Topic unknown.
おもひねのわれのみかよふゆめぢにもあひみてかへる暁ぞなき
| omoine no ware nomi kayou yumeji ni mo aimite kaeru akatsuki zo naki | Loving you, I sleep, but I, alone, go back and forth Upon the path of dreams; To glimpse and meet you, then return— I have no such dawnings. |
Kinhira, Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division
Topic unknown.
うたたねはをぎ吹くかぜにおどろけどながき夢ぢぞさむる時なき
| utatane wa ogi fuki kaze ni odorokedo nagaki yumeji zo samuru toki naki | From my doze The wind upon the silver grass Has startled me, yet From this long path of dreams I awaken for not a moment. |
Former Emperor Sutoku
Left (Win).
旅寢する我をば床の主にて枕に宿る小夜の面影
| tabinesuru ware oba toko no aruji nite makura ni yadoru sayo no omokage |
When sleeping on my travels I of my bedding Am master! Lodging by my pillow is A face from a night too brief… |
Lord Ari’ie
895
Right.
まどろまぬその夜な夜なを數ふれば夢路も遠き草枕哉
| madoromanu sono yona yona o kazoureba yumeji mo tōki kusamakura kana |
Unable to even doze Night after night I count them up, and The path of dreams gets more Distant from my grassy pillow. |
Lord Takanobu
896
The Right state: the Left’s poem seems fine. The Left state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: the Right’s ‘the path of dreams gets more distant’ (yumeji mo tōki) sounds elegant, but the Left’s poem has already been assessed as ‘fine’ in the comments by the gentlemen of the Right. This round I will leave the judgement in their hands and make the Left the winner.
Left.
歸りつる今朝こそあらめいかにこは干る間も知らぬ袖の氣色ぞ
| kaeritsuru kesa koso arame ika ni ko wa hiru ma mo shiranu sode no keshiki zo |
Having come home This morning, I am certain, Why is it that A daytime dry moment is a stranger To my sleeves? |
Lord Kanemune.
809
Right.
をのづから暮れ行く空を待つ程も頼むことゝは夢路成けり
| onozukara kureyuku sora o matsu hodo mo tanomu koto to wa yumeji narikeri |
While I For darkening skies Do wait, The only thing in which I can place my trust Is the path of dreams. |
Jakuren.
810
The Right state: we find no particular faults to mention. The Left state: we wonder about the appropriateness of placing one’s trust in dreams during the daytime. Was he having a nap?
In judgement: the conception of the Left’s poem is well developed from beginning to end. The Right’s poem has an elegant configuration, but it is unacceptable to have the speaker napping. However, the Left’s ‘Why is it that’ (ika ni ko wa) is unsatisfactory style. I have to say the poems are equal and tie.