Tag Archives: cathay robe

Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta’awase 55

Left

唐ころもほせど袂の露けきは我が身の秋になればなりけり

karakoromo
hosedo tamoto no
tsuyukeki wa
wa ga mi no aki ni
nareba narikeri
My Cathay robe
I dry, and yet the sleeves
Dew dampness is because
For me autumn
Has come.

108[1]

Right

秋の露色のことごとおけばこそ山も紅葉も千くさなるらめ

aki no tsuyu
iro no kotogoto
okeba koso
yama mo momiji mo
chigusa narurame
The autumn dewdrops
In a medley of colours
Do truly fall, so
The mountains and the autumn leaves, too,
Turn a multitude of hues.

109


[1] Shinchokusenshū V: 298

San’i minamoto no hirotsune ason uta’awase 15

Fulling cloth late at night (深夜擣衣)

Left

わぎもこがうつ唐衣さよふけてほのかにきこゆいづこなるらん

wagimoko ga
utsu karakoromo
sayo fukete
honoka ni kikoyu
izuko naruran
My darling girl
Is fulling my Cathay robe;
As brief night breaks
Faintly I hear
The echoes from somewhere.

Ki no Sukezane
29

Right

手もたゆく成りやゆくらんさ夜ふかみ衣しでうつ音ののどけさ

ta mo tayuku
nari ya yukuran
sayo fukami
koromo shideutsu
oto no nodokesa
Is it that her hands so weary
Have become?
Late on a brief night
Fulling clothing—
How faint that sound…

Taira no Sadamoto
30

Love IX: 22

Left (Tie)
恋そめし思ひの妻の色ぞそれ見にしむ春の花の衣手

koisomeshi
omoi no tsuma no
iro zo sore
mi ni shimu haru no
hana no koromode
The first flush of love’s
Scarlet passion for her:
A hue that
Stains the flesh, as spring’s
Blossoms do the sleeves…

Lord Sada’ie
1123

Right
飽かざりしそのうつり香は唐衣恋をすすむる妻にぞ有りける

akazarishi
sono utsurika wa
karakoromo
koi o susumuru
tsuma ni zo arikeru
I cannot get enough of
Her scent transferred to
My Cathay robe:
Love for her begins
With a skirt!

The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1124

The Right state: both the conception and diction of the Left’s poem are unclear. The Left state: the Right’s poem, in addition to being commonplace, has ‘begins’ (susumuru) which is unimpressive.

In judgement: in the Left’s poem, while ‘blossoms do the sleeves’ (hana no koromode) is evocative, ‘a hue that’ (iro zo sore) is certainly extremely difficult to understand. In the Right’s poem, both ‘Cathay robe’ (karakoromo) and ‘with a skirt’ (tsuma ni zo arikeru) seem elegant, but I wonder about the impression of ‘her scent transferred’ (sono utsurika) and ‘begins’. It is unclear which poem is superior or inferior, so the round should tie.