Tag Archives: crags

Nishinomiya uta'awase

Nishinomiya uta’awase 07

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Insect and Evenings

Round Seven

Left

はふりこがしめゆふ野べの鈴虫は夕つけてこそふりたててなけ

hōriko ga
shimeyū nobe no
suzumushi wa
yū tsukete koso
furitatete nake		The priests have
Garlanded the meadows where
The bell crickets
With the fall of evening
Sing out so loud.

Major Archbishop
13

Right

神がきのいはねにさせる榊葉にゆふかけてなく鈴虫のこゑ

kamigaki no
iwane ni saseru
sakakiba ni
yū kakete naku
suzumushi no koe		Within the sacred precincts
At the crags’ foot thrust
Are leaves from the sacred tree
To the garlands clinging, as crying
Come the bell crickets’ songs.

Tadasue, Senior Assistant Minister of the Sovereign’s Household
14

I would say that both of these, Left and Right, are of the same quality in terms of diction and configuration.

Eien narabō uta'awase

Eien narabō uta’awase 32

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Round Four

Left

うちむれていはねにねざすこまつばのきぎのちとせはきみぞかぞへむ

uchimurete
iwane ni nezasu
komatsuba no
kigi no chitose wa
kimi zo kazoemu		Crowding
At the crags’ foot, roots stretching,
The dwarf pines’ needles with
The trees’ thousand years—
My Lord may count them all!

Cell of the Fragrant Elephant
63

Right (Win)

たとふべきものこそなけれ君がよははまのまさごもかずなからめや

tatoubeki
mono koso nakere
kimi ga yo wa
hama no masago mo
kazu nakarame ya		A suitable metaphor
Is there none, at all!
My Lord’s reign:
Even the fair sands on the shore
Would not exceed its number…

Cell of Everlasting Truth
64

Both of the Left poem’s expressions, ‘crowding’ and ‘dwarf pines’ needles’, seem to sound awkward. ‘Crowding’ is used of cranes, while it would have been preferable to say ‘the needles of the dwarf pines’. The poem of the Right is not especially charming, but it is in a familiar style, so I feel that ‘the fair sands’ number’ is superior.

I feel that ‘crowding’ is better applied to human beings. Perhaps there’s a conception here of looking down on each and every one? This is a mistake, isn’t it? In addition, what is ‘dwarf pines’ needles’? Maybe the poet is trying to say ‘the needles of the dwarf pines’? Is there a prior poem as precedent? It’s a piece of awkward-sounding diction! The Right’s poem appears straightforward, but without errors.

Naidaijin-ke uta’awase gen’ei gan-nen jūgatsu futsuka

Naidaijin-ke uta’awase 23

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Round Eleven

Left (Both Judges – Tie)

こけのむす岩ねに残る八重ぎくはや千代さくとも君ぞみるべき

koke no musu
iwane ni nokoru
yaegiku wa
yachiyo saku tomo
kimi zo mirubeki		Choked with moss are
The crags where linger
Eightfold chrysanthemums:
E’en were they eight thousand ages a’bloom
My Lord would have beheld them, no doubt!

Lady Shinano
45

Right

霜がれに我ひとりとや白菊の色をかへても人にみすらん

shimogare ni
ware hitori to ya
shiragiku no
iro o kaetemo
hito ni misuran		‘Burned by frost
‘Tis me alone!’ thinks
A white chrysanthemum,
Changing hue
To show to folk, for sure.

Lord Tokimasa
46

Toshiyori states: I wonder if there is a poem as precedent for chrysanthemums lingering beneath moss-covered crags? If not, it’s a very crude expression. The ending of the poem is antiquated, too. As for the second poem ‘“Tis me alone!” thinks’ does not sound satisfactory. The assembled company settled the matter of the final ‘folk’, so I must make this a tie.

Mototoshi states: whether they are placed by a brushwood fence, or at the base of a crag, chrysanthemums feel like pines. As for the Right, having a chrysanthemum seem to think ‘‘tis me alone’ is speculative—had it been something like ‘this bloom opens’ then it would have been the poet’s thoughts. Neither of these is of quality to win or lose, so I make them a tie.

Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta'awase

Kanpyō no ōntoki kisai no miya uta’awase 61

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Winter Poems    Twenty Rounds

Left

かきくもりあられふりしけ白玉をしける庭とも人の見るがに

kakikumori
arare furishike
shiratama o
shikeru niwa to mo
hito no miru gani		Clouds rush in
Dropping scattered hailstones;
Pearl
Strewn, my garden
I would that he would see…

119

Right

天の河ふゆは空までこほるらし石間にたぎつ音だにもせず

ama no kawa
fuyu wa sora made
kōrurashi
iwama ni tagitsu
oto dani mo sezu		The River of Heaven in
Winter: the very skies
Seem frozen, with
Between the rocky crags rushing
No sound at all.

120

Horikawa'in enjo awase

Horikawa-in enjo awase 1

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This match took place when, hearing that his courtiers were composing poetry, His Majesty ordered them to compose love poems to the ladies in attendance.

おもひあまりいかでもらさんおく山の岩かきこむる谷の下みづ

omoi’amari
ikade morasan
okuyama no
iwa kakikomuru
tani no shitamizu		My passion’s full, so
How should it o’erflow?
Deep within the mountains
Hemmed in by crags are
The waters of the valley floor…

Major Counsellor Kinzane
1

In reply

いかなれば音にのみきく山川の浅きにしもはこころよすらん

ika nareba
oto ni nomi kiku
yamakawa no
asaki ni shimo wa
kokoro yosuran		For some reason,
I simply hear the sound
Of a mountain stream;
Into the shallows, indeed, has
Your heart been swept, it seems!

[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid
2

Kokinshū

KKS XIX: 1004

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An ancient-styled poem to supplement a long poem.

君が世に相坂山の岩清水木隠れたりと思ける哉

kimi ga yo ni
aFusakayama no
iFasimidu
kogakuretari to
omoFikeru kana		 Your Majesty’s reign
Is welcome so, as on the mount of Meeting Hill,
Spring water from the crags
Is hidden in the trees, thus
I am I sunk in thought!

Mibu no Tadamine

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love VIII: 11

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Left
山深み種ある岩に生ふる松の根よりもかたき戀や何なる

yama fukami
tane aru iwa ni
ouru matsu no
ne yori mo kataki
koi ya nani naru		 Deep with the mountains,
Upon the crags where seeds
Grow into pines,
Rooted firmly – how hard
Will our love be?

Lord Ari’ie
1041

Right (Win)
契きなまた忘れずよ初瀬河布留川野邊の二本の杉

chigirikina
mata wasurezu yo
hatsusegawa
furukawa nobe no
futamoto no sugi		 You vowed it, did you not.
Not to forget me more.
In the River Hatsuse and
River Furu’s meadows
Stand twin cedars.

Jakuren
1042

Left and Right together state: we find no faults to mention.

In judgement: While there are such things in the heart of the mountains as ‘crags where seeds grow into pines’ (tane aru iwa ni ouru matsu), it is normally by the sea or on rocky coastlines that one finds firmly rooted pine trees. Surely, mountain pines are but lightly rooted? Cedars on River Hatsuse recollects ‘Nor will I ever; a solid brick-kiln’ (wasurezu yo kawaraya), but ‘You vowed it, did you not’ (chigirikina) also reminds me of the old phrase ‘Both our sleeves wringing out’ (katami ni sode o shiboritsutsu), which is most fine. Thus, the Right wins.