Tag Archives: blossom

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 06

Original

うぐひすのなきつるなへにかすがののけふのみゆきをはなとこそみれ

uguisu no
nakitsuru nae ni
kasugano no
kyō no miyuki o
hana to koso mire
While the warbler
Sings on
Kasuga Plain
Today, accompanying the progress, snow
As blossom does appear.[1]

16

Left (Win)

いまはしもはなとぞいはむかすがののはるのみゆきをなにとかは見む

ima wa shimo
hana to zo iwamu
kasugano no
haru no miyuki o
nani to ka wa mimu
Now, of all,
The blossom, I would describe,
On Kasuga Plain, as
Springtime progress snow—
What else can I say?

17

Right

ふるさとにゆきまじりたるはなと見ばわれにおくるなのべのうぐひす

furusato ni
yukimajiritaru
hana to miba
ware ni okuru na
nobe no uguisu
Around the ancient capital
Have I gone amidst the snow—
If as blossom I did see it, then,
O, don’t send me off,
Warbler upon the plain!

18


[1] SIS 1044 attributed to Fujiwara no Tadafusa ‘Headnote ‘Among the many poems presented by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber visited Kasuga.’

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 04

Original

ちはやぶるかすがのはらにこきまぜてはなともみゆるかみのきねかな

chihayaburu
kasuga no hara ni
kokimazete
hana tomo miyuru
kami no kine kana
On mighty
Kasuga plain
All blend together
Blossom seen with
The God’s servitors!

Mitsune
10

Left (Win)

かすがののはなとはまたも見えぬべしいまこむはるのかざしがてらに

kasugano no
hana to wa mata mo
mienubeshi
ima komu haru no
kazashigatera ni
Kasuga Plain’s
Blossom once more
Could be seen,
In the spring now lying ahead,
As a garland in its hair…

11

Right

はるがすみたちまじりつつゆくからにあだにもはなとみえにけるかな

harugasumi
tachimajiritsutsu
yuku kara ni
ada ni mo hana to
mienikeru kana
Amidst the haze of spring
Standing
Have we come, so
It might be untrue, but as blossom
Do we seem!

12

The Lady of the Right on this occasion mistook the word ‘plain’ in the original poem and wrote down ‘meadow’ instead. This was challenged by the Lady of the Left, saying, ‘That’s what we heard. When someone composes at variance with the conception of the topic, that’s a loss. Thus, the Lady of the Right loses.’

Tadafusa then said to His Majesty, ‘The character used to write “plain” can, in fact, also be used to write “field”. Even though the Right is inferior, it is still a fine poem, and so I would make this a tie.’

His Majesty responded, ‘The does not correspond to what has been said. You don’t seem to reached a logical conclusion.’

Tadafusa silently bowed his head, and after long while, eventually, said, ‘What the Lady of the Left has said is logical and appropriate.’

‘Well, then, judge again, based on this,’ His Majesty instructed, and the Lady of the Right lost, and was not permitted another composition.

Kyōgoku no miyasudokoro uta’awase 02

Original

さくらばなみかさのやまのかげしあればゆきとふるともぬれじとぞおもふ

sakurabana
mikasa no yama no
kage shi areba
yuki to furutomo
nureji to zo omou
When cherry blossom
Upon Mikasa mountain
Shows its shape,
Even should snow fall,
I’ll not get damp, I feel![1]

4

Left

このまよりはなのゆきのみちりくるはみかさのやまのもるにざるべき

ko no ma yori
hana no yuki nomi
chirikuru wa
mikasa no yama no
morunizarubeki
Between the trees
Simply a snow of blossom
Comes a’falling—
Mikasa mountain
Will certainly be covered![2]

5

Right (Win)

かすがのにゆきとふるてふはなみにぞみかさの山をさしてきにける

kasugano ni
yuki to furu chō
hanami ni zo
mikasa no yama o
sashite kinikeri
Upon Kasuga Plain,
Snow falls, they say—
Indeed, when viewing blossom
On Mikasa mountain, an umbrella
Raise up as you come!

6


[1] This is included in Shūishū (XVI: 1056) as an anonymous poem under the heading ‘Topic unknown’.

[2] This poem is included in Shinsenzaishū (II: 152), as an anonymous poem with the headnote: ‘Composed in reply to “When cherry blossom / Upon Mikasa mountain / Shows its shape, / Even should snow fall, / I’ll not get damp, I feel!”, which was among twenty-one poems by provincial officials, when the Kyōgoku Lady of the Bedchamber went to Kasuga.’

Daikōtaigōgū daijin kiyosuke-ason ke uta’awase 23

Round Twenty-Three

Left (Win)

雪ふかみしづのふせ屋もうづもれて煙ばかりぞしるしなりける

yuki fukami
shizu no fuseya mo
uzumorete
keburi bakari zo
shirushi narikeru
Snow so deep that
The peasants’ huts, too,
Are buried, and
The smoke, alone, is
Their only sign!

Kinshige
45

Right

花の春もみぢの秋もしるかりし松の木ずゑもみえぬ白雪

hana no haru
momiji no aki mo
shirukarishi
matsu no kozue mo
mienu shirayuki
By blossom is spring, and
By scarlet leaves is autumn
Known—
The treetops of the pines
Invisible with snow, so white.

Kūnin
46

The Left poem’s conception of ‘sign of smoke’ sounds particularly profound. As for the Right, it is possible for enough snow to fall to conceal a pine’s lower leaves, too, so the poem does not sound satisfying.

Daikōtaigōgū daijin kiyosuke-ason ke uta’awase 22

Round Twenty-Two

Snow

Left (Win)

霜がれのまがきの中に雪ふれば菊より後の花もありけり

shimogare no
magaki no naka ni
yuki fureba
kiku yori nochi no
hana mo arikeri
When, burned by frost,
Within my lattice fence
There is a fall of snow,
After the chrysanthemums,
There are flowers, even so.

Suketaka
43

Right

花さけば雪かとみせて雪ふれば花かとみするみよしのの山

hana sakeba
yuki ka to misete
yuki fureba
hana ka to misuru
miyoshino no yama
When the blossom blooms
I wonder if ‘tis snow, and
When the snow does fall
I wonder if ‘tis blossom
In the mountains of fair Yoshino.

Kūnin
44

Both are elegant, but even so the Right should lose.