Topic unknown.
ほのぼのとあり明の月のつきかげにもみぢ吹きおろす山おろしのかぜ
| honobono to ariake no tsuki no tsukikage ni momiji fuki’orosu yama’oroshi no kaze | Faintly The dawntime moon’s Light falls upon Scarlet leaves blown down By the wild mountain wind. |
Lord Minamoto no Sane’akira
Composed on the moon at dawn on the road to a barrier, while at the Shirakawa residence of the former Uji Grand Minister.
あり明の月もし水にやどりけりこよひはこえじあふさかの関
| ariake no tuki mo simizu ni yadorikeri koyoFi Fa koezi aFusaka no seki | The dawntime Moon within pure water Has lodged; Tonight I’ll not pass The barrier at Meeting Hill. |
Lord Fujiwara no Norinaga
After I had had various people compose on the scent of plum carried on the breeze.
このねぬるあさけの風にかをるなり軒ばの梅の春のはつ花
| kono nenuru asake no kaze ni kaoru nari nokiba no ume no haru no hatsubana | Having slept The dawntime breeze Is scented: Beneath my eaves the plum Shows spring’s first blossom. |
Left (Tie).
故郷に見し面影も宿りけり不破の関屋の板間洩る月
| furusato ni mishi omokage mo yadorikeri fuwa no sekiya no itama moru tsuki |
Back home I saw her face, and It lodges here, At the Barrier House at Fuwa, In the moonlight leaking through the boards. |
A Servant Girl
1007
Right.
人恋ふる我ながめよ思けり須磨の関屋の有明の月
| hito kouru ware nagameyo omoikeri suma no sekiya no ariake no tsuki |
Loving you, I will ever gaze, I thought, At the Barrier House at Suma On the dawntime moon. |
Nobusada
1008
The Right state: the Left’s poem is good. The Left state: the Right’s poem lacks any faults to indicate.
In judgement: the Left’s ‘Barrier House at Fuwa’ (fuwa no sekiya) followed by ‘the moonlight leaking through the boards’ (itama moru tsuki) is truly charming. In addition, if one wonders why ‘I saw her face’ (mishi omokage mo) has been used, it is certainly reminiscent of the poem ‘The dawntime moon, too, lodges in the waters clear’, but an improvement on it. It is difficult to say, however, that the Right’s ‘At the Barrier House at Suma on the dawntime moon’ (suma no sekiya no ariake no tsuki) is in any way inferior.
Composed when he was asked by people in the capital what the moon had been like, when he had returned there, after going to Akashi to gaze upon it, at a time when it was particularly bright.
有明の月もあかしの浦風に波ばかりこそよるとみえしか
| ariake no tuki mo akasi no urakaze ni nami bakari koso yoru to miesika |
The dawntime Moon’s brightness, with Akashi’s Beach breezes Simply with the waves Did seem to draw near with the night… |
Taira no Tadamori
平忠盛
Left.
独のみ寢屋の板間もあはずして雨も涙も所せきまで
| hitori nomi neya no itama mo awazushite ame mo namida mo tokoroseki made |
All alone, and The boards above my bedchamber Fail to come together; Until with raindrops and tears both I am excessively… |
Lord Ari’ie.
943
Right (Win).
深き夜の寢覺に何を思けむ窓打ちてすさむ暁の雨
| fukaki yo no nezame ni nani o omoikemu mado uchisusamu akatsuki no ame |
Late within the night, I start awake; what Was in my thoughts? Beating against my window is The dawntime rain. |
Jakuren.
944
The Right state: we cannot grasp the sense of the Left’s use of ‘until’ (made). The Left state: the Right’s poem is certainly not easy to understand on hearing.
In judgement: is not the use of ‘until’ (made) simply because it is appropriate to conclude a poem with that syllable? I can see nothing problematic with the use of ‘beating against my window’ (mado uchisusamu) in the Right’s poem. Thus, I make the Right the winner.
Left (Tie).
かきくらし降りくる雨も君ならば濡るとてさらに厭はざらまし
| kakikurashi furikuru ame mo kimi naraba nuru tote sara ni itowazaramashi |
All is darkened by The falling rain, but Were that to be you, my love, I would be drenched, but It would not be unwelcome! |
Lord Kanemune.
941
Right.
ひとり寢の床にしもなど音す覧しづかたにそゝく暁の雨
| hitorine no toko ni shimo nado otosuran shizukata ni sosoku akatsuki no ame |
Sleeping solo In my bed, so why Is there the sound Of quiet dripping Dawntime rain? |
Lord Takanobu.
942
The Right state: while the Left’s poem does have a desirable sentiment, its expression is outrageous. The Left state: why, indeed, should there be a sound in the poet’s bed?
In judgement: the Left’s desirable sentiment is perfectly commonplace in poetry. The Right, with ‘dawntime rain’ (akatsuki no ame), is elegant. The poems are comparable and tie.
Left (Win).
袖のうへになるるも人の形見かは我と宿せる秋の夜の月
| sode no ue ni naruru mo hito no katami ka wa ware to yadoseru aki no yo no tsuki |
Resting atop my sleeves Of my love so fond Are these keepsakes? Remaining with me, alone Is the moon this autumn night… |
A Servant Girl.
911
Right.
ひとり住む宿の気色とあはれとや憂き身とゝもに在明の月
| hitori sumu yado no keshiki to aware to ya ukimi to tomo ni ariake no tsuki |
Living alone, Is the sight of my home So pitiful? Alike are we in desolation, O, dawntime moon! |
Lord Tsune’ie.
912
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem lacks a clear conception of love.
In judgement: the Left’s poem, indeed, has no faults. It should win.