Left (Win).
行末の涙のほどぞ知られぬる今日濡れそむる袖の雫に
| yukusue no namida no hodo zo shirarenuru kyō nuresomuru sode no shizuku ni |
On the path of Tears ahead, the number to fall I know now, From today’s first soaked Dripping sleeves… |
603
Right.
聞きもせず聞かずしもなき君故に思ひ定めぬ戀もする哉
| kiki mo sezu kikazu shimo naki kimi yue ni omoisadamenu koi mo suru kana |
Hearing nothing, or Not unhearing Are you, so All uncertain am I Of my love… |
604
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we find no fault with the Left’s poem. The Gentlemen of the Left state: do you need ‘hearing nothing, or not unhearing’ (kiki mo sezu kikazu shimo naki) in the Right’s poem? And, if you are ‘all uncertain’, how can you feel love at all?
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘path ahead’ (yukusue) is not really saying enough. However, the Right’s conception and diction fail to convince [kokoro kotoba atokatanakarubeshi]. The Left should win.