Cherry Blossom
Left (Win)
さきさかずよそにてもみむやまざくらみねのしらくもたちなかくしそ
saki sakazu yoso nite mo mimu yamazakura mine no shirakumo tachi na kakushi so Whether they blossom, or blossom not
13[i]
Right
しらくものたつかとみゆるさくらばなやまのまもなくちりやかふらん
shirakumo no tatsu ka to miyuru sakurabana yama no ma mo naku chiri ya kauran ‘Have clouds, so white,
14
[i] This poem is included in Shūishū (I: 38 ), as an anonymous poem with the headnote ‘From a palace poetry match held in Tenryaku 9’. It is also included in Shūishō (I: 23) as an anonymous poem with the headnote ‘From a palace poetry match held on the 29th day of the Third Month, Tenryaku 9’.
A spring poem, from the Poetry Contest in 1500 Rounds.
しら雲のたえまになびく青柳のかづらき山に春風ぞふく
shirakumo no taema ni nabiku aoyagi no kazurakiyama ni harukaze zo fuku The clouds, so white,
Fujiwara no Masatsune
Written on the edge of a folding screen by a painting of geese flying in the clouds, when His Majesty ordered a celebration for the Junior Principal Handmaid.
白雲の中にまがひてゆく雁もこゑはかくれぬ物にざりける
shirakumo no naka ni magaite yuku kari mo koe wa kakurenu mono ni zarikeru Within the clouds, so white,
これも又花かあらぬか浦風の吹上にたてる春の白雲
kore mo mata These, too, again
162
Silver grass
Left (Tie)
はなすすきほにいづるをのはしらくものあさゐるとのみあやまたれけり
hanasusuki ho ni izuru ono wa shirakumo no asa iru to nomi ayamatarekeri Silver grass
Ariwara no Suetaka
Right
はなすすきほのくれがたのつゆけきはうきよのなかをそよとしればか
hanasusuki ho no kuregata no tsuyukeki wa ukiyo no naka o soyo to shireba ka The silver grass
Fujiwara no Aritoki
秋風に山とびこゆるはつ雁のつばさにわくるみねの白雲
akikaze ni yama tobikoyuru hatsukari no tsubasa ni wakuru mine no shirakumo On the autumn wind,
Original
やへたてるみかさのやまのしらくもはみゆきさぶらふさくらなりけり
yae tateru mikasa no yama no shirakumo wa miyuki saburau sakura narikeri Standing eightfold high above
7
Left (Win)
よそにてもきみしみつれば山ざくらこころやすくやいまはちるらむ
yoso nite mo kimi shi mitsureba yamazakura kokoro yasuku ya ima wa chiruramu Seen from afar, and
8
Right
やへたてるくもゐに見えしさくらばなかへるたむけにけふやちるらん
yae tateru kumoi ni mieshi sakurabana kaeru tamuke ni kyō ya chiruran Standing eightfold high
9
Left
夏夜のまだもねなくにあけぬれば昨日今日ともおもひまどひぬ
natsu no yo no mada mo nenaku ni akenureba kinō kyō tomo omoimadoinu On a summer night,
74
Right
うのはなのさけるかきねは白雲のおりゐるとこそあやまたれけれ
u no hana no sakeru kakine wa shirakumo no ori’iru to koso ayamatarekere Deutzia flowers
75
Left
さかざらむものならなくにさくらばなおもかげにのみまだきみゆらむ
sakazaramu mono naranaku ni sakurabana nao mo kage ni nomi madaki miyuramu Wishing not to bloom
Mitsune
Right
やまざくらさきぬるときはつねよりもみねのしらくもたちまさりけり
yamazakura sakinuru toki wa tsune yori mo mine no shirakumo tachimasarikeri When the mountain cherry
Tsurayuki[i]
The Left uses ‘wish’[ii] twice; the Right places the mountain cherries at a distance—that make the round a tie.
[i] This poem is included in Gosenshū (I: 118), with the headnote, ‘A poem from Former Emperor Uda’s Poetry Contest’.
[ii] Uda is objecting to Mitsune’s double usage of the auxiliary verb -ramu in his judgement here.
In reply.
たえぬると見ればあひぬる白雲のいとおほよそにおもはずもがな
taenuru to Broken do
The Fifth Princess [Yoriko (Ishi)]
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'Simply moving and elegant'
