From the Diary of Emperor Murakami
On the 30th day of the Third Month, Tentoku 4, younger brother earth-snake, a poetry match for court ladies took place. In the autumn of the previous year, in the Eighth Month, a Sinitic Poetry Match had been held for courtiers and retainers. At that time, the Palace Ladies and Handmaids had said to each other that since the men had held a match of Sinitic poetry, the women should hold a match of Yamato poems. Thus, in the Second Month of this year, the members of the Left and Right were determined. Among them, Imperial Concubines Shūshi and Yūjo, both of the Fujiwara, were appointed leaders of the teams. Each team was instructed to composed poems for the event. I did this out of concern that the way of elegance and poetry might foolishly be neglected and fall into disuse and, therefore, record the details of the match in full, lest future generations, lacking understanding of my intent, might denigrate this event as merely an exercise in frivolous luxury and the seeking of my favour.
For the event, the northern shutters of the connecting corridor between the Halls of Cool Purity and Later Cool were temporarily removed. Seating for the senior nobles was positioned in that same corridor. Seating mats for the Left and Right teams were laid out on the eastern veranda of the Hall of Later Cool with the Left to the south and Right to the north. The court ladies likewise divided themselves and were positioned behind the blinds of the western aisle of the Hall of Cool Purity. My throne was set up in the fifth bay of the central aisle, where I was attended by court ladies—during this time the blinds were raised.
At around the Hour of the Monkey everyone took their seats. After a considerable delay, the Right entered from the north and presented their diorama. This was fashioned from agarwood, with legs carved into the shapes of flowers. Upon the agarwood stand was laid a brocade cover, embroidered with willows, birds and blossom, with the whole placed on a mat of patterned silk. Four pagegirls to the Imperial Concubines brought it before me into the corridor, while the diorama containing the tally markers was placed in the small northern courtyard before the round straw mats for the attendants.
Shortly afterwards, the Left passed before the servants’ office to the south and presented their diorama. This was made of rosewood and likewise had legs the shape of flowers. The tray was sappanwood red and covered with brocade embroidered with flowers in the style of reed-script; it was placed on a purple patterned silk mat. As with the Right, six pagegirls to the Imperial Concubines brought it out, while the tally-tray was placed in the southern courtyard before the attendants’ mats there. At first the pagegirls placed the trays incorrectly but later repositioned them.
I issued a command for the senior nobles to present themselves. Immediately, Major Counsellor Minamoto no ason Taka’akira, Major Captain of the Right Fujiwara no ason Morotada and the Consultants, Lord Masanobu and Lord Asanari entered and took their seats. Next, the retainers serving as members of each team took their seats. By this time the sun had already set and it had grown dark, so torches were lit in the northern and southern courtyards.
I summoned the official reciters: for the Left, Captain of the Outer Palace Guards, Left Division, Lord Nobumitsu; and for the Right, Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Lord Hiromasa. They positioned themselves before the two dioramas to recite the poems.
For the Left, a branch of kerria had been made out of gold, with the poems engraved upon its leaves; they were also written on poem-slips. Minor Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division, Lord Koretada and Minor Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, Right Division, Lord Sukenobu held torches to illuminate these. Junior pageboys sat in the courtyards to handle the tallies.
I ordered the Minister of the Left to act as judge.
During the event food and wine were served to both the senior nobles and the participants.
In the course of the match, a dispute arose between the Left and Right over Round Two, the bush warbler poems, when the Right mistakenly recited a willow poem out of sequence. Following precedent, I instructed that this should be a loss.
In total, twenty rounds of poems were recited, with the Left winning nine.
Once the poetry recitation was finished, I summoned musicians from the Music Office. They positioned themselves in both the northern and southern courtyards and played melodies in turn. The Minister played the zither, while Major Counsellor Minamoto no ason Taka’akira played the lute. Meanwhile, wine cups circulated constantly, and music and song never ceased. The Minister, rising from his seat, presented a formal toast to me.
As dawn broke, I had imperial gifts distributed to all, from the Minister down, in order of rank. The Minister and the Consultants each received a set of white unlined robes and bolts of silk; the Major Counsellor received a single set of lily-white robes.
At daybreak, I rose and withdrew into the palace, while the retainers also departed. Frost fell with the dawn, and my close attendants remarked how out-of-keeping with the season this was.
On the 3rd day of the Fourth Month at the Hour of the Sheep, in the Hall of Flying Fragraces, a diorama from the match was gifted to Her Majesty, the Empress. A short time later, at the beginning of the next hour, I had the diorama of the Left presented to Imperial Princess Masako.