Tag Archives: eda

Tōgū gakushi noritada uta’awase 02

Mugwort in the Grounds[i]

Left

よろづよもときはならなんけふのためいはひておほすそののよもぎは

yorozuyo mo
tokiwa naranan
kyō no tame
iwaite ōsu
sono no yomogi wa
For ten thousand ages more
Evergreen, I would you be!
For today’s
Celebration, lushly growing
Mugwort in the grounds…

3

Right

そののうちにおふるよもぎのえだしげみすゑさかゆべくみゆるきみかな

sono no uchi ni
ouru yomogi no
eda shigemi
sue sakayubeku
miyuru kimi kana
Within the grounds
A’growing, the mugwort’s
Branches are lush
To the very end they flourish,
As do you appear to, my Lord!

4

In ancient times, folk arose on this day with the dawn together with the birds and, taking those branches of mugwort from within their grounds that resembled people, dried them in the shade and made medicinal draughts—I wonder, were both Left and Right unaware of this? There is not even a dewdrop’s worth of diction in accordance with the topic, so I must make this round a tie.

かたかたにとるかたもなきよもぎぐさひとかずならぬここちこそすれ

katakata ni
toru kata mo naki
yomogigusa
hito kazu naranu
kokochi koso sure
Both sides say
Nothing noteworthy about
Mugwort plants,so
Neither is worth much,
I feel!

Judge 2


[i] Sono no naka no yomogi 園中蓬

Daikōtaigōgū no suke taira no tsunemori-ason ke uta’awase 12

Round Twelve

Left

我がやどものこる花なくうゑつれど野べのけしきは猶ぞ床しき

wa ga yado mo
nokoru hana naku
uetsuredo
nobe no keshiki wa
nao zo yukashiki
At my dwelling
Lingering blooms are there none
Though I did plant them,
The prospect of a meadow is
Charming still!

Lord Fujiwara no Kiyosuke, Senior Secretary of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office
23

Right

秋萩の枝もとををにおく露のはらはばあやな花やちりなん

akihagi no
eda mo tōo ni
oku tsuyu no
harawaba aya na
hana ya chirinan
The autumn bush-clover
Branches bent with
Fallen dewdrops—
Should I sweep them off, then
Would the blossoms scatter, I wonder?

Lay Priest and Master of the Left Capital Office Norinaga
24

Doesn’t the Right seem to resemble the poem in the Ancient and Modern Collection which says

をりてみば落ちぞしぬべき秋萩の枝もとををにおけるしら露

oritemiba
ochi zo shinubeki
akihagi no
eda mo t
ōo ni
okeru shiratsuyu
Were I to pluck one,
‘Twould fall and smash:
Autumn bush-clover’s
Branches bent
With fallen silver dewdrops.

Entō ōn’uta’awase 11

Round Eleven

Left

しら雲の朝たつ山のからにしき枝に一むら春風ぞ吹く

shirakumo no
asa tatsu yama no
karanishiki
eda ni hito mura
harukaze zo fuku
Clouds of white
Arising with the morning on the mountain:
Cathay brocade
In a single bunch upon the branch
Blown by the breeze of spring! [1]

Supernumerary Major Counsellor Moto’ie
21

Right (Win)

かづらきや嶺の桜のさきしより心の空にかかるしら雲

kazuragi ya
mine no sakura no
sakishi yori
kokoro no sora ni
kakaru shirakumo
Upon Kazuragi
Peak, the cherries
Have bloomed and ever since
The heavens of my heart are
Draped with clouds of white.

Lord Nobunari
22

The Left’s poem has ‘Arising with the morning on the mountain: Cathay brocade in a single bunch upon the branch’ and, while it mentions spring breezes in its final section and does not fail to reflect the surface appearance of its source poem, conveys a feeling of scarlet leaves without mentioning blossom or cherry, which I have to say is something of a fault. The Right’s poem does not seem poor and lacks any faults worth mentioning, so it should win.


[1] An allusive variation on SIS IV: 220.