Tag Archives: bush clover

Nishinomiya uta'awase

Nishinomiya uta’awase 10

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Round Ten

Left

秋はぎの下葉の露にあらねども消えぬばかりぞ人は恋しき

akihagi no
shitaba no tsuyu ni
aranedomo
kienu bakari zo
hito wa koishiki		Upon the autumn bush clover’s
Underleaves a dewdrop
I am not, yet
Simply will I fade away
So much do I love him!

Taiyu no Suke
19

Right

わすられて年ふる里の浅茅生に誰がためしける萩の錦ぞ

wasurarete
toshi furu sato no
asajū ni
ta ga tame shikeru
hagi no nishiki zo		All forgotten
Through the passing years, at my home
Among the tangled mugwort,
For whose sake is spread
The bush clover’s brocade?

The Daughter of His Excellency, the Head

20

I feel that the poem of the Left is conspicuously poetic, saying ‘Simply will I fade away / So much do I love him!’ while the poem of the Right’s ‘Through the passing years, at my home / Among the tangled mugwort, / For whose sake is spread / The bush clover’s brocade?’ makes me want to ask the bush clover the same question! The pull my heart in more than one direction, so here, too, I feel it’s not possible to decide on a winner or loser.

Nishinomiya uta'awase

Nishinomiya uta’awase 09

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Round Nine

Left

忍びねを我が袖のみと思ひしを劣らざりけり萩の下露

shinobine o
wa ga sode nomi to
omoishi o
otorazarikeri
hagi no shitazuyu		Secretly
Upon my sleeves, alone,
I thought, but
‘Twas not lesser than
The dewfall ‘neath the bush clover.

Minor Captain Kin’nori, Fourth Rank
17

Right

色かはる萩の下葉の露けさは我が身のうへと成りにけるかな

iro kawaru
hagi no shitaba no
tsuyukesa wa
wa ga mi no ue to
narinikeru kana		A change of hue
To the bush clover’s underleaves
Drenched with dew—
Upon my sorry self
Has it befallen, too!

Tadasue, Senior Assistant Minister of the Sovereign’s Household
18

The image of the droplets of secretly wept upon the poet’s sleeves not being less than those of the dewdrops beneath the bush clover appears extremely charming and moving. In addition, the pain expressed by one’s sorry self being as dew-drenched as the bush clover’s underleaves—this has left my own sleeves, both left and right, seeming as soaked with dewdrops from the bush clover.

Tsurayuki uta'awase

Tsurayuki uta’awase 09

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Love

Left

秋萩におく白露の消えかへり人をこひしとおもふころかな

akihagi ni
oku shiratsuyu no
kiekaeri
hito o koishi to
omou koro kana		In autumn upon the bush clover
Fall silver dewdrops,
Vanishing away, with
Her I loved—
My feelings in those days!

17[i]

Right

寒き夜はさごろも雁の声きけばかへすがへすぞ人はこひしき

samuki yo wa
sagoromo kari no
koe kikeba
kaesugaesu zo
hito wa koishiki		On a night so chill,
In a scanty robe, when the goose
Cries I hear,
Again and yet again
Do I long for her…

18

[i] This poem is included in Shinshūishū (XII: 1011), with the headnote, ‘From the poetry match at Tsurayuki’s house’. A variant of it also appears in some Mandaishū (XV: 2458) texts; in others the version provided is as in the contest: From the poetry match held when Tsuryuki was in Suo province. 秋萩におく白露の澄みかへり人をこひしとおもふころかな aki hagi ni / oku shiratsuyu no / sumikaeri / hito o koishi to / omou koro kana ‘In autumn upon the bush-clover / Fall silver dewdrops / Ever clear / Her I loved— / My feelings in those days’.

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 32

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Round Thirty-Two

Left (Tie)

上葉ふく朝の原の秋風におのれうつろふ萩の下露

uwaba fuku
ashita no hara no
akikaze ni
onore utsurou
hagi no shitazuyu		Blowing upon the upper leaves
Over Ashita Plain,
The autumn breeze touches,
Fading all of itself
The dripping dew upon the bush clover.

Tomoshige
63

Right

今よりはたが涙とか成りぬらん下葉色づく秋萩の露

ima yori wa
ta ga namida to ka
narinuran
shitaba irozuku
akihagi no tsuyu		From now on
Whose tears might
They become?
Colouring the underleaves
Are dewdrops upon the autumn bush clover…[1]

Dharma Master Zenshin
64

Left and Right are in the same style. The Right’s poem wonders ‘whose are these tears’ and has a person’s tears as the dew upon the grass, which is something one often hears. Using dew on the grass as a person’s tears is a bit vague, yet it’s not going so far as to be a definite fault. These should tie.

[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. あきはぎのしたば色づく今よりやひとりある人のいねがてにする akihagi no / shitaba irozuku / ima yori ya / hitori aru hito no / inegatenisuru ‘The autumn bush clover’s / Underleaves are colouring / From this point on, / For one all alone / Will sleep be harder to find?’ Anonymous (KKS IV: 220)

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 31

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Round Thirty-One

Left

露すがる庭の萩原色付きぬいかなる人の思ひそむらん

tsuyu sugaru
niwa no hagiwara
irozukinu
ika naru hito no
omoisomuran		All clung with dew,
The bush clover grove in the grounds
Has taken on such hues, that
I wonder who it is
Might have just fallen into passion’s flames?

Chikanari
61

Right (Win)

おく露は秋のならひの萩が枝にあまるや雁の涙なるらん

oku tsuyu wa
aki no narai no
hagi ga e ni
amaru ya kari no
namida naruran		Dewdrops falling is
Autumn’s custom for
The bush clover branches, but
Added to them are the goose
Tears, perhaps?[1]

Ie’kiyo
62

The Left’s poem has a person’s feelings being dyed by the bush-clover, but I cannot think why this should be?  The Right’s poem seems particularly pleasant. Thus, it wins.

[1] An allusive variation on: Composed on the occasion of a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house. 秋の夜のつゆをばつゆとおきながらかりの涙やのべをそむらむ aki no yo no / tsuyu oba tsuyu to / okinagara / kari no namida ya / nobe o somuran ‘On Autumn nights / The dew as dewdrops / Falls, but, / Perhaps goose tears / Stain the fields?’ Mibu no Tadamine (KKS V: 258)

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 28

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Round Twenty-Eight

Left

故郷の萩の下葉も色づきぬ露のみふかき秋のうらみに

furusato no
hagi no shitaba mo
irozukinu
tsuyu nomi fukaki
aki no urami ni		In this old, familiar place
The bush clover’s underleaves, too,
Have changed their hue—
Only the dew is deep
As autumn’s misery…[1]

Dōchin
55

Right (Win)

白露の玉ぬきみだる萩が枝に涙かずそふ秋の夕暮

shiratsuyu no
tama nukimidaru
hagi ga e ni
namida kazusou
aki no yūgure		Silver dewdrop
Pearls are strung in tangles on
The bush clover’s branches—
Innumerable tears added
On an autumn evening…

Dharma Master Nyokan
56

Left and Right both have a refined style, yet the Right has a better tone and sounds elegant. Thus, it wins.

[1] An allusive variation on: 比日之　暁露丹　吾屋前之　芽子乃下葉者　色付尓家里 kono koro no / akatoki tsuyu ni / wa ga yado no / hagi no shitaba wa / irozukinikeri ‘Around thus time near / Dawn, the dewfall on / My dwelling’s / Bush clover underleaves / Has changed their hue!’ Anonymous (MYS X: 2182)

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 27

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Round Twenty-Seven

Left (Tie)

高砂のすそ野の真萩露ふかし嶺の秋風ふかずもあらなむ

takasago no
susono no ma’hagi
tsuyu fukashi
mine no akikaze
fukazu mo aranamu		On Takasago’s
Slopes the fair bush clover is
Deep in dew—
O, that the autumn winds from the peak
Would fail to blow…

The Supernumerary Major Counsellor
53

Right

久かたの天とぶかりの涙さへおちてみだるる萩のうは露

hisakata no
ama tobu kari no
namida sae
ochite midaruru
hagi no uwazuyu		From the eternal
Heavens flying, even the goose
Tears
Drop in confusion
Overlaying the dew upon the bush clover.[1]

Nobunari
54

Both Left and Right seem particularly pleasant. Thus, they tie.

[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. なきわたるかりの涙やおちつらむ物思ふやどの萩のうへのつゆ nakiwataru / kari no namida ya / ochitsuran / mono’omou yado no / hagi no ue no tsuyu ‘Calling across / Did the geese let tears / Fall? / My dwelling, lost in thought, / Has dew upon the bush clover.’ Anonymous (KKS IV: 221)

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 26

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Round Twenty-Six

Left

秋萩の露もよすがのさがり葉も風吹きたつる色ぞ身にしむ

akihagi no
tsuyu mo yosuga no
sagariba mo
kaze fukitatsuru
iro zo mi ni shimu		On the autumn bush clover
Dewdrops rest upon
The dangling leaves,
Whipped up by the wind,
Their hues sharply sink into my flesh.

The Former Minister of the Centre
51

Right (Win)

さだめなき風を待つ間もうつろひぬもとあらの萩にむすぶ白露

sadamenaki
kaze o matsu ma mo
utsuroinu
motoara no hagi ni
musubu shiratsuyu		While the unsettled
Breeze they do await,
Faded from
The sparse bush clover have
The clinging dewdrops.[1]

Kozaishō
52

The Left poem’s ‘rest upon the dangling leaves, whipped up by the wind’ seems a novel style, and yet, even though everything about dangling leaves is contained in the Ancient and Modern, it does not sound particularly evocative. The Right lacks even a small fault and appears gorgeous, so it should win.

[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. 宮木野のもとあらの小萩つゆをおもみ風をまつごと君をこそまつ miyagino no / motoara no kohagi / tsuyu o omomi / kaze o matsu goto / kimi o koso matsu ‘On Miyagi Plain / The sparse bush clover / Weighed down with dewdrops / Awaits the wind, just as / I do wait for you…’ Anonymous (KKS XIV: 694)

Entō ōn'uta'awase

Entō ōn’uta’awase 25

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Round Twenty-Five

Dew on Bush Clover

Left

下葉には色なる玉やくだくらむ風の吹きしく萩の上の露

shitaba ni wa
iro naru tama ya
kudakuramu
kaze no fukishiku
hagi no ue no tsuyu		From the underleaves
Hues have the gemlets taken
In their shattering?
Spread by the gusting wind
Are the dewdrops on the bush clover…

A Court Lady
49

Right (Win)

又やみむ又や見ざらん白露の玉おきしける秋萩の花

mata ya mimu
mata ya mizaran
shiratsuyu no
tama okishikeru
akihagi no hana		Will I see again, or
Will I not
Silver dewdrop
Pearls spread upon
The autumn bush clover blooms?

Ietaka
50

The Left’s poem does not seem to have a particularly superlative style. The Right’s poem, saying ‘will I see again, or will I not silver dewdrops’ is particularly charming and moving. Thus, it wins.