Summer
Left
夏くればかみにあふひの草つみてかざしにいのるひとにばかりぞ
natsu kureba kami ni aoi no kusa tsumite kazashi ni inoru hito ni bakari zo When the summer comes
7
夏草も茂りにければ駿河なる田子のうらなへ今やひくらん
natsu kusa mo shigerinikereba suruga naru tago no ura nae ima ya hikuran The summer grasses, too,
8
夏虫のやどるにまつは色ならで春秋空にうつろひやする
natsumushi no yadoru ni matsu wa iro narade haru aki sora ni utsuroi ya suru The summer insects
9
Right
卯花の咲く夏の夜はやみなれどかきねにやどる月かとぞみる
u no hana no saku natsu no yo wa yami naredo kakine ni yadoru tsuki ka to zo miru The deutzia flowers
10
五月きぬことかたらはむほととぎす君にあふちの花も咲きけり
satsuki kinu koto katarawamu hototogisu kimi ni auchi no hana mo sakikeri That the Fifth Month has come
11
空蝉のからにはあらで置く露の身をあらたむる心なるべし
utsusemi no kara ni wa arade oku tsuyu no mi o aratamuru kokoro narubeshi A cicada’s shed
12
A profusion of deutzia flowers in full bloom
Left
白妙に卯花さけるかきねをばつもりし雪とおもひけるかな
shirotae ni u no hana sakeru kakine o ba tsumorishi yuki to omoikeru kana A spread of white mulberry cloth,
Minamoto no Narikata
Right
みわたせばたかねののべのうつぎ原みな白妙にさきにけるかな
miwatseba takane no nobe no utsugiwara mina shirotae ni sakinikeru kana When I gaze across
Ōe no Fumi’ichi
Ancient Estates 故郷
たが宿としらねどかなしふる郷のほどはかきねに見えしわたれば
ta ga yado to Whose lodging this is
Toshiyori
妹が家路みち黄昏になる時は垣根の花を訪ねてぞ行く
imo ga iFedi
The way to my darling’s house is
逢坂の道に垣ほは越えながらまだ許されぬ下紐の関
aFusaka no
On Meeting Hill’s
Fujiwara no Moroji (913-970)
Left.
夏草のもとも拂はぬ故郷に露よりうへを風通ふなり
natsu kusa no
The summer grasses
A Servant Girl .
203
Right (Win).
夏草のなかを露けみ分くる野はわが故郷の垣根なりけり
natsu kusa no
Within the summer grasses
Nobusada .
204
The Right team query, ‘How is it that the wind can pass “over the fallen dewdrops” (tsuyu yori ue o )?’ The Left content themselves with saying that the Right’s poem is ‘difficult to grasp’.
Shunzei, though, remarks, ‘The Left’s “over the fallen dewdrops” is a wonderfully charming expression. It is the initial “are yet uncut” (moto mo harawanu ) which is extremely difficult to understand. The Right’s configuration and diction seem particularly fine [sugata kotoba yoroshiku koso haberumere ], though, so it is, just, the winner.’
同じくは桐の落葉も降りしけな拂ふ人なき秋のまがきに
onajiku wa
All is the same:
Topic unknown.
うの花のさきぬるときはしろたへのなみもてゆへるかきねとぞみる
u no hana no
The deutzia
Senior Assistant Governor General of the Dazaifu [Fujiwara no] Shige’ie (1128-1180)
Composed when feeling that it was the end of the Fourth Month.
うの花のむらむらさけるかきねをば雲まの月のかげかとぞみる
u no hana no
The deutzia
Emperor Shirakawa (1053-1129) (r. 1072-1086)
'Simply moving and elegant'