Left
夏の月ひかりをしまず照る時はながるる水にかげろふぞたつ
natsu no tsuki hikari o shimazu teru toki wa nagaruru mizu ni kagerō zo tatsu When summer moon’s
74
Right
琴の音にひびきかよへる松風はしらべても鳴く蝉の声かな
koto no ne ni hibikikayoeru matsukaze wa shirabetemo naku semi no koe kana A zither’s strains
75[1]
[1] Shinshūishū III: 303/Shinsen man’yōshū 73/Kokin rokujō I: 398/Fubokushō IX: 3584
Left
なつの夜は水やまされる天の河ながるる月のかげもとどめぬ
natsu no yo wa mizu ya masareru ama no kawa nagaruru tsuki no kage mo todomenu On a summer night
61[1]
Right
去年の夏鳴きふるしてし郭公それかあらぬかこゑのかはらぬ
kozo no natsu Last summer
62[2]
[1] A minor variant of this poem, with a headnote identifying it as being from this contest, is included in Shokugosenshū (IV: 214): 夏の夜は水まさればやあまのがはながるる月のかげもとどめぬ natsu no yo wa / mizu masareba ya / ama no kawa / nagaruru tsuki no / kage mo todomenu ‘On a summer night / Perhaps, because the waters are so fine / Of the River of Heaven? / Drifting, the moon’s / Face, too, tarries not.’
[2] Kokinshū III: 159/Shinsen man’yōshū 63
Left
水のうへにあやおりみだる春雨や山のみどりをなべてそむらん
mizu no ue ni aya orimidaru harusame ya yama no midori o nabete somuran Upon the waters
19[1]
Right
色ふかくみる野辺だにも常ならば春は行くともかたみならまし
iro fukaku miru nobe dani mo tsune naraba haru wa yuku tomo katami naramashi Deep the hues
20[2]
[1] Shinsen man’yōshū 1/Kokin rokujō I: 460/A minor variant of this poem also occurs in Shinkokinshū (I: 65), where it is attributed to Ise: 水のおもにあやおりみだる春雨や山のみどりをなべてそむらん mizu no omo ni / aya orimidaru / harusame ya / yama no midori o / nabete somuran ‘Upon the water’s surface / A confusing pattern paints / The rain of spring— / Will it now the mountains / All dye with green, I wonder?’
[2] Shinchokusenshū II: 89
Round Twelve
Left
冬の夜の月はとほくやわたりけんかげみしみづのまづしこほれば
fuyu no yo no tsuki wa tōku ya watariken kage mishi mizu no mazu shi kōreba On a winter’s night
22
Right
ながれくるみづこほりぬる冬さへやなほうき草のあとはさだめぬ
nagarekuru mizu kōrinuru fuyu sae ya nao ukikusa no ato wa sadamenu Flowing down
23
つらしともいざやいかがはいはし水あふせまだきにたゆる心は
tsurashi to mo iza ya ikaga wa iwashimizu ause madaki ni tayuru kokoro wa How cruel!
Kazusa, in service to the Empress
In reply
世世ふともたえじとぞ思ふ神がきの岩ねをくぐる水の心は
yo yo futomo taeji to zo omou kamigaki no iwane o kuguru mizu no kokoro wa Age upon age may pass, yet
24
This match took place when, hearing that his courtiers were composing poetry, His Majesty ordered them to compose love poems to the ladies in attendance.
おもひあまりいかでもらさんおく山の岩かきこむる谷の下みづ
omoi’amari ikade morasan okuyama no iwa kakikomuru tani no shitamizu My passion’s full, so
Major Counsellor Kinzane
In reply
いかなれば音にのみきく山川の浅きにしもはこころよすらん
ika nareba oto ni nomi kiku yamakawa no asaki ni shimo wa kokoro yosuran For some reason,
[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid
Icicles
山ざとは谷の下水つららゐていはうつ浪の音だにもせず
yamazato wa tani no shitamizu tsurara ite iwa utsu nami no oto dani mo sezu At a mountain retreat
Morotoki
Love
Left
恋せじと御手洗川に御祓して神うけつらんとおもほゆるかな
koi seji to mitarashigawa ni oharaishite kami uketsuran to omohoyuru kana I’ll not fall in love, and
25
恋なれどそこにもすまぬひれはみづにごれりとおもほゆるかな
koi naredo soko ni mo sumanu hire wa mizu nigoreri to omohoyuru kana This is love, yet
26
こひわたる程のふかさにそめ川の色あさからじとおもほゆるかな
koiwataru hodo no fukasa ni somekawa no iro asakaraji to omohoyuru kana So long have I loved you that
27
Right
おもふとて夕ぐれがたのながめをや人待つほどの恋といふらん
omou tote yūguregata no nagame o ya hito matsu hodo no koi to iuran Thinking of him
28
年の内にあまる月日の有りければかぞへのうちにははわぶるかな
toshi no uchi ni amaru tsuki hi no arikereba kazoe no uchi ni haha waburu kana Throughout the year
29
The depth of colour of spring waters (春水添色深)
Left (Win)
水のいろをそめては深くみゆれども春はよどまぬものにざりける
midu no iro wo The waters’ hues
3
Right
春のいろは底なき水にそへりとも流れて深くあらむとぞ思ふ
Faru no iro Fa The hue of spring across
4
The Empress Dowager’s reply:
みづのえのかたみとおもへどうぐひすの花のくしげはあけてだにみず
midu no e no By the waters’ edge
The Shichijō Empress
Posts navigation
'Simply moving and elegant'