Left.
物思ふと月ゆへならで月を見て幾夜くもらぬ空もくもりぬ
| mono’omou to tsuki yue narade tsuki o mite ikuyo kumoranu sora mo kumorinu |
My gloomy thoughts Are not for the moon; The moon I saw For many nights, unclouded, The skies, now clouded. |
Lord Ari’ie.
907
Right (Win).
いかにして殘る心のありければ人をうらみて月を見るらん
| ika ni shite nokoru kokoro no arikereba hito o uramite tsuki o miruran |
What is it that In my heart remains That Hating her I gaze upon the moon? |
Ietaka.
908
The Right state: we find no faults to mention in the Left’s poem. The Left state: the Right’s poem is outstandingly good.
In judgement: it has been stated that the Left’s poem lacks faults, but having ‘Are not for the moon; the moon I saw’ (tsuki yue narade tsuki o mite), ‘unclouded’ (kumoranu) and then ‘clouded’ (kumorinu) is a superfluity of similar vocabulary, which is most disquieting. I wonder, too, the basis on which the Right’s poem can be judged outstandingly good? ‘In my heart remains that’ (nokoru kokoro no arikereba) sounds like a most unacceptable configuration, and overall, I am unable to grasp its meaning. Thus, I will judge according to the Gentlemen of the Left’s remarks, and make the Right the winner.