人しれぬ袖ぞ露けき逢ふことはかれのみまさる山のした草
hito shirenu sode zo tsuyukeki au koto wa kare nomi masaru yama no shitagusa Unknown to all My sleeves are drenched with dew; For our meetings Excel only in being withered As the scrub grass on the mountainside.
[Nakako,] The Suō Handmaid 29
In reply.
おく山の下かげ草はかれやする軒ばにのみはおのれなりつつ
oku yama no shitakagegusa wa kare ya suru nokiba ni nomi wa onore naritsutsu Deep within the mountains, have The grasses growing in the trees’ dark shade Really withered away? Simply beneath your eaves, Is where I ever am…
The Consultant Middle Captain 30
Image by joyfultta from Pixabay
つゆながらをりてかざさむきくのはなおいせぬ秋のひさしかるべく[1]
tsuyu nagara orite kasasamu kiku no hana oisenu aki no hisashikarubeku Dew-dappled Let us pluck and wear Chrysanthemum blooms That an Autumn of eternal youth Should last forever!
71
[1] This poem is included in Kokinshū (V: 270 ), where it is attributed to Ki no Tomonori.
あきのよにかりかもなきてわたるなる我が思ふ人のことづてやせる[1]
aki no yo ni kari kamo nakite watarunaru wa ga omou hito no kotozute ya seru On an autumn night Is that the geese a’crying As they pass by? There is one I love— Would you take a message to her?
43
おく露にくちゆくのべのくさのはやあきのほたるとなりわたるらむ[2]
oku tsuyu ni kuchiyuku nobe no kusa no ha ya aki no hotaru to nariwataruramu Dew falls on The rotting meadows, where The blades of grass with The tired autumn fireflies Do seem to sound…
44
[1] A minor variant of this poem is included in Gosenshū (VII: 356 ), where it is attributed to [Ki no] Tsurayuki.
[2] This poem is included in Fubokushō (5548), where it is attributed to [Mibu no] Tadamine.
よもぎふに露のおきしくあきのよはひとりぬるみもそでぞぬれける
yomogyū ni tsuyu no okishiku aki no yo wa hitori nuru mi mo sode zo nurekeru Upon the mugwort The dew falls, scattered On an autumn night; Sleeping alone, my Sleeves are drenched, indeed!
35
あしひきの山べによするしらなみはくれなゐふかくあきぞ見えける
ashihiki no yamabe ni yosuru shiranami wa kurenai fukaku aki zo miekeru Upon the leg-wearying Mountain meadows break The whitecaps; A deeper scarlet Does autumn reveal.
36
わびひとのとしふるさとはあきのののむしのやどりのなるぞわびしき[1]
wabibito no toshi furu sato wa aki no no no mushi no yadori no naru zo wabishiki For one sunk in sadness In an ancient dwelling Among the autumn fields, where The insects take their lodging, Their cries are more heartbreaking.
23
あきのよのつゆをばつゆとおきながらかりのなみだやのべをそむらん[2]
aki no yo no tsuyu oba tsuyu to okinagara kari no namida ya nobe o somuramu On Autumn nights The dew as dewdrops Falls, but, Perhaps goose tears Stain the fields?
24
[1] This poems also appears in Fubokushō (5579), where it is attributed to Ariwara no Motokata
[2] This poem also appears in Kokinshū (V: 258 ) and Kokin rokujō (584). In both collections it is attributed to Mibu no Tadamine.
Dew Left (Tie)
をぎのはにおけるしらつゆたまかとてそでにつつめどとまらざりけり
ogi no ha ni okeru shiratsuyu tama ka to te sode ni tsutsumedo tomarazarikeri On the blades of silver grass Drop silven dewdrops; Wondering if they’re jewels I wrapped them in my sleeves, yet Could not make them stay.
His Majesty 7
Right
いかにしてたまにもぬかむゆふさればをぎのはわけにむすぶしら露
ika ni shite tama ni mo nukamu yū sareba ogi no hawake ni musubu shiratsuyu Somehow With gemstones they seem strung; When evening comes Each and every blade of silver grass Is bound with silven dewdrops.
Nagayoshi 8
Dwarf Bamboo 小篠
露しげきをざさが原を分けゆけば衣のすそになびくしら玉
tsuyu shigeki ozasa ga hara o wakeyukeba koromo no suso ni nabiku shiratama Drenched with dew is This grove of dwarf bamboo through which I forge my way, so My garment’s hems Trail white gemlets.
Higo
Groves 原
あさぢふの露にうはげやそほつらんあしたの原にうづら鳴くなり
asajū no tsuyu ni uwage ya sōtsuran ashita no hara ni uzura nakunari Is the cogon grass By dew upon its upper fronds So soaked? This morn among the groves The quail are crying.
Kanemasa
Love on Parting 別恋
あけがたの袖のけしきの露けさに道のしづくはおもひやりなん
akegata no sode no keshiki no tsuyu kesa ni michi no shizuku wa omoiyarinan With the dawning My sleeves’ appearance is Dew-drenched this morning; The droplets on the path Fill my thoughts with gloomy longing.
Akinaka
Left
うちとけて誰に衣を重ぬらんまろがまろ寝も夜深き物を
uchitokete
tare ni koromo o
kasanuran
maro ga marone mo
yobukaki mono o
Loosening them,
With whom does he clothes
Pile together?
Sleeping all alone
How deep this night is…
A Servant Girl
1121
Right (Win)
思わび寝る夜の床の露しげみ身のしろ衣かす人もがな
omoiwabi
neru yo no toko no
tsuyu shigemi
mi no shirogoromo
kasu hito mo gana
In the grief of love,
Sleeping at night, my bed
Is soaked through with dew;
To lend me an over-mantle
Is there no one at all…
Lord Tsune’ie
1122
The Right state: the final section of the Left’s poem is difficult to grasp. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: the Left’s ‘sleeping all alone how deep this night is…’ (maro ga marone mo yobukaki mono o ) does not sound as if it links with the initial section of the poem. ‘Alone’ (maro ) is also unacceptable. The Right’s ‘to lend me an over-mantle’ (mi no shirogoromo ) sounds elegant. I make it the winner.
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'Simply moving and elegant'