやまぬ梅がえにいまぞうぐひす花となくなる
| shirotae no yuki furiyamanu ume ga e ni ima zo uguisu hana to nakunaru | White as mulberry cloth The snow falls unceasing— Upon the branch of plum, Now, indeed, the warbler, Sings of the blossom! |
Kanemori
7
Despite the mistaken composition, His Majesty required the original poem and it was located and recited.
Lord Hiromasa, the Reciter for the Right, mistakenly recited the willow poem. The Left raised an objection, saying, ‘He should have recited the warbler poem but, instead, erroneously recited the willow poem. Should he really be allowed to recite the correct poem now?’ The substance of the Left’s objection was conveyed to His Majesty, who instructed, ‘Provide a report based on prior precedent.’
This minor official advised His Majesty, ‘The Left’s objection is not unreasonable. However, matters such as this are best determined according to the circumstance of the occasion. As this was simply human error, why discriminate against the poem?’
Thus, His Majesty ordered that the poem be recited.
When he did so, Lord Hiromasa turned pale and was unable to recite the poem straight away. Although he finally managed to do so, his voice trembled and the Left laughed at him. Furthermore, the poem’s diction contained the nonsensical expression ‘sings of the blossom’, and thus this was still a loss.
[i] An allusive variation on: A poem from the Empress’ poetry competition held in the Kanpyō period. 花の香を風のたよりにたぐへてぞ鶯さそふしるべにはやる hana no ka o / kaze no tayori ni / taguete zo / uguisu sasou / shirube ni wa yaru ‘The blossoms’ scent / Messaged on the breeze / Brings / An invitation to the warbler / To try and bring him forth!’ Ki no Tomonori (Kokinshū I: 13)
[ii] This poem was included in Gyokuyōshū (I: 42), attributed to Asatada, with the headnote ‘On warblers, from the Palace Poetry Match in Tentoku 4’.
Round Two
Warblers
Left (Win)
こほりだにとまらぬ春のたに風にまだうちとけぬうぐひすのこゑ
| kōri dani tomaranu haru no tanikaze ni mada uchitokenu uguisu no koe | Even though the ice Lingers not in spring’s Valley breezes, Still unmelted is The warbler’s song. |
Shitagō
3[i]
Right
わがやどにうぐひすいたくなくなるはにはもはだらに花やちるらん
| wa ga yado ni uguisu itaku naku naru wa niwa mo hadara ni hana ya chiruran | At my house A warbler’s heartfelt Song fills My garden, spotted With blossom scattering? |
Kanemori
4[ii]
The Left poem’s sense is extremely charming. The Right poem’s pointless introduction of blossom scattering lacks interest and its diction is also poor. Thus, I make the Left the winner.
[i] This poem is included in Shūishū (I: 6); it was also included in the third edition of Kin’yōshū (I: 10).
[ii] This poem was subsequently included in several other collections: Kin’yōshū (first edition) (I: 14); Kin’yōshū (third edition) (I: 11); Shoku goshūishu (II: 114); and Mandaishū (II: 348).
When various people had come to see the blossom blooming beautifully at his mountain retreat in Kitashirakawa.
春きてぞ人もとひける山ざとは花こそやどのあるじなりけれ
| Faru kite zo Fito mo toFikeru yamazato Fa Fana koso yado no aruzi narikere | Spring has come, and Folk visiting, too, My mountain retreat: The blossoms are the dwelling’s Master, to be sure! |
Kintō, Captain of the Outer Palace Guards, Right Division