Poetry Match held by the Bodyguards of Imperial Prince Yasuakira
Alternative Title(s)
東宮保明親王帯刀陣歌合 Tōgū yasuakira shinnō tachihaki no jin uta’awase Poetry Match held by the Bodyguards of Crown Prince Yasuakira
Date
Autumn, Engi 4-22 [904-922]
Extant Poems
17
Sponsor
Identifiable Participants
Sakanoue no Kuzusuke; Tomo no Toshizane; Yoshimine no Yukikara; Miyaji no Okifuru; Taira no Yasū; Tomo no Tadanori; Tachibana no Yasūdoki; Minamoto no Satake; Fujiwara no Kakena; Miyaji no Sukeon; Fujiwara no Akane; Miharu no Miyakoe; Taira no Tōmi; Taira no Sanenao; Ariwara no Suetaka; Fujiwara no Aritoki; Fujiwara no Tsurayasu
Imperial Prince Yasuakira 保明親王 (904-923) was a son of Emperor Daigo 醍醐 (885-930; r. 897-930), who died at a tragically young age and so never became emperor as originally intended. When he was young, a visiting physiognomist from the Korean kingdom of Goryeo examined him and stated that his features were those of one who would ascend to the highest in the state—something which Murasaki Shikibu was later to adopt for the protagonist of Genji monogatari.
The dates of this match are uncertain—it could have taken place while Yasuakira was alive, or be a memorial for him after his passing, as the headnote to the contest identifies him as the ‘Former former Crown Prince’ (zen zen bō 前前坊). Nevertheless, Hagitani (1957, 235–236) suggests the match took place during Yasuakira’s lifetime, but provides no definitive evidence.
Little is known about the poets as a result of their lowly status as bodyguards, although this does make for some less conventional language in their poems in places. Given these participants, there is no doubt the contest was a private one and thus almost certainly took place in person rather than via the submission of pre-written poems.
The contest is historically significant in that it is the first example of a ‘pure’ poetry match with composition on a wide range of seasonal topics. Prior to this point this type of range was only seen in ‘garden matches’ (zenzai awase 前菜合), where the focus was divided between the poetry and the plants which were displayed for the company in garden or nearby.
maki no ya no shigure no oto ni yume samete miyako koishiki ne ni zo nurenuru
Beneath a roof of cypress boards The sound of showers Wakes me from my dreams, and Longing for the capital I drench myself with weeping.
Chūnagon 55
Right (Win)
たびねするのぢのしばやにおとづれてすぐるはよはのしぐれなりけり
tabinesuru noji no shibaya ni otozurete suguru wa yowa no shigure narikeri
Sleeping on my travels Cross the plains in a brushwood hut A sound comes calling, Passing by at midnight— A shower.
Sokaku 56
The style of the Left’s poem is elegant but, in addition to feeling that there may well be cypress roofs in places other than the capital, the final line is insufficient, I think. The Right’s poem has nothing remarkable about it, but it sounds pleasant. I make it the winner.
Question and Response Poetry Contest on Spring and Autumn held in a Certain Place[1]
It is entirely unclear whether this fragment of a match is an offcut of another event, such as Sadafumi uta’awase 貞文歌合 (dates unknown) or Tsurayuki uta’awase 貫之歌合 (939), in which case one can suppose the poems formed part of a larger consideration of the seasons. Another possibility, however, is that this is taken from a selection of his own poems by Ōshikōchi no Mitsune, with the final self-deprecatory comment being an indication of his unwillingness to take a view on the quality of his own work (Hagitani 1957, 233).
春にみなあひにし花の今日の雨に咲くをみるにぞ片負けぬべき
haru ni mina ainishi hana no kyō no ame ni saku o miru ni zo katamakenubeki
In springtime, all The blossoms that I met, In the rain today I see a’blooming— Not completely inferior at all!
1
こきまぜに花紅葉散るただ今は春秋ぞともいかがさだめむ
kokimaze ni hana momijiba chirutada ima wa haru aki zo to mo ikaga sadamemu
All mixed together Blossoms and scarlet leaves Scatter so now whether ‘Tis spring or autumn, How can I decide?
2
I had thought to write down the winner and loser, but when, in my extreme ignorance, I tried judging, embarrassingly I was unable to do it. The poems are just as in the text. Incomprehensible untruths and all.
When she had gone to someone’s house, saying that she was under a directional taboo, she had the son of the master of the house bring her something with cloves in, and when the boy’s father was roused:
あけてみるかひもあるかなたまくしげふたみのうらによするしらなみ
akete miru kaFi mo aru kana tamakusige Futami no ura ni yosuru siranami
Opening to see: There is a point to it! A jewelled comb-box Lid—at Futami Bay Breaking whitecaps.
When he had gone to a hot spring in Tajima province, he stayed in a place called Futami Bay and, while eating their evening meal, his companions were composing poetry, so he composed.
ゆふづくよおぼつかなきを玉匣ふたみの浦は曙てこそ見め
yuFudukuyo obotukanaki wo tamakusige Futami no ura Fa akete koso mime
On an early moonlit evening How difficult to see A jewelled comb box— Lid lifted once more Futami Bay I’ll see with the dawn!
narashiba no tabi no iori ni otozurete shigure mo ima zo yama megurisuru
Oak boughs make My traveller’s hut, where I am visited by the sound of Showers—they, too, now Are on pilgrimage through the mountains.[1]
Shōkaku 53
Right
たびごろもうらがなしかるあさぢふによはのしぐれよいかにせよとぞ
tabigoromo uraganashikaru asajū ni yowa no shigure yo ika ni seyo to zo
In my traveller’s garb and Sad at heart among The clumps of cogon grass, O, midnight shower, Tell me, what I am I to do?[2]
Jakuchō 54
While both Left and Right sound pleasant, I make the Left the winner, because it sounds slightly more moving at present, with a traveller’s hut being visited by showers.
[1]Alluding to: Composed when caught in a shower, while making a pilgrimage to one hundred temples in Higashiyama. もろともに山めぐりするしぐれかなふるにかひなき身とはしらずや morotomo ni / yamamegurisuru / shigure kana / furu ni kainaki / mi to wa shirazu ya ‘Together with me / On my mountain pilgrimage are / The showers! / ‘Tis pointless to fall / On my sorry self, don’t you know!’ Master of the Left Capital Office Michimasa (SKS IV: 149)
[2] Alluding to: 旅ごろもうらがなしさにあかしかね草の枕は夢もむすばず tabigoromo / uraganashisa ni / akashikane / kusa no makura wa / yume mo musubazu ‘In my traveller’s garb / My heart-sickness / I cannot lift, for / My grassy pillow / Brings no dreams, at all…’ Hikaru Genji (Genji monogatari 223)
shiguresuru momiji no nishiki yukashiki ni akete o tatamu futamura no yama
Under the showers The scarlet leaves’ brocade I long to see, so With the dawn let’s set forth To Mount Futamura!
Jakunen 51
Right (Win)
みやこにもおもひやすらむくさまくらうちしぐれたるよはのねざめを
miyako ni mo omoiyasuramu kusamakura uchishiguretaru yowa no nezame o
Even in the capital Might you think of me? On a grassy pillow With a shower Awoken at midnight…
Suke 52
The Left poem’s ‘With the dawn let’s set forth / To Mount Futamura’ sounds charming, but as we can see from Lord Kanesuke’s poem ‘Futami Bay / Let’s see with the dawn’, it is quite pedestrian. Then there is the expression ‘long to see’—this really isn’t appropriate diction for poetry. I will admit that it appears from time to time in imperial anthologies, and so it is certainly permissible depending upon the style of the poem, though. There’s also the term ‘long to know’—one really shouldn’t use diction in a poetry match which doesn’t express the poet’s true feelings. As for the Right’s poem, it’s also quite pedestrian to say that showers fall on one’s way on a journey, but don’t necessarily fall in the capital, but saying that folk there might think of you waking on your journey, well, why wouldn’t they do that? The conception of the poem is pleasant, and I make it the winner.
