Lacking a Glimpse of Love Letters 不見書恋
わぎもこがあふみなりせばさりと我ふみもみてましとどろきのはし
| wagimoko ga au mi nariseba sari to ware fumi mo mitemashi todoroki no hashi | If my darling Were convinced to meet, Then, I Would wish to see her letters, too, Here upon the bridge at Todoroki. |
Kanemasa
Love Interrupted by a Single Night 隔一夜恋
さむしろに衣かたしきわぎも子がひとりやぬらんそはさぐりつつ
| samushiro ni koromo katashiki wagimoko ga hitori ya nuran so wa saguritsutsu | Beneath the flimsy cover Of a single spread garment Does my darling Sleep alone? Constantly, I reach for her… |
Nakazane
Love and Barriers.
恋しさをなげかざらまし吾妹子に逢坂山の関なかりせば
| koishisa o nagekazaramashi wagimoko ni ausakayama no seki nakariseba | Her sweetness Would be no source of sorrow, Had not my darling The Mount of Meeting Hill’s Barrier before her… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Left (Tie)
昔聞く君が手馴れの琴ならば夢に知られて音をも立てまし
| mukashi kiku kimi ga tenare no koto naraba yume ni shirarete ne o mo tatemashi |
Long ago, I heard Your favourite Zither play – if that were me, then In your dreams I would be known, and Make a sound most sweet within your sleep… |
Lord Sada’ie
1093
Right
わぎも子が心のひかぬ琴の音は我まつにこそ通はざりけれ
| wagimoko ga kokoro no hikanu koto no ne wa wa ga matsu ni koso kayowazarikere |
My darling’s Heartstrings are not tugged By my zither’s strains, so Though I pine for her ‘Tis of no use at all… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1094
The Right state: the Left’s poem gives the impression of being based on something – but what? The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: there is nothing unusual about the Left’s poem. It simply seems to be in the conception of the Man’yōshū poem where, ‘a Japanese zither made from the wood of the parasol tree transforms into a maiden in a dream, and says “When will / The day come that / I shall sing / Making his lap / My pillow?”’ I also have the feeling that it is alluding to the subsequent poem, however. So, it is certainly not the case that it is not based on anything. The Right’s poem has ‘heartstrings are not tugged’ (kokoro no hikanu) and then the metaphorical ‘though I pine for her’ (wa ga matsu ni koso), so is certainly not lacking in conception either. They are equivalent and tie.
Expressing true feelings.
恋ひ死なば恋ひも死ねとか我妹子が我家の門を過ぎて行くらむ
| kopisinaba kopi mo sine to ka wagimoko ga wagipe no kadeo wo sugite yukuran |
“If one can die of love, then Do so!” says My darling girl As before my dwelling’s gate She seems to go by! |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
柿本人麻呂歌集
Left (Win).
さらでだに恨みんと思ふ我妹子が衣の裾に秋風ぞ吹く
| sarade dani uramin to omou wagimoko ga koromo no suso ni akikaze zo fuku |
That is not it, yet even so, I do think to hate My darling girl, Her robe hem Blown by the autumn wind… |
Lord Ari’ie.
935
Right.
いかなれば露をば払ふ風の音に物思ふ袖の濡れまさるらん
| ika nareba tsuyu o harau kaze no oto ni mono’omou sode no nuremasaruran |
For some reason Dewdrops blown by The wind – the mere sound Brings to my gloomy sleeves A dampness most extreme… |
Jakuren.
936
The Right state: the Left’s poem is most admirable. The Left state: the Right’s poem is definitely not!
In judgement: to give the gist of the comments by the Gentlemen of the Left and the Right, the Left’s poem is admirable, and the Right’s poem is not admirable at all. I see no need to make much more of this round that that, so, the Left wins.
我妹子が我れを送ると白栲の袖漬つまでに泣きし思ほゆ
| wagimoko ga ware wo okuru to sirotape no sode pitu made ni nakisi omopoyu |
My darling Says she will see me off With white mulberry Sleeves soaked by Her weeping, it seems. |
On flowers.
我妹子に逢坂山のはだすすき穂には咲き出ず恋ひわたるかも
| wagimoko ni apusakayama no padasusuki po ni pa sakidezu kopiwataru kamo |
O, my darling, On Meeting Hill, The silver grass Buds have yet to bloom But I will ever love you! |
Anonymous
吾妹子はさかよふ山の背はちかばあはじと人にかねてきかする
| wagimoko wa sakayou yama no se wa chikaba awaji to hito ni kanete kikasuru |
My darling, If I cross the mountains And to the foot draw near, “I will not meet you,” to him I would long hear you say… |
Minamoto no Yorimasa
源頼政