霙にははなだの袂かへるとも我が遠妻を見てこそ行かめ
| 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
Tag Archives: tamoto
Eikyū hyakushu 302
山里の嵐に迷ふ柞原袂にかけて見るぞうれしき
| 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
Eikyū hyakushu 221
旭山さしてきたれど夕立にかづく袂はひるよしもなし
| 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. |
SIS II: 81
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
MYS V: 857
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
SIS XII: 762
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
Love III: 2
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.
Love I: 17
Left (Win).
谷深みはるかに人をきくの露触れぬ袂よ何しほるらん
| tani fukami haruka ni hito o kiku no tsuyu furenu tamoto yo nani shioruran |
Deep within the valley, Of her, a distant Word; no dew from the chrysanthemum Has touched my sleeves, so Why are they so damp? |
633
Right.
君をのみ心づくしに企救の池言ひ出ぬより袖ぞ濡れぬる
| kimi o nomi kokoro zukushi ni kiku no ike ii’idenu yori sode zo nurenuru |
Only you do Fill the whole of my heart; Word of the waters of Kiku Pond, A mere mention and My sleeves are soaked…. |
634
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem is without fault. The Gentlemen of the Left state: while the Right’s ‘Kiku Pond’ (kiku no ike) does have something novel about it, ‘a mere mention’ (ii’idenu) is pedestrian.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘chrysanthemum valley’ (kiku no tani) and the Right’s ‘chrysanthemum pond’ (kiku no ike) both along the same lines and seem to sound charming [okashiku koso kikoehaberumeredomo]; still, ‘no dew from the chrysanthemum has touched my sleeves’ (kiku no tsuyu furenu tamoto yo) seems a little more elegant to me now.
Love I: 5
Left (Win).
錦木に書き添へてこそ言の葉も思ひそめつる色は見ゆらめ
| nishikigi ni kakisoete koso koto no ha mo omoisometsuru iro wa miyurame |
Upon the spindle trees He writes His words, yet will those leaves With the first shadings Of passionate hues, she see… |
609
Right.
思ふより憂きに馴れたる袂かな涙や戀の先に立つらん
| omou yori uki ni naretaru tamoto kana namida ya koi no saki ni tatsuran |
From these soft feelings To heartbreak accustomed are My sleeves! Do tears always love Precede, I wonder? |
610
The Gentlemen of the Right state: while it is well known that spindle trees are an expression of love, it is certainly not the case that letters are attached to them. In response, the Left: in the writings of Nōin, he says, ‘A spindle tree is one to which the country folk attach letters.’ The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is irredeemably archaic [muge ni furumekashi]. In addition, ‘From these soft feelings to heartbreak accustomed’ (omou yori uki ni naretaru) is poorly linked, and the use of ‘precede’ (saki ni tatsu), in the absence of the mention of a path in the poem, lacks connection.
Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s use of ‘spindle tree’ (nishikigi) is familiar from many Love poems and so seems quite tediously mundane [rei no koto]. The Right seems to have followed to some extent the conception of a poem by the former Nijō Lord’s serving woman, Chikuzen. I included it in the Senzaishū, and will note it down after this. As a result, the poem using the spindle tree must win. Note:
思ふよりいつしかぬるゝたもとかな涙ぞ戀のしるべなりける
| omou yori itsu shika nururu tamoto kana namida zo koi no shirube narikeru |
From these soft feelings How swiftly soaked are My sleeves; Tears, indeed, of love Are such a sign! |
The positioning of certain words does not differ to any great extent.
Autumn I: 1
Left (Tie).
唐衣ひとへに夏の氣色にて袂に秋は知られざりけり
| karakoromo hitoe ni natsu no keshiki nite tamoto ni aki wa shirarezarikeri |
My Cathay robe: A single layer has summer’s Feel; Upon my sleeves is autumn Entirely unknown. |
301
Right.
秋來ぬと風の氣色は見ゆれども猶涼しさは音せざりけり
| aki kinu to kaze no keshiki wa miyuredomo nao suzushisa wa oto sezarekeri |
When autumn came In the breeze’s touch Did I feel it, Without coolness or Sound. |
302
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem; the Left merely wonder ‘whether proceeding from ‘coolness’ (suzushisa) to ‘sound’ (oto) is appropriate expression, although it is in keeping with the spirit of the topic.’
Shunzei states, ‘The Left’s poem has no particular problems, but “My Cathay robe: a single layer” (karakoromo hitoe) is a somewhat old-fashioned expression, and saying “Upon my sleeves is autumn entirely unknown” (tamoto ni aki wa shirarezarikeri) seems rather pointless. In the Right’s poem, while it is in the spirit of “My eyes clearly” (me ni Fa sayakani), “Without coolness or sound” (nao suzushisa wa oto sezarekeri) is clumsy expression. Neither poem is a worthy victor this round.’