On the conception of love, in a hundred poem sequence.
あふ事のむなしき空のうき雲は身をしる雨の便りなりけり
| au koto no munashiki sora no ukigumo wa mi o shiru ame no tayori narikeri | Meeting you is A vain hope—empty as the skies, where Drifting clouds are The rainfall of my misery’s Harbingers. |
Prince Kore’akira
惟明親王
An allusive variation on KKS XIV: 705.
When His Majesty was particularly impressed by his reply, and presented him with two rolls of silk.
きのふまでうらみしかぜはおほぞらのうきくもはらふつかひなりけり
| kinō made uramishi kaze wa ōzora no ukikumo harau tsukai narikeri | Until yesterday I did despise the wind: The heavens Sweeping clear of drifting clouds – That was its task. |
Mibu no Tadami
忍ぶれど物思ふ人はうき雲の空に恋する名をのみぞたつ
| shinoburedo mono’omou hito wa ukigumo no sora ni koisuru na o nomi zo tatsu | I kept it secret, yet She, who is the focus of my thoughts, is As a drifting cloud Within the sky, and of my love Rumours, alone, do rise toward her. |
Middle Captain Morotoki, Fourth Rank
19
恋すともいかでか空に名はたたじ忍ぶる程は袖につつまで
| koisu to mo ikade ka sora ni na wa tataji shinoburu hodo wa sode ni tsutsumade | You love, so How is it that the skies Could remain untouched by rumours? Your secret You’ve not kept wrapped within your sleeves… |
Lady Aki, in service to the Empress Dowager
20
Left (Tie).
我戀や晴れゆくままの空の雲よそにのみして消ぬべき哉
| wa ga koi ya hareyuku mama no sora no kumo yoso ni nomi shite kienubeki kana |
Is my love As the clearing Clouds with within the skies? While you remain distant Must I fade away… |
Lord Ari’ie.
921
Right.
をのづから閨もる月も影消えてひとりかなしき浮雲の空
| onozukara neya moru tsuki mo kage kiete hitori kanashiki ukigumo no sora |
From my Bedchamber the flooding moon Light has vanish; To be alone is sad, as The heartless drifting, clouds. |
Lord Takanobu.
922
The Right state: the central line of the Left’s poem is stiff. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no particular faults.
In judgement: the statements in regard to both poems are at variance with my own opinion. I will refrain from expressing that here, although I do regret that, somewhat. If, indeed, a central line is core, then it is better for it to lack connection with the remainder of the poem. In the case of the Left’s poem, however, it seems well linked with what follows. As for the Right’s poem, ‘bedchamber the flooding moon’ (neya moru tsuki) is not phrasing which is acceptable to me. However, the Left’s initial section seems pleasant, and the Right’s final section is elegant. Thus, the round is a tie.
Left.
戀わびて心空なる浮雲や行衛も知らずはてはなるべき
| koi wabite kokoro sora naru ukigumo ya yukue mo shirazu hate ha narubeki |
Suffering with love My heart is as the sky-bound Drifting clouds: In some unknown place Is where it will end… |
Lord Kanemune.
917
Right (Win).
戀死ぬるよはの煙の雲とならば君が宿にやわきてしぐれん
| koi shinuru yowa no kemuri no kumo to naraba kimi ga yado ni ya wakite shiguren |
Should I die of love, and Final smoke Clouds become, To your dwelling will I Drift and descend? |
Nobusada.
918
The Right state: does the Left’s poem really expresses the love of drifting clouds? The Left state: the Right’s poem is more suited to the topic of ‘Love and Smoke’.
In judgement: with regard to the Left’s poem, Lady Sagami’s poem from the Eishō Imperial Palace Poetry Competition: ‘Before I know it/In my heart, sky-bound/is my love’ (itsu to naku/kokoro sora naru/wa ga koi ya) would be a good prior example, but this poem inserts ‘drifting clouds’ (ukigumo ya), which is illogical. As for the Right’s poem, ‘To your dwelling will I drift and descend?’ (kimi ga yado ni ya wakite shiguren) sounds fine. Thus, and for this reason, the Right wins.