From the Courtiers’ Record
On the 30th day of the Third Month, Tentoku 4, there was a poetry match for court ladies. Preparations for the event began earlier the same month, starting with assigning participants to the Left and Right on paper. Imperial concubines were designated to lead the teams, while Assistant Handmaids, Attendants, Palace Ladies and Chamberlains were participants. On the 19th of the same month, retainers were designated to support the participants. The Head Chamberlain, Lord Koretada, drafted the rosters of particpants in His Majesty’s presence. Early in the morning on the day of the event, minor functionaries from the Chamberlain’s Office attended to arrange the imperial garments. New blinds were hung all along the western aisle, while those from the Hall of Longevity were stored. His Majesty’s throne, taken from the Imperial Refectory, was set up in the fifth bay in the connecting corridor. His Majesty’s curtain of state was placed to the south, while tables containing ornaments were set up around the throne. Blinds were lowered over the southern four bays for the court ladies of the Left and over the two northern bays for those of the Right. Three green-bordered mats were laid out to the north and south of His Majesty’s seat in the corridor for the senior nobles. Long mats were spread from the eastern veranda of the Hall of Later Cool to the north and south of the corridor for retainers of the Left and Right. A further three mats were placed in the northern and southern courtyards for the court musicians who had been summoned, arranged in order of precedence.
At the latter half of the Hour of the Monkey, His Majesty entered and called for the poems of the Left and Right. Retainers of the Right carried in two dioramas, one with the poems upon it and the other with tally markers, entering from the western side of the Imperial Bathhouse to present them to His Majesty. First, a pagegirl laid a mat of light blue patterned brocade upon the ground before the railing at the north-west corner of His Majesty’s seating area and then withdrew. A further four pagegirls, dressed in blue-green layered robes, then carried in the diorama and placed it on the mat. The diorama was made of gold-inlayed agarwood, with its support inlayed with silver. The cover over this was made of patterned silk, embroidered with willow branches. Each corner of the display had willow branches of gold and silver as well. The legs were bound with tassels and cords, making it truly extraordinary. The detail inside the diorama was exquisite: figures, birds, beasts, streams, trees and were all sculpted out of precious materials such as gold, silver and agarwood.
The poems for presentation were written in fine script on strips of paper: poems about blossom were fastened to miniature branches; poems about birds were placed into the beaks of crafted birds. These matched the topics of spring haze, late spring and early summer and yearning for love. Some poems were handwritten by the poets of the Right and were presented on miniature fishing boats.
Next, Fujiwara no Sanemasa, a minor attendant, took up one of the gold and silver branches of blossoming willow and took a seat below the steps to act as tally-boy. A further two minor attendants, Fujiwara no Sane’aki and Miyoshi no Okimitsu, all three dressed in blue-green layered robes, placed the tally diorama before Sanemasa.
Shortly afterwards, the Left entered from the direction of the Courtiers’ Hall. A pagegirl first laid a mat of violet patterned silk at the south-west corner of His Majesty’s throne, matching the Right’s procedures. Next, four pagegirls brought out the Left’s diorama, which was in general similar to that of the Right, and placed it on the mat. The stand was made of rosewood, with the support beneath sappanwood-red and covered with a cloth of the same colour, patterned in both pale and dark hues, embroidered with calligraphy and wisteria sprays—the plants were clear and not bound to the legs. The display was of a silver crane and a spray of eightfold kerria made of gold and leaves of greenish silver; a poem was written on each main leaf. Pageboys Fujiwara no Nobuyori and Ki no Nobukata, all wearing garments of white laid over red, received the tally tray on the paving below the steps and placed it in the scoring area.
Next, courtiers and senior nobles entered following His Majesty’s summons: the Minister of the Left, Lord Minamoto the Major Counsellor, Lord Fujiwara the Major Captain of the Right, Lord Masanobu, Lord Asanari and others—all seated themselves on the northern and southern sides with the assistance of sixth rank officials. At this point, Lord Nobubitsu for the Left and Lord Hiromasa for the Right were summoned to recite the poems. Lord Nobumitsu held a branch of blossom in his hand and chanted with great elegance. During his recitation, Lord Hiromasa mistook the poems’ order arousing the deep resentment of the participants for his error. The old saying is apt, isn’t it? ‘A flaw in white jade can be polished away, but a slip of the tongue cannot be undone!’—something that applied precisely to this situation. The hours passed as the judging was conducted, while wine cups circulated constantly. The Left won the day’s event. Delicacies and appetisers were provided by the Imperial Pantry and presented by Lord Shigenobu.
Following custom, court musicians were then summoned, taking their places to the left and right beneath the steps. The victorious Left opened the performance, playing on the mouth organ and flute. His Majesty had determined the melodies to be played in advance, including tunes in the Mixolydian and Dorian modes, as well as folk tunes. For the Left: the Minister played the zither and Lord Asanari the mouth organ, while the participants and musicians all performed according to their skills below the steps. For the Right: the Minamoto Major Counsellor played the lute while Lord Masanobu kept time and other musicians, including Shigehira, Kiyoyuku and Kin’kata—both of the Fujiwara—and Urabe no Katanari performed in the courtyard. Songs were sung in turns with strings, woodwinds and zithers blending harmoniously. Retainers whispered amongst themselves, ‘Whenever His Majesty finds leisure from affairs of states, he commands musical performances, but never has there been one to reach the heights of tonight.’ The court grew thoroughly intoxicated and the revelry knew no bounds.
The Minister of the Left was presented with a set of summer garments: a blue outer robe, a red under-robe, and undergarments, including both over-trousers and wide-mouthed trousers.[vi] There were gifts for all according to rank from the Major Counsellor down: he received a white long robe; the Consultants a set of layered long robes. There were no arguments from those of the Fourth and Fifth Ranks—the courtiers and retainers had white silk tucked into their waistbands, while the Sixth Rank minor officials received red silk. As the eastern sky lightened, His Majesty withdrew into the palace, while the assembled nobles from the minister on down sang and danced as they departed.