結ぶ手の袂涼しくなりゆくは泉に秋のすむにやあるらむ
musubu te no tamoto suzushiku nariyuku wa izumi ni aki no sumu ni ya aruramu | Cupped, my hands; How cool my sleeves Are becoming Is it that by a spring that autumn Does seem to dwell? |
Yōen/Eien (1048-1125)
永縁
結ぶ手の袂涼しくなりゆくは泉に秋のすむにやあるらむ
musubu te no tamoto suzushiku nariyuku wa izumi ni aki no sumu ni ya aruramu | Cupped, my hands; How cool my sleeves Are becoming Is it that by a spring that autumn Does seem to dwell? |
Yōen/Eien (1048-1125)
永縁
Summer Garb (夏衣)
いつしかと花のたもとをぬぎかへてうすき衣のうらめしきかな
itsushika to hana no tamoto o nugikaete usuki koromo no urameshiki kana | Suddenly, Blossom laden sleeves have I removed and changed for Gossamer garb – How I do despise it! |
Daishin
Left
玉章のたえだえになるたぐひかな雲井に雁の見えみ見えずみ
tamazusa no taedae ni naru tagui kana kumoi ni kari no miemi miezumi |
His jewelled missives Have become intermittent It seems, just like The geese up in the skies, Glimpsed, and then not seen at all… |
Lord Ari’ie
1051
Right (Win)
思かぬる夜はの袂に風ふけて涙の河に千鳥鳴くなり
omoikanuru yowa no tamoto ni kaze fukete namida no kawa ni chidori nakunari |
Unable to bear my love, At midnight my sleeve is Stirred by the wind, and Upon a river of tears The plovers are crying… |
Nobusada
1052
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we find no faults to mention in the Left’s poem. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder about the reason for emphasising ‘upon a river of tears the plovers’ (namida no kawa ni chidori).
In judgement: the Left on a lover’s letters becoming intermittent, and saying ‘the geese up in the skies, glimpsed, and then not seen at all’ (kumoi ni kari no miemi miezumi) has a charming conception, and elegant diction. The Right, saying ‘at midnight my sleeve is stirred by the wind’ (yowa no tamoto ni kaze fukete) and continuing ‘the plovers are crying’ (chidori nakunari) has a configuration and diction which sounds fine, too. The criticisms of the Gentlemen of the Left are nothing more than ‘a fisherman fishing beneath his pillow’! Although the conception of the Left’s poem is charming, the configuration of the Right’s poem is slightly more notable, so it should win.
Sleet
みぞれにははなだのたもとかへるとも我がとほづまをみてこそゆかめ
mizore ni wa hanada no tamoto kaeru tomo wa ga tōzuma o mite koso yukame | In the sleet My turquoise sleeves I turn inside out, yet My distant bride Shall I go and see! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Oaks 柞
山里のあらしにまよふ柞原たもとにかけてみるぞうれしき
yamazato no arashi ni mayou hahasowara tamoto ni kakete miru zo ureshiki | At a mountain dwelling Whipped into confusion by the storm, The oaks Do cling upon my sleeves – A pleasant sight to see! |
Minamoto no Akinaka
源顕仲
Early Evening (晩立)
朝日山さしてきたれど夕立にかづくたもとはひるよしもなし
asahiyama sashite kitaredo yūdachi ni kazuku tamoto wa hiru yoshi mo nashi | Across Asahi Mountain I have made my way, yet Evening shower Drenched sleeves Have no reason to dry. |
Tadafusa
When former emperor Reizei was Crown Prince, and ordered that a hundred poem sequence be presented.
花の色に染めし袂の惜しけれは衣かへうきけふにもあるかな
Fana no iro ni somesi tamoto no wosikereba koromo kaFe uki keFu ni mo aru kana |
The blossoms’ hue Has dyed my sleeves, So I do regret The sorrow of changing clothes On this day today… |
Minamoto no Shigeyuki
源重之
遠つ人松浦の川に若鮎釣る妹が手本を我れこそ卷かめ
topotu pito matura no kapa ni wakayu turu imo ga tamoto wo ware koso makame |
Folk far away On Matsura River Catching sweetfish sprats; My darling girl, upon your sleeve I would rest my head… |
Ōtomo no Tabito
Topic unknown.
たもとよりおつる涙はみちのくの衣河とぞいふべかりける
tamoto yori oturu namida Fa mitinoku no koromogaFa to zo iFubekarikeru |
From my sleeves Fall tears: In Michinoku The River Robe Is what I should say! |
Anonymous
Left (Win).
干しかねし袂ははやく朽はてゝ戀ぞ涙にあらはれにける
hoshikaneshi tamoto wa hayaku kuchihatete koi zo namida ni arawarenikeru |
Unable to dry My sleeves have already Rotted away; Love, with tears Is revealed. |
723
Right.
忍びこし思を今は忘れられん外の人目と嘆くばかりぞ
shinobikoshi omoi o ima wa wasuraren yoso no hitome to nagekubakari zo |
My hidden Love is known, now, but When I am forgotten Others’ gazes will Only cause me grief. |
724
The Right state that the Left’s poem sounds ‘very hackneyed’ [ito, furumekashi], while the Left complain that they cannot hear the link between ‘when I am forgotten’ (wasuraren) and the subsequent material [tsuzukite mo kikoezu].
Shunzei’s judgement: While the Left’s poem may sound hackneyed, there is not a previous example which it resembles closely [sashite sono uta to wa kikoezu]. At the same time, it is extremely tasteful in form [utazama wa yū narubeshi]. Thus, the Left wins.