Left (Win).
柞原雫も色や變るらむ杜の下草秋更けにけり
| hahasowara shizuku mo iro mo kawaruramu mori no shitagusa aki fukenikeri |
In the oak grove Have the raindrops, too, their hues A’changed? For to the grass beneath the sacred boughs Has autumn come! |
441
Right.
あたりまで梢さびしき柞原深くは何を思こむらん
| atari made kozue sabishiki hahasowara fukaku wa nani o omoikomuran |
From all around The treetops in the lonely Oak grove Deep within what Thoughts would fill one’s mind? |
442
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left query the usage of ‘from all around’ (atari made).
Shunzei’s judgement: The Right’s poem would certainly appear to have an in-depth grasp of the conception of the topic [makoto ni kokoro komorige ni miete], however, my shallow understanding is unable to follow it; besides which the Left’s ‘to the grass beneath the sacred boughs has autumn come!’ (mori no shitagusa aki fukenikeri) is most fine [yoroshiku habereba], so I have no need for further consideration and make the Left the winner.