Mandarin Ducks 鴛鴦
夜をさむみ岩波たかき山川につがはぬをしのすだくなるかな
yo o samumi iwanami takaki yamakawa ni tsugawanu oshi no sudakunaru kana | On chilly nights, when Waves break upon the boulders In the mountain rivers, The unmated mandarins do Gather and cry out! |
Nakazane
Left (Tie).
吉野河はやき流れを堰く岩のつれなき中に身を砕くらん
yoshinogawa
hayaki nagare o
seku iwa no
tsurenaki naka ni
mi o kudakuran |
The River Yoshino’s
Swift flow is
Dammed by boulders;
With the chilling of our bond
It seems my very self will shatter… |
A Servant Girl
995
Right.
ありとても逢はぬためしの名取川朽ちだにはてよ瀬せの埋れ木
ari tote mo
awanu tameshi no
natorigawa
kuchi dani hateyo
sese no mumoregi |
We live, yet
Cannot meet – our situation
A source of rumours; in the River Natori
Let all rot away with
The drowned trees in the rapids! |
Jakuren.
996
Both Left and Right together state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: both poems are extremely good. This is a tie of quality.
'Simply moving and elegant'