Bush Clover
Left (Tie)
あきはぎの花のさかりとさをしかのよぶかきこゑといづれまされり
| akihagi no hana no sakari to saoshika no yobukaki koe to izure masareri | The autumn bush clover’s Profusion of blossom, or A stag’s Bell deep in the night: Which was better? |
Koremori
5
Right
したばよりいろづくはぎといひながらことしはつゆも心おくらし
| shitaba yori irozuku hagi to iinagara kotoshi wa tsuyu mo kokoro okurashi | From its underleaves The bush clover takes on autumn hues, They say, but This year, the dew also Seems to fall on my heart. |
Lady Suke
6
Round Ten
Left
秋はぎの下葉の露にあらねども消えぬばかりぞ人は恋しき
| akihagi no shitaba no tsuyu ni aranedomo kienu bakari zo hito wa koishiki | Upon the autumn bush clover’s Underleaves a dewdrop I am not, yet Simply will I fade away So much do I love him! |
Taiyu no Suke
19
Right
わすられて年ふる里の浅茅生に誰がためしける萩の錦ぞ
| wasurarete toshi furu sato no asajū ni ta ga tame shikeru hagi no nishiki zo | All forgotten Through the passing years, at my home Among the tangled mugwort, For whose sake is spread The bush clover’s brocade? |
The Daughter of His Excellency, the Head
20
I feel that the poem of the Left is conspicuously poetic, saying ‘Simply will I fade away / So much do I love him!’ while the poem of the Right’s ‘Through the passing years, at my home / Among the tangled mugwort, / For whose sake is spread / The bush clover’s brocade?’ makes me want to ask the bush clover the same question! The pull my heart in more than one direction, so here, too, I feel it’s not possible to decide on a winner or loser.
Round Nine
Left
忍びねを我が袖のみと思ひしを劣らざりけり萩の下露
| shinobine o wa ga sode nomi to omoishi o otorazarikeri hagi no shitazuyu | Secretly Upon my sleeves, alone, I thought, but ‘Twas not lesser than The dewfall ‘neath the bush clover. |
Minor Captain Kin’nori, Fourth Rank
17
Right
色かはる萩の下葉の露けさは我が身のうへと成りにけるかな
| iro kawaru hagi no shitaba no tsuyukesa wa wa ga mi no ue to narinikeru kana | A change of hue To the bush clover’s underleaves Drenched with dew— Upon my sorry self Has it befallen, too! |
Tadasue, Senior Assistant Minister of the Sovereign’s Household
18
The image of the droplets of secretly wept upon the poet’s sleeves not being less than those of the dewdrops beneath the bush clover appears extremely charming and moving. In addition, the pain expressed by one’s sorry self being as dew-drenched as the bush clover’s underleaves—this has left my own sleeves, both left and right, seeming as soaked with dewdrops from the bush clover.
Round Thirty-Two
Left (Tie)
上葉ふく朝の原の秋風におのれうつろふ萩の下露
| uwaba fuku ashita no hara no akikaze ni onore utsurou hagi no shitazuyu | Blowing upon the upper leaves Over Ashita Plain, The autumn breeze touches, Fading all of itself The dripping dew upon the bush clover. |
Tomoshige
63
Right
今よりはたが涙とか成りぬらん下葉色づく秋萩の露
| ima yori wa ta ga namida to ka narinuran shitaba irozuku akihagi no tsuyu | From now on Whose tears might They become? Colouring the underleaves Are dewdrops upon the autumn bush clover…[1] |
Dharma Master Zenshin
64
Left and Right are in the same style. The Right’s poem wonders ‘whose are these tears’ and has a person’s tears as the dew upon the grass, which is something one often hears. Using dew on the grass as a person’s tears is a bit vague, yet it’s not going so far as to be a definite fault. These should tie.
[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. あきはぎのしたば色づく今よりやひとりある人のいねがてにする akihagi no / shitaba irozuku / ima yori ya / hitori aru hito no / inegatenisuru ‘The autumn bush clover’s / Underleaves are colouring / From this point on, / For one all alone / Will sleep be harder to find?’ Anonymous (KKS IV: 220)
Round Twenty-Eight
Left
故郷の萩の下葉も色づきぬ露のみふかき秋のうらみに
| furusato no hagi no shitaba mo irozukinu tsuyu nomi fukaki aki no urami ni | In this old, familiar place The bush clover’s underleaves, too, Have changed their hue— Only the dew is deep As autumn’s misery…[1] |
Dōchin
55
Right (Win)
白露の玉ぬきみだる萩が枝に涙かずそふ秋の夕暮
| shiratsuyu no tama nukimidaru hagi ga e ni namida kazusou aki no yūgure | Silver dewdrop Pearls are strung in tangles on The bush clover’s branches— Innumerable tears added On an autumn evening… |
Dharma Master Nyokan
56
Left and Right both have a refined style, yet the Right has a better tone and sounds elegant. Thus, it wins.
[1] An allusive variation on: 比日之 暁露丹 吾屋前之 芽子乃下葉者 色付尓家里 kono koro no / akatoki tsuyu ni / wa ga yado no / hagi no shitaba wa / irozukinikeri ‘Around thus time near / Dawn, the dewfall on / My dwelling’s / Bush clover underleaves / Has changed their hue!’ Anonymous (MYS X: 2182)
Round Twenty-Five
Dew on Bush Clover
Left
下葉には色なる玉やくだくらむ風の吹きしく萩の上の露
| shitaba ni wa iro naru tama ya kudakuramu kaze no fukishiku hagi no ue no tsuyu | From the underleaves Hues have the gemlets taken In their shattering? Spread by the gusting wind Are the dewdrops on the bush clover… |
A Court Lady
49
Right (Win)
又やみむ又や見ざらん白露の玉おきしける秋萩の花
| mata ya mimu mata ya mizaran shiratsuyu no tama okishikeru akihagi no hana | Will I see again, or Will I not Silver dewdrop Pearls spread upon The autumn bush clover blooms? |
Ietaka
50
The Left’s poem does not seem to have a particularly superlative style. The Right’s poem, saying ‘will I see again, or will I not silver dewdrops’ is particularly charming and moving. Thus, it wins.
