Composed on snow.
霰降りいたく風吹き寒き夜や旗野に今夜我が独り寝む
| arare puri itaku kaze puki samuki yo ya patano ni koyopi wa ga pitori nemu |
Hail falls, and Fiercely blows the wind, On this night, so cold; At Hatano, tonight, Must I sleep alone? |
Monthly Archives: November 2017
MYS XI: 2729
MYS VII: 1141
MYS I: 65
A poem composed by Prince Naga, on the occasion of a visit to the Naniwa Palace in Kyōun 3 [707].
霰打 安良礼松原 住吉之 弟日娘与 見礼常不飽香聞
霰打つ安良礼松原住吉の弟日娘女と見れど飽かぬかも
| arare utu ararematubara sumiyosi no otoiwotome to miredo akanu kamo | Hail strikes Ararematsubara In Sumiyoshi A pleasure girl I see, yet cannot get my fill. |
Prince Naga (?-715)
長皇子
Love VII: 26
Left.
人心緒絶えの橋に立かへり木の葉降りしく秋の通ひ路
| hito kokoro odae no hashi ni tachikaeri ko no ha furishiku aki no kayoiji |
Our hearts On the broken bridge at Odae Do stand; Fallen leaves swept along The autumn paths back and forth… |
Lord Sada’ie.
1011
Right.
思はずに緒絶えの橋と成ぬれどなを人知れず戀わたるかな
| omowazu ni odae no hashi to narinuredo nao hito shirezu koi watarukana |
Unthinkingly To the broken bridge of Odae Have we come, yet Still, unknown to all, Might our love make a crossing? |
Lord Tsune’ie.
1012
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the purpose of ‘fallen leaves swept along’ (ko no ha furishiku) in the Left’s poem. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: Both the poems of the Left and of the Right use ‘bridge of Odae’ (odae no hashi) which is tasteful. The Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along’ must be following Ise Monogatari. The gentlemen of the Right must surely be pretending ignorance! The poem of the Right, too, has an elegant total configuration, but ‘unknown to all’ (hito shirezu) is at odds with the emotional overtones. Thus the Left’s ‘fallen leaves swept along the autumn paths back and forth’ is better. I make it the winner.
Love VII: 25
Left (Win).
いざやさは君に逢はずは渡らじと身を宇治橋に書き付けてみん
| iza ya sa wa kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to mi o ujihashi ni kakitsuketemin |
So, then, If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross In my despair, the bridge at Uji, But just inscribe this here… |
Kenshō
1009
Right.
都思ふ濱名の橋の旅人や浪に濡れては恋渡るらむ
| miyako omou hamana no hashi no tabibito ya nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran |
His thoughts on the capital, The bridge at Hamana, Does a traveller, Wet by the waves, Cross while lost in love? |
Lord Takanobu
1010
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder if the Right’s poem does not sound as if it is only the capital which the poet loves?
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross’ (kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to) is particularly charming, having the conception of the tale of Sima Xiangru in Mengqiu, at the bridge into the commandery of Shu, where he says, ‘If I am not aboard a four-horse carriage, I’ll never cross this bridge again!’, and then later was made a Cavalryman in Permanent Attendance, and entered as an imperial messenger. Metaphorically, it also evokes his meeting with Wenjun, and so seems particularly profound. The poem of the Right commences with ‘His thoughts on the capital’ (miyako omou) and then continues with ‘wet by the waves, cross while lost in love’ (nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran). I do not see how one can say that this poem lacks the conception of Love. However, the conception of the Left’s poem seems rare, indeed. Thus, it wins.