Sedōka Topic unknown.
初瀬河布留川のへに二本ある杉年をへて又もあひ見む二本ある杉
| FatusegaFa FurukaFa no Fe ni Futamoto aru sugi tosi o Fete mata aFimimu Futamoto aru sugi |
The River Hatsuse, and River Furu: between their banks Stand twin cedars; The years go by, and They will come together once more, Twin cedars standing. |
Anonymous
Left.
いひわたる我年波を初瀬川映れる影もみつわさしつゝ
| iiwataru wa ga toshinami o hatsusegawa utsureru kage mo mitsuwashitsutsu |
Many times I have proposed, As the years come on me in waves By the River Hatsuse, But the reflection of my face Shows signs of stiffness… |
Kenshō.
845
Right.
姿こそ雪降りにたる身なれども袖は涙に色めきにけり
| sugata koso yuki furinitaru mi naredomo sode wa namida ni iromekinikeri |
My very form, Has snow drifts Upon me, but My sleeves with tears Have been strongly stained… |
Lord Tsune’ie.
846
Both Left and Right state together that they are unable to find any words of praise.
In judgement: ‘River Hatsuse’ (hatsusegawa) and ‘many times I have proposed’ (iiwataru) are the only expressions with some conception of love, but they seem somewhat lacking, do they not? A form with ‘snow drifts’ (yuki furinitaru), having ‘sleeves strongly stained with tears’ (sode no namida wa iromeku) has a profound conception of love.
Left (Win).
年も經ぬ祈る契りは初瀬山尾上の鐘のよその夕暮れ
| toshi mo henu inoru chigiri wa hatsuseyama onoe no kane no yoso no yūgure |
Years have gone by, Praying that our bond should be, but On Mount Hatsuse The bell of Onoe Tolls only distant dusk… |
Right.
朽果つる袖のためしとなりねとや人を浮田の杜のしめ縄
| kuchihatsuru sode no tameshi to narine to ya hito o ukita no mori no shimenawa |
‘All rotted through Your sleeves Should be,’ is that your word? She is heartless as Ukita’s Sacred grove’s boundary cords… |
670
The Gentlemen of the Left and Right both state that they find no faults worth mentioning with the opposing poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: the style of both poems seems pleasant [fūtei wa yoroshiku miehaberu], but the conception contained in the Left’s poem is not fully expressed by its diction. The Right’s rotted sleeves should be ‘like the sacred grove’s boundary cord’ (mori no shimenawa no tameshi to ya), but the poet makes his own sleeves the focus. This reference to ‘sacred grove’s boundary cord’ also sounds somewhat impious. ‘The bell of Onoe’ should win.
Being in a place called Fushimi, someone composed this on the spirit of the place:
菅原や伏見の暮に見わたせば霞にまがふ小初瀬の山
| sugaFara ya Fusimi no kure ni miwataseba kasumi ni magaFu woFatuse no yama |
When from the sedge fields Of Fushimi at evening time I gaze across, A mere haze does seem The mount of Hatsuse! |
Anonymous
Left.
夕立はなごりも見えず晴にけりいづら小河の音ばかりして
| yūdachi wa nagori mo miezu harenikeri izura ogawa no oto bakarishite |
The evening shower Leaving no trace Has cleared; Where is the stream? Amidst the sound of trickling water… |
285
Right (Win).
初瀬山入日はさせど菅原や伏見の里は夕立の空
| hatsuseyama irihi wa sasedo sugawara ya fushimi no sato wa yūdachi no sora |
From Hatsuse Mountain The setting sun does shine, yet Above Sugawara and The estate of Fushimi Evening showers fill the sky. |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
286
Neither Left nor Right has anything to say this round.
Shunzei simply says, ‘The Right’s “The estate of Fushimi evening showers fill the sky” is particularly fine. The Right must win.’
Left (Win).
年もへぬ祈る契は初瀬山をのへの鐘のよその夕暮れ
| toshi mo henu inoru chigiri wa hatsuseyama onoe no kane no yoso no yûgure |
The years have passed, and Our prayed for love is Done; on Hatsuse Mountain’s Peak, the sunset bell Tolls in the distant dusk. |
109
Right
おもかげはおしへて宿にさきだちてこたへぬ風の松の吹聲
| omokage wa oshiete yado ni sakidachite kotaenu kaze no matsu no fuku koe |
Her form to Reveal, to her dwelling First went The wind, but meeting no response, Among the pine boughs finds it voice. |
110
Sent to a woman to say how much I wanted to meet her, when I had gone to Hatsuse:
石上布留の瀬川の水たえて妹にあはずてとほどぞへにける
| iso no kami Furu no segaFa no midu taete imo ni aFazute Fodo zo Fenikeru |
Stone-bound and Ancient, the rapids’ Waters ever are; Without you, darling, An age has passed. |
Composed on ‘praying for love’ at hundred poem sequence poetry competition at the house of the Regent and Grand Minister.
としもへぬいのる契ははつせ山おのへのかねのよその夕ぐれ
| toshi mo henu inoru chigiri wa hatsuse yama onoe no kane no yoso no yûgure |
Years have gone by, Praying that our bond should be, but On Mount Hatsuse The bell of Onoe Tolls only distant dusk… |
Sada’ie
定家