Left (Tie).
むかしより君と神とに引分けてけふのあふひは二葉なりけり
| mukashi yori kimi to kami to ni hikiwakete kyō no aoi wa futaba narikeri |
Ever between My Lord and the God Has my loyalty been split; Thus the hollyhocks, today, Have leaves in pairs… |
207
Right (Tie).
昔よりいつきの宮に吹そめてけふは涼しき賀茂の河風
| mukashi yori itsuki no miya ni fukisomete kyō wa suzushiki kamo no kawakaze |
Long since upon The princess of purity Has it begun to blow; Today, so cool is The breeze from Kamo River… |
208
The Right have no particular comments to make about the Left’s poem, but the Left complain that the Right’s, ‘does not seem that clearly connected with the Kamo Festival. Moreover, “princess of purity” (itsuki no miya) properly refers to the Princess at Ise; the Kamo Princess should be “lady of purity” (itsuki no in), should it not?’
Shunzei states, ‘Both Left and Right this round begin with a reference to the past (mukashi yori) and then continue with “my Lord and the God” (kimi to kami ni) and “the priestess of purity has it begun to blow” (itsuki no miya ni fukisomete) respectively; both are charming in form and spirit, but the gentlemen of the Left have criticised the failure to use “lady” (in). In poetry, though, how could we to use this word? Both the priestess at Ise and the priestess at Kamo are Imperial Princesses. Why, therefore, is it problematic to use the expression? Furthermore, Lord Sanekata composed a poem with the line, “Sleeping on my way to the princess of purity” (itsuki no miya no tabine ni wa), and at the Unrin Temple, in the Tale by the old man, Yotsugi, in praise of Princess Senshi it says, “although there were many princesses of purity in the world…”. This round must tie.’