Round Five

Left

ほととぎすはなたちばなにやどるともなのらざりせばいかでしらまし

hototogisu hanatachibana ni yadoru to mo nanorazariseba ikade shiramashi

The cuckoo Among the orange blossom May make his lodging, but If he fails to announce himself How would one ever know?

Controller’s Graduate
23

Right

さよなかにみふねの山のほととぎすほのかになきてすぎぬなるかな

sayo naka ni mifune no yama no hototogisu honoka ni nakite suginu naru kana

In the midst of a night so brief Upon Mifune Mountain, A cuckoo, Faintly crying, Has passed his time!

Kerin’in Graduate
24

It is entirely impossible to decide between these two poems.

Neither of these poems is particularly bad. The Left flows smoothly and is elegant; the Right starts with ‘Mifune Mountain’ and then continues with ‘faintly’, which certainly does not lack skill. Thus, I would say that these should tie, although this will doubtless be a source of some dissatisfaction to the writer of the Right.