Tag Archives: hitorine

Sumiyoshi-sha uta’awase kaō ni-nen 38

Round Thirteen

Left

しぐれもるたびねのとこははなぞめのたもとぞさきにまづかへりける

shigure moru
tabine no toko wa
hanazome no
tamoto zo saki ni
mazu kaerikeru
A shower drips upon me
As I doze upon my journey-bed;
Blossom-dyed,
My sleeves, before me,
Have first returned to what they were!

Masahira
75

Right (Win)

はなれゆくみやこをおもふひとりねのなみだをさそふはつしぐれかな

hanareyuku
miyako o omou
hitorine no
namida o sasou
hatsushigure kana
Distant has grown
The capital, but it fills my thoughts,
Sleeping solo,
My tears invited by
The first shower!

Chikashige
76

The configuration of the Left’s poem appears charming, but it would have sounded more so had there been a reason why ‘my sleeves, before’ had returned to the capital on the journey. The diction and conception of the Right’s poem, beginning with ‘distant has grown’ and leading to ‘tears invited’, is extremely pleasant. It seems the Right wins.

Sumiyoshi-sha uta’awase kaō ni-nen 33

Round Eight

Left

しぐれもるかりいほにぬれてほすころもながゐのあまはとりやたがへむ

shigure moru
kari’io ni nurete
hosu koromo
nagai no ama wa
tori ya tagaemu
Drenched by showers,
In my crude hut my soaked
Robe I dry—
Might a fisherman from Nagai
Take it by mistake?

Koretsuna
65

Right (Win)

ひとりねのあはれひまなきたびごろもしぐれはれてもそではぬれけり

hitorine no
aware himanaki
tabigoromo
shigure haretemo
sode wa nurekeri
Sleeping solo with
No break from my sorrow,
My traveller’s robe,
Even should the showers clear,
Would have soaking sleeves…

Suesada
66

The configuration of the Left is extremely charming, but I do wonder about starting with a sorrowful journey in the showers and then taking a robe by mistake! The conception of the Right, starting with endless sorrow and then saying, ‘even should the showers clear’, seems pleasant. It seems that the Right wins.