Tag Archives: The Third Day of the Third Month

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 18

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Left (Win).

桃の花枝さしかはす陰なれば浪にまかせんけふのさか月

momo no hana
eda sashikawasu
kage nareba
nami ni makasen
kyō no sakazuki		 Peach blossoms
Thrust from the bough
Spreading shade, so
To the waves I shall entrust
My wine-cup today.

Lord Kanemune.

155

Right.

さか月の流れとゝもに匂らしけふの花吹く春の山風

sakazuki no
nagare totomo ni
niourashi
kyō no hana fuku
haru no yamakaze		 With the wine-cups’
Drift
Scent seems to come:
Blowing through the blossoms today is
The mountains’ breath of spring.

Nobusada.

156

The Right state that it is ‘difficult to find any imperfections in the Left’s poem,’ while the Left say that the Right’s ‘blowing through the blossoms’ (hana fuku) is ‘grating on the ear.’ (They probably make this comment because hana fuku sounded too close to the verb hanafuku which had the rather prosaic meaning of ‘sneeze’!)

Shunzei’s judgement is, ‘The Left have stated that the Right’s hana fuku grates on the ear, but it would seem to be following the spirit of the lines:

Gently blows the breeze in early dawn;
Wordless,
A mouth starts to smile.

However, as has been said, there are no imperfections in the Left’s poem, as so it should win.’ (According to the commentators, ‘a wordless mouth’ was a metaphor used for blossom, although the source of the lines Shunzei quotes is now obscure.)

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 17

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Left (Win).

散る花をけふのまとゐの光にて浪間にめぐる春のさか月

chiru hana o
kyō no matoi no
hikari nite
namima ni meguru
haru no sakazuki		 Falling blossoms
To the gathering today
Add lustre,
Circling between the waves go
The wine-cups of spring.

A Servant Girl.

153

Right.

岩間より流れてくだす盃に花の色さへ浮ぶけふかな

iwama yori
nagarete kudasu
sakazuki ni
hana no iro sae
ukabu kyō kana		 From the rock-clefts
Float down
Cups of wine –
Even the blossoms’ hues
Seem adrift upon them, today…

Lord Takanobu.

154

The Right team state that the Left’s poem, ‘seems good,’ while the Left state that the Right’s combination of nagarete (‘flow’) and kudasu (‘send down’) is ‘inharmonious and would be better reversed.’ (In his poem, Takanobu has combined an intransitive verb nagaru with a transitive one, kudasu, and the Left are complaining that it’s odd to have something flowing (on its own) and then being sent down (by someone), so it would have been better phrased as kudashite nagaru, ‘sent down and then flowed’.)

Shunzei comments that, ‘Both poems have superlative elements. The Right’s nagaretekudasu is not entirely inharmonious, but the Left’s “circling between the waves go the wine-cups of spring” is particularly fine. Thus, I award it victory.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 16

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Left (Tie).

流れ來て岩間をくだる盃はさして誰にと見えずも有るかな

nagarekite
iwama o kudaru
sakazuki wa
sashite tare ni to
miezu mo aru kana		 Drifting down
Through the rock clefts, come
The winecups,
Proffered by no one,
Or so it seems…

Lord Suetsune.

151

Right (Tie).

岩間分け流れもやらぬさかづきは心ざせどもかひなかりけり

iwama wake
nagare mo yaranu
sakaduki wa
kokorozasedomo
kainakarikeri		 Through the rock clefts
Unable to flow are
The winecups:
I would offer one, yet
‘Tis no use, at all.

Lord Tsune’ie.

152

Yet again, neither team has anything to say about the other’s poem.

Shunzei says, ‘Both Left and Right have composed on “rock cleft wine cups”, with a concept of “proffered to someone” (sashite tare ni) or “I would proffer, yet” (kokorozasedomo): these are truly identical in quality. The round must tie.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 15

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Left.

けふといへば岩間によどむ盃を待たぬ空まで花に酔ふらん

kyō to ieba
iwama ni yodomu
sakazuki o
matanu sora made
hana ni youran		 Talking of today,
Caught in clefts between the rocks, yet
The wine cups’
Not awaiting, even the skies seem
Drunk on blossom.

Lord Ari’ie.

149

Right (Win).

花の色は入日を殘す木のもとに春も暮れゆく三日月の空

hana no iro wa
irihi o nokosu
ki no moto ni
haru mo kureyuki
mika tsuki no sora		 The blossoms’ hues
Have caught the setting sun, while
Beneath the trees
Springtime dusk draws on,
A crescent moon within the sky.

Jakuren.

150

Both teams have no particular comments to make about the other’s poem.

Shunzei remarks, ‘Both poems are of similar quality, as has been mentioned by the gentlemen present, however, the Left’s poem is clearly in the spirit of “With blossom the heavens are drunk, in the season of plentiful peaches.” (A well known Chinese poem composed by Sugawara no Michzane.) But the Right’s “Springtime dusk draws on, a crescent moon” captures the light better, I think. Thus, it seems to be the winner.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 14

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Left (Win).

唐人の跡を伝ふるさかづきの浪にしたがふけふも來にけり

karahito no
ato o tsutauru
sakazuki no
nami ni shitagau
kyō mo kininkeri		 How Cathay folk
Did long ago, ‘tis told;
With wine cups,
Trailing ‘long the waves
Has this day come.

Lord Sada’ie.

147

Right.

植へをきし賤が心は桃の花弥生のけふぞ見るべかりける

ueokishi
shizu ga kokoro wa
momo no hana
yayoi no kyō zo
mirubekarikeru		 ‘Twas planted, long ago, and now
The peasants’ hearts,
Peach blossom
On this Third Month day
Must see.

Ietaka.

148

Both teams say they have no criticisms, as before.

Shunzei, however, says, ‘The Left’s poem, as in the last round, draws on an ancient example of the Waterside Poetry Party. The Right’s, “The peasants’ hearts, on this Third Month day must see”, however, is extremely difficult to grasp, and certainly prosaic, is it not? The Left must win.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Spring III: 13

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Left (Tie).

さかづきの流れにつけて唐人の船乘りすなるけふをしぞ思

sakazuki no
nagare ni tsukete
karahito no
fune norisu naru
kyō o shi zo omou		 As the wine cups
Flow,
Cathay folk,
Boarding boats
This day, comes to my mind.

Kenshō.

145

Right (Tie).

ゆく水に浮ぶる花のさか月や流れての代のためしなるらん

yuku mizu ni
ukaburu hana no
sakazuki ya
nagarete no yo no
tameshi naruran		 Upon the flowing waters
Floating flowers of
Wine cups!
In times gone by,
Was there ever such a thing?

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.

146

Both Left and Right say they have no criticisms to make this round.

Shunzei says, ‘The Left’s poem recalls an ancient Chinese festival, while the Right’s mentions one from our own Court. In terms style and form, neither poem has any particular problems. The round must tie.’