[One of] a number of poems composed on the occasion of an embassy to Silla, exchanged in sadness at parting, or noting emotions on voyage, or ancient poems which matched the location.
武庫の浦の入江の洲鳥羽ぐくもる君を離れて恋に死ぬべし
| muko no ura no irie no sudori pa kugumoru kimi wo panarete kopi ni sinubesi |
At the Bay of Muko Along the inlets seabirds Wrapped in wings – Parted from your embrace, my Lord, I shall die of love. |
Left (Win).
與謝の海の沖つ潮風浦に吹けまつなりけりと人に聞かせん
| yosa no umi no oki tsu shio kaze ura ni fuke matsunarikeri to hito ni kikasen |
By the sea at Yosa, Tidewinds on the offing, Blow across the bay! That I am waiting without end, Tell him! |
A Servant Girl
983
Right.
浪かくるさしでの磯の岩根松ねにあらはれてかはくまもなし
| nami kakuru sashide no iso no iwane matsu ne ni arawarete kawaku ma mo nashi |
Waves beat Upon the shore at Sashide, where The pine trees on the crags Roots are bared and Never dry for but a moment. |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
984
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks any faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: the configuration of the Left’s ‘Blow across the bay!’ (ura ni fuke) and its links with the preceding and subsequent lines, sounds charming. The Right’s poem is stylistically elegant, but the poem more closely resembles a poem on the topic of ‘Love and Pine Trees’. Thus, the Left wins.
Composed as a poem on blossom.
桜咲く比良の山風吹くままに花になりゆく志賀の浦浪
| sakura saku Fira no yamakaze Fuku mama ni Fana ni nariyuku siga no uranami |
Cherries flower on Hira Mountain while Breezes blow All turned to blossom are The waves on Shiga’s shore. |
Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division, [Fujiwara no] Yoshitsune
左近中将良経
Topic unknown.
さ夜ふくるままに汀や凍るらむ遠ざかりゆく志がの浦波
| sayo Fukuru mama ni migiFa ya koForuramu toFozakariyuku siga no uranami |
Is it while brief night Comes on that the waters’ edge Does seem to freeze? Ever more distant grow The waves on Shiga’s shore… |
Kaikaku
快覚
藻刈り舟沖漕ぎ来らし妹が島形見の浦に鶴翔る見ゆ
| mo kari pune oki kogi kurasi imogasima katami no ura ni tadu kakeru miyu |
Seeking seaweed, the boats Have rowed into the offing, it seems; Between Imogashima and Katami shore I can see the cranes a’flying. |
Composed when he was asked by people in the capital what the moon had been like, when he had returned there, after going to Akashi to gaze upon it, at a time when it was particularly bright.
有明の月もあかしの浦風に波ばかりこそよるとみえしか
| ariake no tuki mo akasi no urakaze ni nami bakari koso yoru to miesika |
The dawntime Moon’s brightness, with Akashi’s Beach breezes Simply with the waves Did seem to draw near with the night… |
Taira no Tadamori
平忠盛
面影に須磨も明石も誘ひ来て心ぞ月に浦伝ひける
| omokage ni suma mo akashi mo sasoikite kokoro zo tsuki ni ura tsutaikeru |
Its visage above Both Suma, and Akashi, too Beckoned me; My heart to the moon Whispered secrets on the shore… |
Cloistered Prince Shukaku
守覚法親王
Topic unknown.
白浪はたてと衣にかさならすあかしもすまもおのかうらうら
| siranami Fa tatedo koromo ni kasanarazu akasi mo suma mo ono ga uraura |
The whitecaps Break, yet no sewn robes Are laid upon each other; Both Akashi and Suma, too Are lined with their own shores… |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
柿本人麻呂
Left.
限りなき下の思ひの行衛とて燃えん煙のはてや見るべき
| kagirinaki shita no omoi no yukue tote moen kemuri no hate ya mirubeki |
Without limit is My secret love: Does it lead to Burning smoke For her in the end to see? |
Lord Sada’ie.
955
Right (Win).
藻塩燒く浦の煙を風に見てなびかぬ人の心をぞ思ふ
| moshio yaku ura no kemuri o kaze ni mite nabikanu hito no kokoro o zo omou |
Seaweed salt burning On the shore, smoke Sighted in the wind; No trails from her Heart to me, alas… |
Nobusada.
956
The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks smoke. The Left state: saying ‘sighted in the wind’ (kaze ni mite) sounds poor.
In judgement: the poem of the Right, which the Gentlemen of the Left have said ‘sounds poor’, has as its central section ‘sighted in the wind’, which I feel sounds extremely pleasant. The final section also sounds good. Thus, the Right wins.
Left (Win).
枕にも跡にも露の玉散りてひとり起きゐる小夜の中山
| makura ni mo ato ni mo tsuyu no tama chirite hitori oki’iru sayo no naka yama |
Upon my pillow and My foot prints both, dew Drops have fallen Awakening alone in Sayo-no-Nakayama. |
A Servant Girl
889
Right.
草枕ひとりあかしの浦風にいとゞ涙ぞ落ちまさりける
| kusamakura hitori akashi no ura kaze ni itodo namida zo ochimasarikeru |
Pillowed on the grass, Alone at dawn in Akashi, The breeze from the bay Makes even more tears Fall. |
Lord Tsune’ie.
890
The Right state they have no criticisms of the Left’s poem. The Left merely say that the Right’s poem is ‘old-fashioned’.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘dew drops’ (tsuyu no tama) falling so widely at Sayo-no-Nakayama one can surmise to be deeply expressive of the concept of travel. The Right’s Akashi Bay is a place strongly associated with the sad sound of the wind and the waves, but the final ‘makes even more fall’ (ochimasarikeru) is insufficient. Thus, the Left should win.