Tag Archives: Youthful Love

Love V: 12

Left (Win).
行く末の深き縁とぞ契つるまだ結ばれぬ淀の若菰

yukusue no
fukaki eni to zo
chigiritsuru
mada musubarenu
yodo no wakagomo
In the future,
A deep connection will we have,
You vowed,
Yet still no one has cupped
This young shoot of wild rice at Yodo.

A Servant Girl.
863

Right.
結ばんと契し人を忘れずやまだ影淺き井手の玉水

musuban to
chigirishi hito o
wasurezu ya
mada kage asaki
ide no tamamizu
That we would be joined
We swore, so
Will you not forget me?
The slight reflection left
In Ide’s jewelled waters…

Ietaka.
864

Both Left and Right state: there is no separation between man and woman.

In judgement: ‘Young shoot of wild rice at Yodo’ (yodo no wakagomo) and ‘Ide’s jewelled waters’ (ide no tamamizu) are both elegant in style, but the Left has pledged a more profound bond. The Right has ‘the slight reflection left’ (mada kage asaki) and the Left is a poem about a vow which has been made. The Right is just referring to events of the past. Thus, ‘depth’ should win.

Love V: 11

Left (Win).
葉を若みまだふし馴れぬ呉竹のこはしほるべき露の上かは

ha o wakami
mada fushinarenu
kuretake no
ko wa shiorubeki
tsuyu no ue ka wa
Fresh leaved, and
Not yet grown to knots in bed,
A bamboo
Maid: will she draw the
Kindly dew upon her?

Lord Sada’ie.
861

Right.
情なき風に従ふ姫百合は露けきことやならはざるらん

nasakenaki
kaze ni shitagau
himeyuri wa
tsuyukeki koto ya
narawazaruran
The heartless
Wind brushes
A young star lily:
To being dew drenched
Is she, perhaps, unaccustomed?

Lord Tsune’ie.
862

The Right state: the Left’s poem has not faults to indicate. The Left state: the Right’s poem lacks the conception of Love.

In judgement: the Left uses ‘bamboo’ (kuretake) and the Right ‘star lily’ (himeyuri): although the Left’s ‘Maid: will she draw’ (ko wa shiorubeki) does not seem possible to accept on grounds of style, but the Right, in addition to also lacking much conception of Love, has ‘heartless wind’ (nasakenaki kaze) which sounds poor. Thus, the Left should win, I think.

 

Love V: 10

Left (Tie).
年を經て遂に逢べき中ならば齢ばかりを歎かざらまし

toshi o hete
tsui ni aubeki
naka naraba
yowai bakari o
nagekazaramashi
If the years go by, and
Finally, that we meet
Should come to pass,
Just our youth
Should not be a source of grief!

Lord Suetsune.
859

Right.
比べ來し振分髪のそのかみも終の思やなを遊びけん

kurabekoshi
furiwakegami no
sono kami mo
tsui no omoi ya
nao asobiken
We did match
Our hair, bunched on either side:
Back then,
That, at last, our passions would
Join – I wonder, did we know it?

Nobusada.
860

The Right state: the conception of youth is lacking. The Left state: the initial part simply resembles the original poem.

In judgement: the Left’s poem, from beginning to end, uses nothing but commonplace diction. The Right’s poem, too, really says nothing beyond the sense of its origin poem. The poems are of the same quality.

 

Love V: 8

Left.
いかにして戀てふことを知りぬらん物の心も昨日今日こそ

ika ni shite
koi chō koto o
shirinuran
mono no kokoro mo
kinō kyō koso
How did
Love
Then seem to me?
When the truth of things
Has come to me now…

Lord Ari’ie.
855

Right (Win).
今はさは思亂ると知らせてん振分髪も肩過ぎにけり

ima wa sa wa
omoimidaru to
shiraseten
furuwakegami mo
kata suginikeri
Now it is that
I am in a tangle of love,
Let me tell you!
For my hair, bunched on either side,
Has come to brush my shoulders!

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
856

The Right state: the Left’s poem is facetious. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.

In judgement: the Right’s poem is elegant. It certainly wins over the Left.