A poem from the Empress’ Poetry Competition held in the Kanpyō period.
住の江の岸による浪夜さへや夢の通ひ路人目よくらむ
| suminoe no kisi ni yoru nami yoru saFe ya yume no kayoFidi Fitome yokuramu |
As to Suminoe’s Shore rush the waves Why every night Upon the path of dreams Do I hide from other’s eyes? |
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
藤原敏行
Left (Win).
戀死なんのちを思へば目にぞたつそのゆへもなき空の煙も
| koishinan nochi o omoeba me ni zo tatsu sono yue mo naki sora no keburi mo |
I shall die of love, and When I think on it What should touch my eyes But, lacking any meaning, Smoke rising to the skies… |
Lord Ari’ie.
951
Right.
戀ひ死なむ後は煙とあがるとも君が方へぞ猶なびくべき
| koishinamu nochi wa kemuri to agaru tomo kimi ga kata e zo nao nabikubeki |
When I have died of love Then, though as smoke I may rise, Still towards you I shall trail! |
Lord Tsune’ie.
952
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state: we wonder about the use of ‘rise’ (agaru) in the Right’s poem.
In judgement: both poems have ‘die for love’ (koishinan), and there are no particular features of either which warrant a victory or a loss, but ‘touch my eyes’ (me ni tatsu) seems a little finer than the Right’s ‘rise’ (agaru) ‘towards’ (kata e zo).
目もかれずまもる山田のいなづまのひかりにふれてただならずみゆ
| me mo karezu mamoru yamada no inazuma no hikari ni furete tada narazu miyu | Still fresh to my eyes, The mountain fields I ward By lightning’s Light are brushed, and Appear again anew. |
Toshiyori
A poem composed by Prince Mishima in mourning for Matsura no Sayohime.
音に聞き目にはいまだ見ず佐用姫が領巾振りきとふ君松浦山
| oto ni kiki me ni pa imada mizu sayopime ga pire puriki topu kimi maturayama |
Rumours I have heard, but My eyes have yet to behold where Sayohime Waved her stole, they say, Pining for her man on Matsura Mountain! |