Tag Archives: breakers

Uhyōe shōjō sadafumi uta’awase 4

Scarlet lotus flowers floating on marsh water (緑沼紅蓮浮)

Left (Win)

みどりぬにうきたるはちすくれなゐにみづにごるなり波たつなゆめ

midorinu ni
ukitaru hatisu
kurenawi ni
midu nigorunari
nami tatu na yume
Upon the green marsh
Floats a lotus
Its scarlet
Stains the waters –
O, rise not, you waves!

6

Right

紅のはちすうきたるみどりぬにしら波たてばこきまぜの花

kurenawi no
Fatisu ukitaru
midorinu ni
siranami tateba
kokimaze no Fana
Scarlet,
The lotus floats upon
The green marsh, but
When the whitecaps rise
All jumbled will the flowers be…

7[1]


[1]These poems are included in Fubokushō (XXIV: 11386) and (XXIV: 11387).

Love VII: 8

Left (Tie).
わたの原沖つ潮風に立つ浪の寄り來やかかる汀なりとも

wata no hara
oki tsu nami ni
tatsu nami no
yoriko ya kakaru
migiwa naritomo
Across the broad sea sweep,
The waves from the offing,
The breakers:
So I would have you come to me,
Though I be such a shore…

Lord Ari’ie.
975

Right.
わたの原深き契りや渚なるかたし貝ともなりにける哉

wata no hara
fukaki ya chigiri
nagisa naru
katashigai tomo
narinikeru kana
The broad sea sweep’s
Depths: did our vow match them?
Upon the beach lie
Single seashells:
That is what we have become!

Lord Tsune’ie.
976

The Right state: we are unable to appreciate the Left’s poem. The Left state: as are we the Right’s poem.

In judgement: the Left’s poem would seem to be an improved example of a poem in the style of the previous round. That being said, the waves wouldn’t not come, would they? And, what is the point in addressing them so? The Right’s poem has an extremely flippant final section. The poems are comparable and should tie.

Love I: 14

Left (Win).

聞わたる契りも深き縁あらば末も絶せじ中河の水

kikiwataru
chigiri mo fukaki
enishi araba
sue mo taeseji
nakagawa no mizu
Word reaches me
Of a bond whose depth
Reaches the life before – should it be so
Then it will endure to the very end,
As do the waters of the Naka River!

Kenshō.

627

Right.

見るめなき磯間隱れに寄る浪の音ばかりにも袖濡らせとや

mirume naki
isoma gakure ni
yoru nami no
oto bakari ni mo
sode nurase to ya
No algae grows
Hidden on this rocky shore
Where the breakers fall;
Is it their sound alone
That tells me to soak my sleeves?

Ietaka.

628

The Gentlemen of both Left and Right state: the other team’s poem lacks thought.

Shunzei’s judgement: Both are most poetic examples of examples of verses using the imagery of waves and waters, and there appears to be very little pointless space between them, but rather than being told to ‘soak one’s sleeves’ with no sight of the lady, the ‘deep bond’ of the ‘waters of the Naka River’ seems superior.