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Daikōtaigōgū no suke taira no tsunemori-ason ke uta'awase

Daikōtaigōgū no suke taira no tsunemori-ason ke uta’awase 08

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Round Eight

Left (Tie)

うづら鳴く遠里小野の小萩はら心なき身も過ぎうかりけり

uzura naku
tōsato ono no
kohagiwara
kokoronaki mi mo
sugi’ukarikeri		Quails cry from
Tōsato plain’s
Bush-clover groves—
Even one as insensitive as I
Finds it hard to pass them by.

Kenshō Sukenokimi
15

Right

あきの野の花に心をそめしよりくさかやひめもあはれとぞ思ふ

aki no no no
hana ni kokoro o
someshi yori
kusakayahime mo
aware to zo omou		Since the autumn meadows’
Blooms my heart
Did fill, for
Kusakayahime
Fondness, I feel!

Tōren
16

As for the Left, if one is composing about bush-clover groves, then I would want the poem to mention Miyagi Plain. As for the Right’s Kusakayahime, I wondered if she appeared in the Chronicles of Japan, but in that work you have Izanagi-no-miko and Izanami-no-miko, who wed and create the first land, Akitsushima, and then many provinces, mountains, rivers and seas and thus trees and plants, too. It further states that the primordial tree was Kukunochi and the primordial plant was Kayanohime. The conception of the Right’s poem does not differ from this, yet it continues to mention Kusakayahime, which is unclear. I get the feeling that this poem was composed with the works composed for the banquet held for the completion of the Chronicles of Japan in mind, which refer to each and every spring and the ancient Kayanohime, but even these poems did not differ in conception from that of the main work. It’s impossible to pick a loser or winner.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 24

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Left (Win).

月ぞ澄む里はまことに荒れにけり鶉の床を拂ふ秋風

tsuki zo sumu
sato wa makoto ni
arenikeri
uzura no toko o
harau aki kaze		 Clear shines the moon, dwelling
O’er a house truly
Gone to ruin;
The quail’s bed
Brushed by autumn breezes…

Lord Sada’ie.

347

Sada’ie’s poem alludes obliquely to a famous poetic exchange from the Kokinshū, initiated by Ariwara no Narihira.

Right.

繁き野と荒果てにける宿なれや籬の暮に鶉鳴く也

shigeki no to
arehatenikeru
yado nare ya
magaki no kure ni
uzura nakunari		 Overgrown are these fields, and
Is that a deserted
Dwelling?
By the fence at evening time
The quails are crying.

Jakuren.

348

Both teams concur that there are no faults at all this round.

Shunzei agrees: ‘Both poems are on the theme of now deserted dwelling places and are equally beautiful in expression, with the Right’s work reminiscent of “Fushimi at evening time”, but this implies a broad vista, and is not “the fence at evening time” too narrow? The Left’s final section is better, and wins, I think.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 23

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Left (Win).

ひとり寢る葦の丸屋の下露に床を傡べて鶉鳴く也

hitori nuru
ashi no maruya no
shimo tsuyu ni
toko o narabete
uzura nakunari		 Sleeping singly
In a reed-roofed hut,
Dripped with dew,
Beside my bed
The quails are crying.

A Servant Girl.

345

Right.

秋風に靡く尾花の夕露や鶉が閨の雨と散るらむ

akikaze ni
nabiku obana no
yūzuyu ya
uzura ga neya no
ame to chiruramu		 In the autumn breeze
Flutter fronds of silvergrass,
Scattering dewdrops
On the quails’ roost –
How like rain…

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.

346

The Right state that the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state that, ‘“On the quails’ roost – how like rain” (uzura ga neya no ame) suggests that this is what it actually is.’

Shunzei disagrees: ‘It is not the case that uzura ga neya no ame definitely implies that it is actually rain, particularly with the scene set by dew on silvergrass. However, “beside my bed” (toko o narabete) is particularly attractive in expression. It should win.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 22

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Left.

夕間暮あはれこもれる野原かな霧の籬に鶉鳴く也

yūmagure
aware komoreru
nohara kana
kiri no magaki ni
uzura nakunari		 In the early evening dusk
How melancholy is
The plain;
From beyond a fence of mist
The quails are crying.

Lord Ari’ie.

343

Right.

移し植へし萩が籬の荒れ行をまことの野邊となす鶉哉

utsushiueshi
hagi ga magaki no
areyuku o
makoto no nobe to
nasu usura kana		 My transplanted
Bush clover by the fence is
Disturbed and
Truly, ‘tis the plain
Again, with quails.

Nobusada.

344

The Right state that ‘“Fence of mist” (kiri no magaki) is an unclear expression.’ The Left counter that they are ‘unaccustomed to the expression “bush clover by the fence” (hagi ga magaki).’

Shunzei states, ‘With regard to the respective criticisms of the gentlemen of the Left and Right, in this context “fence of mist” is a perfectly standard expression. “Bush clover by the fence”, too, needs no real explanation. In fact, the Left’s poem is straightforward, and the Right’s charming: melancholy in the mists, and the charming cries from beneath the bush clover – it is impossible to say which is the winner, and so the round must tie.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 21

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Left (Win).

夕風の眞野の萩原吹くまゝに閨荒れぬとや鶉鳴らん

yūkaze no
mano no hagiwara
fuku mama ni
neya arenu to ya
uzura nakuran		 As the evening breeze across
Mano’s bush clover meadow
Does blow,
Their roost disturbed, perhaps,
Quail burst into cry.

Lord Suetsune.

341

Right.

風の音花の色にもしるかりつ鶉鳴べき野邊の氣色は

kaze no oto
hana no iro ni mo
shirukaritsu
uzura nakubeki
nobe no keshiki wa		 The sound of wind, and
The grasses’ hues
Do tell it:
‘Tis fit that quails cry
Upon a scene of plains.

Lord Takanobu.

342

The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left simply remark that having both iro and keshiki (which use the character 色) is ‘a fault’.

Shunzei’s judgement is that, ‘the Left’s “does blow” (fuku mama ni), followed by “their roost disturbed, perhaps” (neya arenu to ya) is not a particularly expression. The Right’s, “do tell it” (shirukaritsu) is somewhat old-fashioned; I would not regard it as a fault, but I do regret it. Thus, the “roost” should win.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 20

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Left (Win).

小萱原吹來る秋の夕風に心亂れと鶉鳴くなり

ogayawara
fukikuru aki no
yūkaze ni
kokoro midare to
uzura naku nari		 Across the sedge fields
Come blowing the autumn
Evening winds;
My heart’s in disarray,
The quails are crying…

Lord Kanemune.

339

Right.

秋風を厭ひやすらん夕間暮淺茅が下に鶉鳴く也

aki kaze o
itoi ya suran
yūmagure
asaji ga shita ni
uzura naku nari		 The autumn wind:
Do they dislike it, I wonder?
In the dark of evening
From beneath the sparse stalks of cogon grass
The quails are crying…

Lord Tsune’ie.

340

The Right feel that, ‘Just having “my heart’s in disarray” (kokoro midare to) is lacking something.” The Left have no particular criticisms of the Right’s poem.

Shunzei responds, ‘The gentlemen of the Right have remarked upon the lack in the Left’s poem, wondering, no doubt, if this should be “feeling my heart’s in disarray” (kokoro midare tote). If one were to say that this is definitely the way the poem should have been composed, it would be something of a loss to the Way of Poetry, I feel. If we permit poets to say they are “moved” (aware nari), why not that their “heart’s in disarray”? The Right’s poem has a superlative final section, but one cannot know whether quails dislike the autumn wind or not. In Springtime, the warblers frolic in the mists; in Autumn, the insects cry from beneath the dewdrops – but each only at their allotted time, and from this one can tell the season. The quails’ cries make one feel the chill of the autumn wind. If one composes that they hid themselves from dislike of it, it restricts the imagination about quails too much. The Left wins.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Autumn I: 19

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Left.

鷹の子を手にも据へねど鶉鳴く淡津の原に今日も暮しつ

taka no ko o
te ni mo suenedo
uzura naku
awazu no hara ni
kyō mo kurashitsu		 A hawklet
On my arm have I not, yet
The quails are crying
On Awazu plain, as
The day turns dark.

Kenshō.

337

Right.

秋といへば鶉鳴くなり原鹿の音をこそ花に任すれ

aki to ieba
uzura naku nari
kohagiwara
shika no ne o koso
hana ni makasure		 Autumn is
The quails crying, while
From a field of fresh bush clover,
The stags’ call,
Summoned by the blossoms.

Ietaka.

338

The Right state they have no particular criticisms of the Left this round. The Left, however, remark that, ‘“Quails” do not have such a general reputation. The use of “summoned by the blossoms” (hana ni makasure) is also dubious.’

Shunzei remarks, ‘The Left’s poem would seem to be in the spirit of the popular song “A Hawklet”, except that here the poet lacks the hawklet and “on Awazu plain, the day turns dark” (awazu no hara ni kyō mo kurashitsu). I can only think that he has spent the entire day there wondering about hunting quail! I also feel that the poem’s whole construction is rather commonplace. The Right’s poem is, indeed, poetic, and were there an exemplar poem for the blossoms summoning “the stags’ call” (shika no ne), I would make it the winner. In its absence, the round ties.’

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Summer I: 9

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Left.

夏草の野嶋が崎の朝霧を分てぞ來つる萩の葉の摺り

natsukusa no
nojima ga saki no
asagiri o
wakete zo kitsuru
hagi no ha no suri		 Summer grass grows high
On Nojima Point;
Through the morning mists
Have I come forging,
Robes patterned with bush-clover leaves.

Kenshō.

197

Right (Win).

茂き野と夏もなりゆく深草の里はうづらの鳴かぬばかりぞ

shigekino to
natsu mo nariyuku
fukakusa no
sato wa uzura no
nakanu bakari zo		 Ever thicker grow the grasses and
With the summer’s passing, too,
At Fukakusa – deep within the greenery –
The quails
Let out not a cry – that’s all…

Ietaka.

198

The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left, however, say, ‘Using “summer’s passing, too” (natsu mo) appears to suggest a foundation upon something definite. What is it, however?’ The Right reply, ‘As the source poem is “A quail I shall become and cry” (udura to narite nakiworan), the impression given is of Autumn. Thus, “summer’s passing, too”.’

Shunzei judges, ‘The Left’s poem has as its final line, “Robes patterned with bush-clover leaves” (hagi no ha no suri), and before it, where one would expect to find the reason why the poet is forging across Nojima Point, is only “summer grass” (natsukusa no). This is repetitive. The Right’s poem, though, commencing with “ever thicker grasses” (shigeki no) is particularly fine in terms of configuration [sugata yoroshiki ni nitari]. Thus, it is the winner, this round.’