Round Nine: Quiet thoughts at Tanabata
Left
八重葎しげる軒ばをかき分けて星合の空をながめつるかな
yae mugura shigeru nokiba o kakiwakete hoshiai no sora o nagametsuru kana Eightfold thickets Grow lushly beneath my eaves; Pulling them apart upon The sky of trysting stars Will I turn my gaze!
Taira no Sadatsugu[1]
17
Right
七夕のあふよの程は思ひやる心さへこそ空にすみけれ
tanabata no au yo no hodo wa omoiyaru kokoro sae koso sora ni sumikere Tanabata is A night for meeting—throughout it I am filled with longing: Even my very heart Does dwell among the skies.
Fujiwara no Kaneyuki[2]
18
[1] Taira no Sadatsugu 平貞継. The identity of this individual is unclear. This poem is his sole appearance in a poetry contest.
[2] 藤原兼行
たなばたのゆきあふあきとなるごとにわすれがたきはすずむしのこゑ
tanabata no yukiau aki to naru goto ni wasuregataki wa suzumushi no koe With Tanabata’s Coming together in autumn, Each and every time I find it hard to forget The bell crickets’ song.
Lord Tomonori, Governor of Kaga
たなばたに心をかくるこよひさへあかずきこゆるすずむしのこゑ
tanabata ni kokoro o kakuru koyoi sae akazu kikoyuru suzumushi no koe At Tanabata My heart I conceal— This night above all, I never tire of hearing The bell crickets’ song.
Lady Shōjō
Waterfalls 滝
たなばたのおりながしたる布なれや空よりおつる滝の気色は
tanabata no orinagashitaru nuno nare ya sora yori otsuru taki no keshiki wa Has the Weaver Maid Spun out a stream Of cloth? From the skies tumbles A waterfall – or so it looks!
Toshiyori
七夕を祀る心はひとつにて願ひの糸は自が筋筋
tanabata o
matsuru kokoro wa
hitotsu nite
negai no ito wa
ono ga sujisuji
At Tanabata ,
Worshipful hearts
Are all as one;
The threads of prayers
Are all our own, each and every one!
Minamoto no Yorimasa
七夕のなかの緒を絶えぬ秋ごとに逢ふ言の葉ぞ奉りつる
tanabata no
naka no o taenu
akigoto ni
au koto no ha zo
tatematsuritsuru
The Weaver Maid’s
Zither string snaps
Every autumn, so
To match her, words
Are what we offer.
百草の花のけぶりや七夕の雲の衣の袖に染むらむ
momokusa no
hana no keburi ya
tanabata no
kumo no koromo no
sode ni shimuramu
Are all the grasses
Blooms, a smoke, that into
The Weaver Maid’s
Robe of cloud’s
Sleeves will sink?
Fujiwara no Shunzei
On the 21st day of the Fifth Month Tenroku 4 [973], former emperor En’yū, who was then the sovereign, visited the Princess of the First Order [Shishi 資子] and, following a loss at a game with go counters, on the 7th day of the Seventh Month, the Princess had a fan wrapped in thin cloth and presented to the imperial pantry.
天の川河辺涼しき七夕に扇の風を猶やかさまし
ama no kaFa
kaFabe suzusiki
tanabata ni
aFugi no kaze wo
naFo ya kasamasi
On the River of Heaven’s
Shore, cool
In early autumn
Is this fan’s breeze:
I wonder, should I lend it you more?
Nakatsukasa
This poem is also Wakan rōeishū 201.
Left (Win).
天川秋の七日を眺めつゝ雲のよそにも思ひけるかな
ama no kawa no
aki no nanoka o
nagametsutsu
kumo no yoso ni mo
omoikeru kana
On the River of Heaven, in
Autumn on the Seventh Day
I turn my gaze
For beyond the clouds
Fly my thoughts…
Lord Ari’ie .
735
Right.
かゝりける契ならずは七夕の心のほどをいかで知らまし
kakarikeru
chigiri naraba
tanabata no
kokoro no hodo o
ikade shiramashi
If such
A bond as ours, it was not,
The celestial lovers’
Hearts
I could never understand.
Ietaka .
736
Both Left and Right state: we find no faults to mention, other than the old-fashioned nature of this poem
In judgement: the Left’s poem seems to sound well. It should win.
On the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month, on the feelings of the Weaver Maid at parting:
別るれど待ては頼もしたなばたのこのよに逢はぬ仲をいかにせむ
wakaruredo
mateba tanomosi
tanabata no
kono yo ni aFanu
naka wo ikani semu
Though they must part
If she but waits, trust can
The Weaver Maid;
Unmet this night,
What is to become of us…
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