Waterweed 萍
ふる河のとだえをわたるたび人のもすそにあをくつける萍
| furukawa no todae o wataru tabibito no mosuso ni aoku tsukeru ukikusa | An ancient river’s Broken bridge a’crossing goes A traveller, Her skirt-hem greenly Gripped by waterweed… |
Kanemasa
Tag Archives: tabibito
Eikyū hyakushu 348
First Snow 初雪
はつみ雪ふりにけらしなあらち山こしのたび人そりにのるまで
| hatsumiyuki furinikerashi na arachiyama koshi no tabibito sori ni noru made | The first deep snows Have fallen, it seems, so Upon Arachi Mountain The traversing traveller Must ride upon a sleigh! |
Kanemasa
Eikyū hyakushu 1
New Year’s Day
たび人のかりのしの屋に年くれて今日ふたとせになりにけるかな
| tabibito no kari no shinoya ni toshi kurete kyō futa tose ni narinikeru kana | For a traveller In a rude hut roofed with coarse bamboo The year comes to an end, and From today, a second year Has arrived! |
Akinaka
Love VII: 25
Left (Win).
いざやさは君に逢はずは渡らじと身を宇治橋に書き付けてみん
| iza ya sa wa kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to mi o ujihashi ni kakitsuketemin |
So, then, If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross In my despair, the bridge at Uji, But just inscribe this here… |
Kenshō
1009
Right.
都思ふ濱名の橋の旅人や浪に濡れては恋渡るらむ
| miyako omou hamana no hashi no tabibito ya nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran |
His thoughts on the capital, The bridge at Hamana, Does a traveller, Wet by the waves, Cross while lost in love? |
Lord Takanobu
1010
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder if the Right’s poem does not sound as if it is only the capital which the poet loves?
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross’ (kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to) is particularly charming, having the conception of the tale of Sima Xiangru in Mengqiu, at the bridge into the commandery of Shu, where he says, ‘If I am not aboard a four-horse carriage, I’ll never cross this bridge again!’, and then later was made a Cavalryman in Permanent Attendance, and entered as an imperial messenger. Metaphorically, it also evokes his meeting with Wenjun, and so seems particularly profound. The poem of the Right commences with ‘His thoughts on the capital’ (miyako omou) and then continues with ‘wet by the waves, cross while lost in love’ (nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran). I do not see how one can say that this poem lacks the conception of Love. However, the conception of the Left’s poem seems rare, indeed. Thus, it wins.
KYS IV: 263
Composed on falling leaves.
三室山もみぢちるらし旅人の菅の小笠 ににしきおりかく
| mimuroyama momidi tirurasi tabibito no suge no wogasa ni siki orikaku |
Upon Mimuro Mountain The scarlet leaves seem to have fallen: For upon the traveller’s Little umbrella of sedge Are they spread all over. |
Minamoto no Tsunenobu
源経信
SIS XIV: 886
Topic unknown.
旅人の萱かりおほひつくるてふまろやは人を思ひ忘るゝ
| tabibito no kayakari oFoFi tukuru teFu maroya wa Fito o omoFiwasururu |
A traveller Cuts silver grass to cover, and Construct, today His hut; will I ever Put her from my thoughts? |
Anonymous
SIS VI: 342
For a screen in Lord Kōtoku’s house.
潮みてるほどに行きかふ旅人や浜名の橋と名づけそめけん
| siFo miteru Fodo ni yuki kaFu tabibito ya Famana no Fasi to nadukesomeken |
When the tides arise Coming and going Do the travellers The bridge at Hamana has no beach Begin to say? |
Kanemori
兼盛
Summer I: 7
Left (Win).
旅人や夏野の草を分けくらん菅の小笠の見え隱れする
| tabibito ya natsuno no kusa o wakekuran suge no ogasa no miekakuresuru |
Does a traveller Through the grasses on the summer plains Come forging? A woven hat of sedge Revealed and then concealed… |
193
Right.
夏草の茂みを行ば何となく露分け衣袖ぞ濡れける
| natsu kusa no shigemi o yukeba nani to naku tsuyu wake koromo sode zo nurekeru |
Through the summer grass’ Lush growth a’going Somehow My robe’s dew breaking Sleeves are drenched. |
194
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem, but the Left remark that, ‘the phrase “somehow” (nani to naku) is obscure and discordant.’
Shunzei comments, ‘While the style [fūtei] of the Left’s poem is somewhat lacking, it otherwise has no faults. The Right’s “robe’s dew breaking” (tsuyu wake koromo) is superb, but as a whole the expression in the poem is insufficient. The Left wins.’