Bamboo
Left
つゆもおけとなびくものからたけのはのいろうつろへるあきもみぬかな
| tsuyu mo oke to nabiku mono kara take no ha no iro utsuroeru aki mo minu kana | ‘Fall, O, dewdrops!’, I say, then Weighed down The bamboo leaves’ Hues fading I’ll see not this autumn! |
18
Asters
Right
あきののにいろなきつゆはおきしかどわかむらさきに花はそみけり
| aki no no ni iro naki tsuyu wa okishikado wakamurasaki ni hana wa somikeri | Upon the autumn meadows Colourless dew Has fallen, yet With pale violet Have the blooms been dyed. |
18
ときのまもあきのいろをやをみなへしながきあだなにいはれはてなん
| toki no ma mo aki no iro o ya ominaeshi nagaki adana ni iwarehatenan | For such a brief time In her autumn hues is A maidenflower, and yet Ever is she faithless Said to be… |
39
あきのののくさをみなへししらぬみははなのなにこそおどろかれぬれ
| aki no no no kusa o mina heshi shiranu mi wa ana no na ni koso odorokarenure | Through all the autumn meadows’ Grasses have I passed, yet I know them not, so When I learned her name How surprised I was! |
40
をみなへしあきののをわけをりつればやどあれぬとてまつむしぞなく
| ominaeshi aki no no o wake oritsureba yado arenu tote matsumushi zo naku | O, maidenflower, Through the autumn meadows did I press To pick you, so My home has gone to ruin where The pine crickets sing. |
Yasuki
35
むしのねになきまどはせるをみなへしをればたもとにきりのこりゐる
| mushi no ne ni naki madowaseru ominaeshi oreba tamoto ni kiri nokori’iru | The insects’ cries With her sobs are confused, that Maidenflower, I pluck her, and within my sleeve Traces of the mists do linger. |
Amane
36
Left
はなすすきそよともすれば秋風の吹くかとぞきくひとり寝る夜は
| hanasusuki soyo tomo sureba akikaze no fuku ka to zo kiku hitori nuru yo wa | When the silver grass fronds Rustle all together, I wonder if ‘tis our autumn wind Blowing that I hear, Tonight, as I sleep alone… |
104[1]
Right
音にきく花見にくれば秋の野のみちさまだけにたちわたりつつ
| oto ni kiku hana mi ni kureba aki no no no michisamadake ni tachiwataritsutsu | I have heard of These blooms I have come to see, so The autumn meadows Blocking my way Will I ever rise to cross… |
105
[1] Gosenshū VII: 353
Left
秋のよのあまてる月の光にはおく白露を玉とこそ見れ
| aki no yo no ama teru tsuki no hikari ni wa oku shiratsuyu o tama to koso mire | On an autumn night The heaven-shining moon’s Light upon The fallen silver dewdrops Truly, makes them seem as jewels. |
98[1]
Right
あきののにおける露をばひとりぬる我が涙とも思ひしれかし
| aki no no ni okeru tsuyu oba hitori nuru wa ga namida to mo omoishire kashi | Upon the autumn fields Drop dewdrops; Sleeping alone, My tears— Think on them, why don’t you! |
99
[1] Shinchokusenshū V: 281/Shinsen man’yōshū 95
Left
白露に風のふきしく秋の野はつらぬきとめぬ玉ぞちりける
| shiratsuyu ni kaze no fukishiku aki no no wa tsuranukitomenu tama zo chirikeru | Silver dewdrops are Blown by the wind Across the autumn meadows; No longer threaded, The jewels are scattered. |
90
Right
いつのまに秋穂たるらむ草と見しほどいくかともへだたらなくに
| itsu no ma ni akiho taruramu kusa to mishi hodo ikuka to mo hedataranaku ni | In an instant The autumn ears seem to droop down; Though as grasses they looked With no more than a few short days Standing in between… |
91
Left
あきの野の草のたもとか花薄ほに出でてまねく袖とみゆらん
| aki no no no kusa no tamoto ka hanasusuki ho ni idete maneku sode to miyuran | In the autumn meadows Are the grasses cuffs Fronds of silver grass? The emerging ears beckoning Sleeves do appear to be, I feel. |
Ariwara no Muneyana
86
Right
山の井は水なきごとぞみえわたる秋の紅葉のちりてかくせば
| yama no i wa mizu naki goto zo miewataru aki no momiji no chirite kakuseba | The mountain wells Lack water, every one: for Gazing across With autumn scarlet scattered Leaves they are concealed… |
Okikaze
87
Left
我のみやあはれとおもはむきりぎりす鳴く夕かげのやまとなでしこ
| ware nomi ya aware to omowan kirigirisu naku yūkage no yamato nadeshiko | Is it only I Who loves it so? Crickets Chirping in the evening shadows On the wild pinks. |
Sosei
80[1]
Right
秋の野の草はいととはみえなくにおく白露の玉とつらなる
| aki no no no kusa wa ito to wa mienaku ni oku shiratsuyu no tama to tsuranaru | In the autumn meadows The grasses, threads Do not appear to be, yet The fallen silver dewdrop Gems are strung upon them. |
Tsurayuki
81
[1] Kokinshū IV: 244
Left (Win).
とけて寢ぬ夢路も霜に結ぼゝれ先知る物は片敷きの袖
| tokete nenu yumeji mo shimo ni musubōre mazu shiru mono wa katashiki no sode |
Falling into sleep Even my dreams are with frost Filled, and First to know it are My lonely sleeves… |
461
Right.
秋の野の千草の色も枯れあへぬに露置きこむる夜半の初霜
| aki no no no chigusa no iro mo kare’aenu ni tsuyu okikomuru yowa no hatsujimo |
The autumn fields Myriad hues Cannot be completely covered When drenched with dew, First frost at midnight. |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
462
The Right state that the Left’s poem is ‘difficult to understand completely’ [tashikani kokoroegatashi]. The Left find no fault with the Right’s poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘even my dreams are with frost’ (yumeji mo shimo ni) sounds pleasant [yoroshiku kikoehaberu]. The Right’s ‘drenched with dew’ (tsuyu okikomuru) is elegant in configuration [sugata wa yū ni kikoehaberu], but it is unclear: is it dew turned to frost being drenched by dew? The Left must win.