Tag Archives: Tanabata

San’i minamoto no hirotsune ason uta’awase 9

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

SIS XVII: 1088

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.

Love III: 8

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.