Round Fifty

Left

あづまぢのさやの中山中中になにしか人をおもひそめけん

azumaji no saya no nakayama nakanaka ni nani shi ka hito o omoisomekemu

On the road to the Eastlands Nakayama in Saya Lies halfway; half-heartedly Oh, why, this lady Have I begun to love?

99[i]

Right

さびしさにやどをたちいでてながむればいづくもおなじ秋の夕暮

sabishiki ni yado o tachi’idete nagamureba izuku mo onaji aki no yūgure

In my loneliness I leave my home and Gaze about; Everywhere is the same Autumn evening.

100[ii]

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[i] KKS XII: 594: Topic unknown.

[ii] GSIS IV: 333: Topic unknown.

Round Forty-Nine

Left

ゆふさればほたるよりけにもゆれども光みねばや人のつれなき

yū sareba hotaru yori ke ni moyuredomo hikari mineba ya hito no tsurenaki

With the fall of evening, The fireflies’ are as nothing beside My burning, yet I cast no light, so Will my love stay chill?

Ki no Tomonori
97[i]

Right

たづねつる花も我が身もおとろへてのちの春ともえこそちぎらね

tazunetsuru hana mo wa ga mi mo otoroete nochi no haru to mo e koso chigirane

Paying a visit on The blossom, I, too, Am fading fast; That we will meet in springs to come Is not a promise I can make…

Monk Ryōzen
98[ii]

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[i] KKS XII: 562: A poem composed at a competition held by Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager during the reign of the Kampyō emperor.

[ii] SKKS II: 153: When he went to the Unrin’in to view the cherry blossom, it was all scattered with but a single branch left.

Round Forty-Seven

Left

あふさかの木のした露にぬれしよりわが衣手はいつもかわかず

ausaka no ko no shitazuyu ni nureshi yori wa ga koromode wa itsumo kawakazu

Meeting Hill’s Trees drip dewdrops and Have soaked me, so My sleeves Never will be dry.

93[i]

Right

わが恋はあまのかるもにみだれつつかわく間もなきなみのした草

wa ga koi wa ama no karu mo ni midaretsutsu kawaku ma mo naki nami no shitagusa

My love is as The seaweed reaped by fisherfolk: Ever confused, and Dry for not a moment— A grass growing ‘neath the waves.

94[ii]

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[i] GSS XI: 723: When, due to a confidential matter, he became unable to meet with a woman he had finally become able to see, he sent this.

[ii] SZS XIII: 793: Composed as a love poem, when he held a poetry match at his residence, when he was a Middle Captain.

Round Forty-Six

みじか夜のふけ行くままに高砂の峰の松かぜ吹くかとぞきく

mijikayo no fukeyuku mama ni takasago no mine no matsukaze fuku ka to zo kiku

While a brief space of night Breaks, On Takasago Peak, the wind through the pines[i] Does blow, I hear.

Middle Counsellor Kanesuke
91[ii]

Right

さらでだに露けきさがの野べにきて昔のあとにしをれぬるかな

sarade dani tsuyukeki saga no nobe ni kite mukashi no ato ni shiorenuru kana

Even had I not to Dew-drenched Saga’s Meadows come, The remnants of bygone days Would leave me drenched!

Supernumerary Middle Counsellor Toshitada
92[iii]

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[i] Kanesuke is displaying his Chinese education here, as comparing the sound of a plucked zither (koto) to wind blowing through pine trees was a well-known Chinese poetic conceit.

[ii] GSS IV: 167: On hearing Fukayabu playing a zither on a summer night.

[iii] SKKS VIII: 785: On making a pilgrimage to the Hōrin Temple, he went there and composed this, before the grave of Major Counsellor Toshi’ie in Sagano.

Round Forty-Five

Left

ありはてぬいのちまつまの程ばかりうきことしげくおもはずもがな

arihatenu inochi matsu ma no hodo bakari uki koto shigeku omowazu mogana

To reach the very end of Life—awaiting that I spend my time, but simply Upon its flourishing cruelties I wish I did not have to dwell!

89[i]

Right

後の世をなげくなみだといひなしてしぼりやせましすみ染の袖

nochi no yo o nageku namida to iinashite shibori ya semashi sumizome no sode

In my life to come brings These grieving tears— Should that be my excuse,as I wring out My ink-dyed sleeves?

90[ii]

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[i] KKS XVII: 965: Composed when he had lost his office.

[ii] SKKS XII: 1102: Composed on the conception of hidden love, when various people were ordered to produce hundred poem sequences by the Lay Priest and Former Regent, when he was Minister of the Right.

Round Forty-Three

Left

まくらよりまたしる人もなき恋をなみだせきあへずもらしつるかな

makura yori mata shiru hito mo naki koi o namida seki aezu morashitsuru kana

Other than my pillow Still not a soul should know Of my love, but My tears, ever undammed, Have leaked out!

Taira no Sadafun
85[i]

Right

をはつせの花のさかりをみわたせばかすみにまがふみねのしら雲

ohatsuse no hana no sakari o miwataseba kasumi ni magau ne no shirakumo

When at Hatsuse Across the blossoms’ profusion I cast my gaze Entangled in haze are The clouds of white upon the peak.

Senior Assistant Governor-General of Dazai, Shige’ie
86[ii]

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[i] KKS XIII: 670: Topic unknown.

[ii] SZS I: 74: Composed as a poem on blossom, when he held a poetry match.

Here is are the poets in the match with their names/titles given in romanised transcription as well as Japanese script.

Left	Right
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro 柿本人麿	Dainagon Tsunenobu 大納言経信
Yamabe no Akahito 山辺赤人	Hosshōji nyūdō zenkampaku dajō daijin 法性寺入道前関白太政大臣
Chūnagon Yakamochi 中納言家持	Chūnagon Kunizane 中納言国信
Sangi Ono no Takamura 参議小野篁	Saigyō hōshi 西行法師
Chūnagon Yukihira 中納言行平	Kōtaigōgū daibu Toshinari 皇太后宮大夫俊成
Sōjō Henjō 僧正遍昭	Zendaisōjō Jien 前大僧正慈円
Ono no Komachi 小野小町	Shōsam’mi Ietaka 正三位家隆
Ariwara no Narihira ason 在原業平朝臣	Gokyōgoku sessho zendajōdaijin 後京極摂政前太政大臣
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki ason 藤原敏行朝臣	Tango 丹後
Ise 伊勢	Fujiwara no Kiyosuke ason 藤原清輔朝臣
Motoyoshi shin’nō 元良親王	Gonchūnagon Sada’ie 権中納言定家
Sosei hōshi 素性法師	Suri daibu Akisue 修理大夫顕季
Ariwara no Motokata 在原元方	Naka no in udaijin 中院右大臣
Engi 延喜	Gohosshōji nyūdō zenkampaku dajōdaijin 後法性寺入道前関白太政大臣
Taira no Sadafun 平貞文	Dazai daini Shige’ie 大宰大弐重家
Chūnagon Kanesuke 中納言兼輔	Gonchūnagon Toshitada 権中納言俊忠
Ki no Tomonori 紀友則	Ryōzen hōshi 良暹法師
Ki no Tsurayuki 紀貫之	Sakyō daibu Akisuke 左京大夫顕輔
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune 凡河内躬恒	Murasaki Shikibu 紫式部
Mibu no Tadamine 壬生忠岑	Minamoto no Toshiyori ason 源俊頼朝臣
Sangi Minamoto no Hitoshi ason 参議源等朝臣	Ichi no miya no Kii 一宮紀伊
Ōe no Chisato 大江千里	Sangi Masatsune 参議雅経
Sakanoue no Korenori 坂上是則	Shun’e hōshi 俊恵法師
Kiyowara no Fukayabu 清原深養父	Fujiwara no Norinaka ason 藤原範永朝臣
Semimaru 蝉麿	Nōin hōshi 能因法師
Seishin-kō 清慎公	Sutoku-in 崇徳院
Chūnagon Atsutada 中納言敦忠	Sagami 相摸
Saigū nyōgo 斎宮女御	Shikishi naishin’nō 式子内親王
Ukon 右近	Koshikibu no naishi 小式部内侍
Nakatsukasa 中務	Hanazono sadaijin 花薗左大臣
Minamoto no Sane’akira 源信明	Keibukyō Norikane 刑部卿範兼
Kentoku-kō 謙徳公	Shirakawa-in 白河院
Taira no Kanemori 平兼盛	Fujiwara no Hideyoshi/Hidetō 藤原秀能
Minamoto no Shitagō 源順	Jakunen/Jakuzen hōshi 寂然法師
Michitsuna-kyō no haha 道綱卿母	Kojijū 小侍従
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu 大中臣能宣	Hōribe no Narinaka 祝部成仲
Kiyowara no Motosuke 清原元輔	Fujiwara no Takanobu ason 藤原隆信朝臣
Minamoto no Shigeyuki 源重之	Jakuren hōshi 寂蓮法師
Kō no naishi 高内侍	Sanuki 讃岐
Kazan-in 華山院	Gotokudaiji sadaijin 後徳大寺左大臣
Egyō hōshi 恵慶法師	Fujiwara no Mototoshi 藤原基俊
Sone no Yoshitada 曾禰好忠	Zenchūnagon Masafusa 前中納言匡房
Minamoto no Michinari 源道済	Sakon chūjō Kinhira 左近中将公衡
Fujiwara no Nagayoshi/Nagatō 藤原長能	Ōkurakyō Ari’ie 大蔵卿有家
Fujiwara no Sanekata ason 藤原実方朝臣	Taikenmon’in Horikawa 待賢門院堀川
Fujiwara no Michinobu ason 藤原道信朝臣	Daisōjō Gyōson 大僧正行尊
Nakatsukasakyō Tomohira shinnō 中務卿具平親王	Guei 愚詠
Uma no naishi 馬内侍	Gonchūnagon Morotoki 権中納言師時
Akazome’emon 赤染衛門	Inpumon’in no Taiyu 殷富門院大輔
Izumi Shikibu 和泉式部	Kunaikyō 宮内卿

The Jidai fudō uta’awase 時代不同歌合, or the ‘Poetry Match of Differing Ages’ is what’s known as a senka awase 選歌合, or ‘match of selected poems’, where the are selected according to principles set by the ‘organiser’ of the match and assembled into an uta’awase format. While these types of matches can be created for specific purposes, or events, more often the purpose is critical – to showcase differences in approach to topics or images by different poets.

In the case of this match, the ‘organiser’ was former Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239; r. 1183-1198) while in exile on the island of Oki in the late 1230s, making it one of the last poetic endeavours of his life. His purpose, as should be apparent from the match’s title, was to demonstrate how poets from different historical periods approached similar topics. He provided no judgements, or commentary, on his text, so we have no way of knowing which poems he felt were superior, or even if that was a consideration.

For the match he selected three poems each by one hundred poets, producing a match in three hundred rounds. The poets of the left, the ancient poets, date from the late seventh through to the mid-eleventh century, while the poets of the right, the modern poets, date from the mid-eleventh through to early-mid thirteenth century, although only five of them would still have been living at the time Gotoba assembled the match, including the former emperor himself.

The poets names are given below, and many will be familiar as major and significant poets of their time. A substantial number of these poets are also represented in the Ogura hyakunin isshu 小倉百人一首 collection of one hundred exemplary poems by famous poets, which is thought to have been initially worked on by Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) around 1235 or later, making it contemporaneous with this match.

Poets

Left	Right
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (late C7th)	Middle Counsellor [Minamoto no] Tsunenobu (1016-1097)
Yamabe no Akahito (active 724-737)	The Hosshōji Lay Priest and Former Chancellor and Palace Minister [Fujiwara no Tadamichi] (1097-1164)
Middle Counsellor [Ōtomo no] Yakamochi (ca. 716-785)	Middle Counsellor [Minamoto no] Kunizane (1069-1111)
Consultant Ono no Takamura (802-853)	Monk Saigyō (1118-1190)
Middle Cousellor [Ariwara no] Yukihira (818-893)	Master of the Dowager Empress Household Office [Fujiwara no] Toshinari [Shunzei] (1114-1204)
Archbishop Henjō (816-890?)	Former Major Archbishop Jien (1155-1225)
Ono no Komachi (f) (ca. 833-857)	[Fujiwara no] Ietaka, Senior Third Rank (1158-1237)
Lord Ariwara no Narihira (825-880)	The Gokyōgoku Regent and Former Palace Minister [Saionji Kintsune] (1171-1244)
Lord Fujiwara no Toshiyuki (?-901/907)	Tango (f) (dates unknown)[i]
Ise (f) (877?-940?)	Lord Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104-1177)
Prince Motoyoshi (890-943)	Supernumerary Middle Counsellor [Fujiwara no] Sada’ie [Teika] (1162-1241)
Monk Sosei (ca. 844-910)	Master of the Palace Repairs Office [Fujiwara no] Akisue (1055-1123)
Ariwara no Motokata (active late 800s-900s)	The Naka no in Minister of the Right [Minamoto no Masasada源 雅定] (1094-1162)
Engi [Emperor Daigo] (884-930; r. 987-930)	The Later Hosshōji Lay Priest and Former Chancellor and Palace Minister [Fujiwara no Kanezane] (1149-1207)
Taira no Sadafun (870?-923?)	Senior Assistant Governor-General of Dazai, [Fujiwawa no] Shige’ie (1128-1181)
Middle Counsellor [Fujiwara no] Kanesuke (877-933)	Supernumerary Middle Counsellor [Fujiwara no] Toshitada (1073-1123)
Ki no Tomonori (850?-904?)	Monk Ryōzen [ca. 998-1064]
Ki no Tsurayuki (872?-945)	Master of the Left Capital Office [Fujiwara no] Akisuke (1090-1155)
Ōshikōchi no Mitsune (active 898-922)	Murasaki Shikibu (f) (?-1014?)
Mibu no Tadamine (active 898-920)	Lord Minamoto no Toshiyori [Shunrai] (1055?-1129?)
Consultant Minamoto no Hitoshi (880-951)	Kii, in service to the First Princess[ii] (mid-Heian period)
Ōe no Chisato (active 889-923)	Consultant [Asukai] Masatsune (1170-1221)
Sakanoue no Korenori (?-930)	Monk Shun’e (1113-1191?)
Kiyowara no Fukayabu (dates unknown)	Lord Fujiwara no Norinaga (993-?)
Semimaru (dates unknown)	Monk Nōin (988-1051)
Seishin-kō [Fujiwara no Saneyori] (900-970)	Former Emperor Sutoku (1119-1164; r. 1123-1142)
Middle Counsellor [Fujiwara no] Atsutada (906-943)	Sagami (f) (1000?-?)
The Ise Virgin and Junior Consort [Princess Yoshiko (Kishi)] (929-985) (f)	Imperial Princess Shikishi (f) (1149-1201)
Ukon (f) (active 933-966)	Handmaid Koshikibu (f) (999?-1025)
Nakatsukasa (f) (912-991)	The Hanazono Minister of the Left [Minamoto no Arihito 源有仁] (1103-1147)
Minamoto no Sane’akira (910-970)	Minister of Justice [Fujiwara no] Norikane (1107-1165)
Kentoku-kō [Fujiwara no Koretada/Koremasa藤原 伊尹] (924-972)	Former Emperor Shirakawa (1053-1129; r. 1073-1087)
Taira no Kanemori (?-991)	Fujiwara no Hideyoshi/Hidetō (1184-1240)
Minamoto no Shitagō (911-983)	Monk Jakunen/Jakuzen (1118?-?)
The Mother of Lord Michitsuna (f) (935?-995)	Kojijū (f) (1121-1202)
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (921-991)	Hōribe no Narinaka (1099-1191)
Kiyowara no Motosuke (908-990)	Lord Fujiwara no Takanobu (1142-1205)
Minamoto no Shigeyuki (?-1000?)	Monk Jakuren (1139?-1202?)
Kō no naishi [Takashina no Takako (Kishi) 高階 貴子] (?-996) (f)	Sanuki (f) (1141?-1217?)[iii]
Former Emperor Kazan (968-1008; r. 984-986)	The Later Tokudaiji Minister of the Left [Tokudaiji Sanesada 徳大寺 実定] (1139-1192)
Monk Egyō (dates unknown)	Fujiwara no Mototoshi (1060-1142)
Sone no Yoshitada (dates unknown	Former Middle Counsellor [Ōe no] Masafusa (1041-1111)
Minamoto no Michinari (?-1019)	[Fujiwara no] Kinhira Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division (1158?-1193)
Fujiwara no Nagayoshi/Nagatō (949-1009)	Minister of the Treasury [Fujiwara no] Ari’ie (1155-1216)
Lord Fujiwara no Sanekata (958-998)	Taikenmon’in Horikawa (f) (dates unknown)
Lord Fujiwara no Michinobu (972-994)	Major Archbishop Gyōson (1055/57-1135)
Minister of Central Affairs, Prince Tomohira (964-1009)	A Fool’s Composition [Gotoba] (1180-1239; r. 1183-1198)
Uma no naishi (f) (949-1011)	Supernumerary Middle Counsellor [Minamoto no] Morotoki (1077-1136)
Akazome Emon (f) (active 976-1041)	Inpumon’in no Taiyu (dates uknown; active 1130-1200) (f)
Izumi Shikbu (f) (976?-?)	Kunaikyō (f) (dates unknown)

See here for a list of the poets names and titles in romanised transcription and Japanese script.

Go to the contest’s poems here.

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[i] This poet has a range of sobriquets, although she is most commonly known as Tango, in service to former Empress Taeko (Gishūmon’in no tango宜秋門院丹後), as she was a lady-in-waiting to Kujō Taeko (Ninshi) 九条任子 (1173-1239), known posthumously as Gishūmon’in 宜秋門院, who was empress to Emperor Gotoba. Tango’s other sobriets are Tango in service to the Regent’s Household (Sesshō-ke no tango 摂政家丹後), Tango-shōjō 丹後少将 and the Nun Tango (Tango zen’ni 丹後禅尼).

[ii] More commonly known as Kii, from the Residence of Imperial Princess Sukeko (Yūshi-naishinnōke no kii 祐子内親王家紀伊).     

[iii] More generally known as Sanuki from the Nijō Palace (Nijō’in no sanuki 二条院讃岐).