When she had gone to Kamo on a winter’s night when the moon was shining brightly.
神がきや松のあらしもおとさえて霜にしもしく冬の夜のつき
| kamigaki ya matsu no arashi mo oto saete shimo ni shimo shiku fuyu no yo no tsuki | At the sacred grounds, Storm winds through the pines Sound so chill; Frost atop of frost is spread, The moon this winter’s night. |
Kenreimon’in ukyō no daibu
Left (Tie)
ゆきもあはぬちぎのかたそぎもる月をしもとやかみのおもひますらむ
| yuki mo awanu chigi no katasogi moru tsuki o shimo to ya kami no omoimasuramu | Fail to entwine do The chiliad of trees, while from the ridge poles Drips the moon— ‘Tis frost, perhaps, does the Deity Deign to wonder? |
Lord Taira no Tsunemasa
Supernumerary Director of the Bureau of Horses, Left Division
Governor of Awaji
Exalted Fifth Rank, Lower Grade[i]
27
Right
しろたへのゆきかとみればかぜさえて月ぞしづるるすみよしのまつ
| shirotae no yuki ka to mireba kaze saete tsuki zo shizururu sumiyoshi no matsu | White as mulberry cloth, I wonder, if ‘tis snow, I see— In the chill wind The moon slips from The pines of Sumiyoshi… |
Lord Minamoto no Nakatsuna
Governor of Oki
Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade[ii]
28
The configuration of the Left appears elegant, but the expression ‘chiliad of trees’ was said to be impermissible by Lord Mototoshi in his judgement on a poetry competition held in a certain place. The final section, too, seems to require a bit more thought [because it’s insulting to the deity]. As for the Right, the conception of wondering if the moon’s light shining through the trees is snow slipping off them is charming, but I do wonder about the sound of ‘the moon slips’ as a piece of diction. The initial ‘white as mulberry cloth’, too, sounds like it needs further thought [because this is not used to modify ‘snow’], so these should tie.
[i] Shōgoige-gyō sauma gon-kami ken awaji no kami Taira ason Tsunemasa正五位下行左馬権頭兼淡路守平朝臣経正
[ii] Jūgoige-gyō oki no kami Minamoto ason Nakatsuna 従五位下行隠岐守源朝臣仲綱
Round Ten
Left (Tie)
まつもみなしらゆふかけてすみよしの月のひかりもかみさびにけり
| matsu mo mina shirayū kakete sumiyoshi no tsuki no hikari mo kamisabinikeri | The pine trees, every one, Are hung with sacred streamers— At Sumiyoshi Even the moon’s light Inspires awe. |
Hyōenosuke, in service to the Junior Consort
(formerly Handmaid Mikawa, in service at the Nijō Palace)[1]
19
Right
かたそぎのゆきあはぬまよりもる月をさえぬしもとやかみは見るらむ
| katasogi no yuki awanu ma yori moru tsuki o saenu shimo to ya kami wa miruramu | The ridge poles Fail to entwine, and from the gaps Drips moonlight— As chill-less frost, I wonder, Does the Deity regard it? |
Lord Fujiwara no Naganori
Supernumerary Minor Captain in the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division
Exalted Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade[2]
20
The Left’s poem appears to have a pleasant configuration with ‘Even the moon’s light / Inspires awe’. The poem of the Right, furthermore, has a charming-sounding sequence with ‘As chill-less frost, I wonder, / Does the Deity regard it?’ but in composition one usually states that the moon is fair precisely because of its chill. Thus, when one compares it to true frost, can one say that it lacks it? While I do feel that this is somewhat vague, both the poems appear to pleasant configurations, so I make this a tie.
[1] Nȳogo no ie Hyōenosuke moto nijōin Mikawa no maishi女御家兵衛佐元二条院参河内侍
[2] Shōyon’ige-gyō konoe gonshōjō Fujiwara ason Naganori 正四位下行左近衛権少将藤原朝臣修範
Round Three
Left (Win)
すみよしのまつのゆきあひのひまよりも月さえぬればしもはおきけり
| sumiyoshi no matsu no yukiai no hima yori mo tsuki sae nureba shimo wa okikeri | At Sumiyoshi, Pine boughs entwine, and Even from the gaps between Moonbeams drop Upon the fallen frost. |
Grand Dharma Master Shun’e[1]
5
Right
すみよしのまつのゆきあひの月かげはくもまにいづるここちこそすれ
| sumiyoshi no matsu no yukiai no tsukikage wa kumoma ni izuru kokochi koso sure | At Sumiyoshi, Pine boughs entwine, and The moonlight Emerges from between the clouds— That’s how it feels! |
Lord Fujiwara no Sanekuni
Supernumerary Middle Counsellor
Captain of the Palace Guards, Left Division
Exalted Senior Third Rank[2]
6
Both Left and Right, having the same conception contemplating ‘pine boughs entwine’, appear charming. ‘Emerges from between the clouds’ truly does sound as if it captures the moment, but the Left’s use of ‘even’ in ‘even from the gaps between’ show a deep knowledge of the world of poetry,[3] and thus, again, the Left wins.
[1] Daihōshi Shun’e 大法師俊恵
[2] Shōsan’i-gyō gonchūnagon ken saemon no kami Fujiwara ason Sanekuni 正三位行権中納言兼左衛門督藤原朝臣実国
[3] Shunzei is praising Shun’e for his knowledge of earlier poems. Shun’e’s work builds on: 夜やさむき衣やうすきかたそぎのゆきあひのまより霜やおくらむ yo ya samuki / koromo ya usuki / katasogi no / yukiai no ma yori / shimo ya okuramu ‘Is it the night’s chill, or / My scanty robe: / Where the ridge poles of My shrine / Entwine, from the gaps between / Frost does seem to fall.’ This poem is said to be by the deity of Sumiyoshi (SKKS XIX: 1855). By adding in ‘even’ (mo) to the phrase he has taken from the deity’s work, Shun’e adds to it, saying that frost falls not only from the gaps in the shrine roof, but also from between the pine boughs outside. Shunzei’s judgement acknowledges the deep knowledge of prior poetry needed for this type of usage.
Round Two
Left (Win)
にはびたくあたりをぬるみおくしものとけぬや月のひかりなるらむ
| niwabi taku atari o nurumi oku shimo no tokenu ya tsuki no hikari naruramu | Braziers kindled shed Warmth all around, so That the fallen frost Melts not, due to the moon’s Light might be? |
Lord Fujiwara no Sanefusa
Major Counsellor
Exalted Junior Second Rank[i]
3
Right
ひとすぢにあふぐこころをすみよしのそらゆく月にわけぞやらるる
| hito suji ni ōgu kokoro o sumiyoshi no sora yuku tsuki ni wake zo yararuru | With my whole Heart I worship Sumiyoshi, for He The moon travelling through the skies Has dispensed! |
Lord Minamoto no Yorimasa
Supernumerary Master of the Right Capital Office
Exalted Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade[ii]
4
The Left’s poem has a novel conception, while appearing to use familiar diction. The Right’s emotions, whereby whole-hearted faith sees the moon as provided by the deity when seeing it, also sound extremely charming, yet, still, the configuration of ‘melts not, the moon’ appears more in keeping with a poem for a poetry match, and thus the Left wins.
[i] Jūni’i-gyō gondainagon Fujiwara ason Sanefusa 従二位行権大納言藤原朝臣実房
[ii] Jūyon’i-gyō sakyō gontaifu Minamoto ason Yorimasa 従四位上行左京権大夫源朝臣頼政
Round Eleven
Left (Win)
をしみかねあかぬ名残のくるしきに入るまではみじ秋のよの月
| oshimikane akanu nagori no kurushiki ni iru made wa miji aki no yo no tsuki | Unbearable regret, Unending is a memento Most painful— I would not watch until it sets: The moon this autumn night. |
Kenshō
69
Right
月影のかたぶくかたにさしいればやどのうちにも霜ぞ置きける
| tsukigage no katabuku kata ni sashi’ireba yado no uchi ni mo shimo zo okikeru | The moonlight as It descends Shines in, so Within my lodging Frost, indeed, has fallen. |
Lord Yorisuke
70
The Left, saying that the setting of the moon is a painful memento, and thus not watching it until the end seems excessively topsy-turvy. The Right, saying that the setting moon enters one’s lodging, is both pretentious and misses the point—surely it depends on the construction of the house! This shows know knowledge of how diction should be used, so the Left has to win.
