On blossom.
奥山に棲むといふ鹿の夕さらず妻どふ萩の散らまく惜しも
| wokuyama ni sumu to ipu sika no yopi sarazu tumadopu pagi no tiramaku wosimo |
Deep within the mountains Lives a stag; Every evening He calls upon his bride, the bush clover, but That it is scattered, brings him only regret… |
Left
山深み種ある岩に生ふる松の根よりもかたき戀や何なる
| yama fukami tane aru iwa ni ouru matsu no ne yori mo kataki koi ya nani naru |
Deep with the mountains, Upon the crags where seeds Grow into pines, Rooted firmly – how hard Will our love be? |
Lord Ari’ie
1041
Right (Win)
契きなまた忘れずよ初瀬河布留川野邊の二本の杉
| chigirikina mata wasurezu yo hatsusegawa furukawa nobe no futamoto no sugi |
You vowed it, did you not. Not to forget me more. In the River Hatsuse and River Furu’s meadows Stand twin cedars. |
Jakuren
1042
Left and Right together state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: While there are such things in the heart of the mountains as ‘crags where seeds grow into pines’ (tane aru iwa ni ouru matsu), it is normally by the sea or on rocky coastlines that one finds firmly rooted pine trees. Surely, mountain pines are but lightly rooted? Cedars on River Hatsuse recollects ‘Nor will I ever; a solid brick-kiln’ (wasurezu yo kawaraya), but ‘You vowed it, did you not’ (chigirikina) also reminds me of the old phrase ‘Both our sleeves wringing out’ (katami ni sode o shiboritsutsu), which is most fine. Thus, the Right wins.
A poem presented to Prince Osakabe, composed on viewing the image of a sage.
とこしへに夏冬行けや裘扇放たぬ山に住む人
| tokosipe ni natu puyu yuke ya kapagoromo apugi patanu yama ni sumu pito |
Not eternally, As summer and winter’s passage, yet His coat of fur, and Fan, never will he release This mountain-dwelling man… |
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Collection
柿本人麻呂歌集
天雲のたゆたひ来れば九月の黄葉の山もうつろひにけり
| amakumo no tayutapikureba nagatuki no momidi no yama mo uturopinikeri |
As Heaven’s clouds Come fluttering In the Longest Month Autumn leaves upon the mountains Have paled in hue. |
The Gentlemen of the Right. These, too, had the sons of the Courtiers Fujiwara no Shigetoki and Hirokage, the Governor of Awa, construct an extremely large suhama upon which all the chrysanthemums were grown together; because the area was cramped when they brought it in, they made preparation to bring it in all at once, attaching wheels to sections, thinking to do it in one, but were startled by the Gentlemen of the Left bringing in their blooms one by one – when all were brought in and assembled together, they made a single charming spectacle, yet though assembled, they were separated and thus seemed incomplete. The initial poem became mixed in with all the others.
山深く入りにし身をぞいたづらに菊の匂ひに憩へ来にける
| yama Fukaku irinisi mi wo zo itadura ni kiku no nioFi ni ikoFekinikeru |
Deep within the mountains Have I entered in; Idly has The chrysanthemums’ scent Brought me to my ease. |
11
Composed on paddy fields.
足引の山田作る子秀でずとも縄だに延へよ守ると知るがね
| asipiki no yamada tukuru ko pidezu tomo napa dani paeyo mori to siru gane |
The leg-straining Moutain paddies’ offspring Have yet to show, but At least string ropes there, so All know they are warded! |
鹿背の山木立を茂み朝さらず来鳴き響もす鴬の声
| kase no yama kodati wo sigemi asa sarazu kinaki toyomosu ugupisu no kowe |
On Kase Mountain The groves are so lush that Unable to wait for morning Comes the echo of The warbler’s song! |
Tanabe no Sakimaro Collection
田辺福麻呂歌集
A poem composed by the deceased Emperor on the occasion of a visit to the Yoshino Palace.
み吉野の山のあらしの寒けくにはたや今夜も我が独り寝む
| miyosino no yama no arasi no samukeku ni pata ya koyopi mo wa ga pitori nemu |
Though in fair Yoshino The storm-winds off the mountains Feel so chill, Yet again tonight Will I sleep alone? |
Emperor Monmu (683-707; r. 697-707)
文武
Composed when it was said that a poetry competition was to be held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber.
花のちることやわびしき春霞たつたの山のうぐひすのこゑ
| Fana no tiru koto ya wabisiki Farugasumi tatuta no yama no uguFisu no kowe |
The falling of the flowers Is sad, indeed; In the spring haze On Tatsuta Mountain A warbler cries… |
Fujiwara no Chikage
藤原後蔭
1
Composed when it was said that a poetry competition was to be held at the residence of the Ninna Middle Captain Lady of the Bedchamber.
惜しと思ふ心は糸に縒られなむ散る花ごとに貫きてとどめむ
| osi to omoFu kokoro Fa ito ni yorarenamu tiru Fana goto ni nukite todomemu |
A regretful Heart with threads Does seem to be entangled; Every single scattered bloom Will I thread on them to keep. |
Sosei
素性
2
Left
明けぬ間に箱根の山の時鳥二声とだに鳴き渡るらむ
| akenu ma ni Fakone no yama no Fototogisu Futakowe to dani nakiwataruramu |
Before the dawn no Hakone Mountain Cuckoos’ Twin calls simply Seem to sing back and forth |
17
Right (Win)
深山出でていづこも旅ぞ時鳥ここにを結べ草の枕は
| miyama idete iduko mo tabi zo Fototogisu koko ni wo musube kusa no makura wa |
Emerging from the mountains’ depths Where does your journey take you, O, cuckoo? Here will I twine strands Of grass for my pillow… |
18