A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the Reign of the Kanpyō Emperor.
住の江のきしによる波夜さへや夢のかよひ路人めよくらむ
| suminoe no kisi ni yoru nami yoru saFe ya yume no kayoFidi Fitome yokuramu | On Suminoe’s Shore break waves; Even at night Upon the path of dreams Can we avoid others’ prying eyes? |
Lord Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
Composed on plum blossom.
梅のはなさけるさかりをめのまへにすぐせるやどは春ぞすくなき
| ume no hana sakeru sakari o me no mae ni suguseru yado wa haru zo sukunaki | The plum blossoms Are blooming in profusion Before my eyes Passing time at my house Spring is brief, indeed! |
Left (Win)
めにみえでかぜはふけどもあをやぎのなびくかたにぞはなはちりける
| me ni miede kaze wa fukedomo aoyagi no nabiku kata ni zo hana chirikeru | Unseen by my eyes The wind does blow, yet The green willow Bends toward The scattering blossom. |
Mitsune
25
Right
あしひきのやまぶきのはなさきにけりゐでのかはづはいまやなくらむ
| ashihiki no yamabuki no hana sakinikeri ide no kawazu wa ima ya nakuramu | Leg-wearying Mountain kerria flowers Have bloomed; In Ide will the frogs Now be a’singing? |
Okikaze
26[i]
‘The Right is old-fashioned,’ and so it lost.
[i] Despite Uda’s negative opinion of it, this poem is included in Shinkokinshū (II: 162), attributed to Okikaze, with the headnote, ‘A poem from the Poetry Contest held by Former Emperor Uda in Engi 13’.
In the spring of the year following the early death of Onomiya Palace Minister, the cherry blossoms bloomed profusely, and he composed on the topic of voicing one’s thoughts a little.
桜花にほふものから露けきはこのめも物を思ふなるべし
| sakuranbana niFoFu mono kara tuyukeki Fa kono me mo mono wo omoFunarubesi | Cherry blossoms Have such a glow, that Dewdrops fill My eyes as sadness Seems to fill my thoughts. |
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu
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).
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! |
