稲筵川沿柳水行けばおきふしすれどそのねたえせず
| inamushiro kawasoi yanagi mizu yukeba okifushisuredo sono ne taesezu |
On a rice-straw mat Beneath a willow on the bank, Where waters flow, I lay me down, yet Sleep, as ever, eludes me. |
Tag Archives: willow
KKS XX: 1081
青柳を片糸によりてうぐひすの縫ふてふ笠は梅のなながさ
| aoyanagi o kata ito ni yorite uguFisu no nuFu teFu kasa Fa mume no Fanagasa |
Willow tendrils Make fine thread, for The warbler To weave today a sun hat, A sun hat of plum blossom! |
Autumn I: 6
Left.
打ち寄する浪より秋の龍田川さても忘れぬ柳陰かな
| uchiyosuru nami yori aki no tatsutagawa satemo wasurenu yanagikage kana |
Approaching on The waves, comes autumn to The Tatsuta River; And yet, I cannot forget The willows’ shade. |
311
Right.
秋淺き日影に夏は殘れども暮るゝ籬は荻の上風
| aki asaki hikage ni natsu wa nokoredomo kururu magaki wa ogi no uwakaze |
Faintly autumnal is The sunlight, with summer Yet remaining; At evening by the rough-woven fence Blows a breeze o’er the silver-grass. |
312
The Right say the Left’s poem is ‘particularly good.’ The Left state that, ‘“Faintly autumnl” (aki asaki) grates on the ear, and we also cannot grasp the use of “evening by the rough-woven fence” (kururu magaki).’
Shunzei states, ‘The Left’s “approaching on the waves” (nami yori aki no), seems particularly charming, but when taken together with “willows’ shade” (yanagi kade)– the Tatsuta River has long been the subject of composition on “flowing scarlet autumn leaves”, and even now this gives a slightly poetic effect; “willows’ shade” has been used in composition, both in ancient times and more recently, but does it not seem commonplace now? The Right’s poem is in the same vein as that of the Right in Round One Hundred and Fifty-Two, yet I do not find “faintly autumnal” to be unpleasant. “Evening by the rough-woven fence”, too, has charm. The Left’s poem has vocabulary in accordance with the contents; the Right unusual expressions. In this combination, the round must tie.’
Spring II: 22
Left (Win).
春來れば空に亂るゝいとゆふを一筋にやはありと頼まん
| haru kureba sora ni midaruru itoyū wo hito suji ni ya wa ari to tanoman |
When Spring is come, The sky is disarrayed by Heat haze, yet For it to be all that is – In that I cannot trust! |
103
Right.
春風のゝどかに吹けば青柳の枝もひとつに遊ぶ糸遊
| haru kaze no nodoka ni fukeba aoyanagi no eda mo hitotsu ni asobu itoyū |
When spring breezes Gently blow Fresh willow Fronds as one are Wavering hazes… |
104
Both teams find no particular faults with the other’s poems.
Shunzei, however, comments, ‘Both poems are excellent in appearance, but the Left has ‘The sky is disarrayed’ (sora ni midaruru). The Right is ‘Fresh willow fronds as one’ (aoyanagi no eda mo hitotsu ni asobu): does this not suggest that haze wavers only in the vicinity of willows? The Left must win.’
Spring II: 19
Left (Tie).
津の國のこやのわたりのながめには遊ぶ糸さへひまなかりけり
| tsu no kuni no koya no watari no nagame ni wa asobu ito sae hima nakarikeri |
In the land of Tsu, When out from Koya I turn my gaze, Even the wavering hazes Seem to take no rest. |
97
Right (Tie).
春來ればなびく柳のともがほに空にまがふや遊ぶいとゆふ
| haru kureba nabiku yanagi no tomogao ni sora ni magau ya asobu ito yū |
When the spring is come, Fluttering willow fronds’ Like, In the skies can be perceived: Wavering hazes. |
98
The Right say that the Left’s poem, ‘suggests heat haze only occurs at Koya in Tsu,’ while the Left say, ‘what are we to make of phrasing such as “like” (tomogao ni)?’, obliquely suggesting that it’s inappropriate poetic diction.
Shunzei says simply that, ‘the purport of both sides’ comments about both poems is apposite,’ and makes the round a tie.
inu no ko no
kerori kuwan
suteyarade
On willow.
捨やらで柳さしけり雨のひま
| suteyarade yanagi sashikeri ame no hima |
I could not abandon This willow spring, positioned in a vase In a moment free from rain. |
nani kūte
On autumn.
なに喰て小家は秋の柳陰
| nani kūte koie wa aki no yanagi kage |
I wonder what they eat Come autumn in that little house Within the leafless willow’s shade? |
(Date unknown)
karakasa ni
On willow.
傘に押わけみたる柳かな
| karakasa ni oshiwakemitaru yanagi kana |
With my umbrella up, I press on through The hanging willow branches. |
(1694)