Tag Archives: Iefusa

Love VI: 19

Left.
下とをる涙に袖も朽ちはてゝ着るかひもなき雨衣かな

shita tōru
namida ni sode mo
kuchihatete
kiru kai mo naki
amagoromo kana
Right through to below
With tears are even my sleeves
Quite rotted;
Putting it on would be pointless
This raincoat of mine!

Kenshō.
937

Right (Win).
戀ゆへに身を知る雨の年を經て心のうちにかき曇るらむ

koi yue ni
mi o shiru ame no
toshi o hete
kokoro no uchi ni
kakikumoruramu
For love
The rain knows how I feel full well
Down through the years
Within my heart
The clouds grow ever thicker…

The Supernumerary Master of the Empress Household Office.
938

The Right state: the Left’s ‘right through to below’ (shita tōruʼ) sounds as if the poet is passing below the palace! The Left state: in this poem it is not at all clear why it is that ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’ (mi o shiru ame).

In judgement: the Left, by using ‘right through to below’, has forgotten that ‘raincoat’ (amagoromo) evokes the sense of a salt-hut and, because there is nothing in the poem to suggest a location by the sea, amagoromo appears to be the clothing of a nun, or something similar. As for the Right’s ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’, it is simply ‘for love’. This seems plain to me. The Right wins.

Love VI: 14

Left.
ひとり寢の床に吹くる秋風のまた我戀をおどろかす哉

hitorine no
toko ni fukikuru
akikaze no
mata wa ga koi o
odorokasu kana
Sleeping alone
To my bed comes blowing
The autumn wind, and
Again, all my love
Returns…

Lord Kanemune.
927

Right (Win).
つてにだにとはぬ君かな吹風もまつにはことに音する物を

tsute ni dani
towanu kimi kana
fuku kaze mo
matsu ni wa koto ni
otosuru mono o
If only it brought a rumour
Of you, who never comes!
The gusting wind
From the pines plucks special
Sounds…

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
928

The Right state: what need is there for ‘again’ (mata) in the Left’s poem? The Left state: the Right’s poem is difficult to recite.

In judgement: the Right’s final ‘from the pines plucks special’ (matsu ni wa koto ni) is fine. It must win.

Love VI: 10

Left (Win).
時のまに消えてたなびく白雲のしばしも人に逢ひ見てしかな

toki no ma ni
kiete tanabiku
shirakumo no
shibashi mo hito ni
aimiteshi kana
In just a moment
They vanish, wisping:
The white clouds’
Brief span
O, that I could meet her for so long!

Lord Sada’ie.
919

Right.
あくがるゝ心も空に日數へて雲に宿かる物思ひ哉

akugaruru
kokoro mo sora ni
hikazu hete
kumo ni yado karu
mono’omoi kana
Wandering from my breast
My heart within the skies
Has passed the days
Taking lodging in clouds
The focus of my thoughts…

The Supernumerary Master of the Empress Household Office.
920

The Right state: we find no faults to mention in the Left’s poem. The Left state: the Right’s poem simply re-states a famous creation by another of the Gentlemen of the Right.

In judgement: ‘taking lodging in clouds’ (kumo ni yado karu) does, indeed, sound most like something I have heard recently. Perhaps it is simply that, having heard a good phrase, the gentleman has reused it. Whatever the facts of the matter, it lacks novelty. The Left’s ‘brief span’ (shibashi mo hito ni) should win.

Love VI: 3

Left (Tie).
つれもなき人をもさそへ夜はの月影ばかりだによそに見るやと

tsure mo naki
hito o mo sasoe
yowa no tsuki
kage bakari dani
yoso ni miru ya to
That heartless
Man, will you invite
O midnight Moon!
Even just an image
In the distance would I wish to see…

Lord Suetsune.
905

Right.
秋の月妹が面影さそひきて我心にも宿すなりけり

aki no tsuki
imo ga omokage
sasoikite
wa ga kokoro ni mo
yadosu narikeri
The autumn moon
My darling’s face
Does bring to me, and
Within my heart
Has it found a place to stay.

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
906

The Right state: if one is inviting someone to come and visit, then there is no reason to mention ‘just an image’ (kage bakari). We wonder whether the invitation is addressed to the sky? The Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.

In judgement: both Left and Right have the same conception of an invitation addressed to the moon. The Round can only be a tie.

Love V: 26

Left (Win).
都にて馴れにし物をひとり寢の片敷く袖は何かさびしき

miyako nite
narenishi mono o
hitori ne no
katashiku sode wa
nani ka sabishiki
In the capital
I grew accustomed to it, but
Sleeping alone
With only a single sleeve spread out
Is somehow sad…

Lord Suetsune
891

Right.
妹だにも待つとし聞かば小余綾のいそぐ舟路も嬉しからまし

imo dani mo
matsu to shi kikaba
koyurugi no
isogu funaji mo
ureshikaramashi
That girl of yours
Awaits you – were I to hear that,
From Koyurugi’s
Rocky shore in haste I’d go, even
The sea-lanes filled with joy!

The Provisional Master of the Empress Household Office.
892

The Right state: the Left’s poem lacks the essence of love on a journey, and even the sense of sorrow seems insufficient. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no particular faults.

In judgement: what do the Right mean by saying the Left ‘lack the essence of love on a journey’? And is it really right that ‘is somehow sad’ (nani ka sabishiki) is insufficient? The poem is composed to give an impression of someone fooling themselves. The Right’s ‘Koyurugi’ is certainly not an expression which I have not come across. However, the Left should win.

Love V: 24

Left.
葦垣の上吹越ゆる夕風に通ふもつらき荻の音かな

ashigaki no
ue fukikoyuru
yūkaze ni
kayou mo tsuraki
ogi no oto kana
The rush-wood fence is
Brushed over
By the evening breeze;
So hard, its coming
In the sound of the silver grass…

A Servant Girl
887

Right (Win).
葦垣の間近き程に住む人のいつか隔てぬ中となるべき

ashigaki no
majikaki hodo ni
sumu hito no
itsuka hedatenu
naka to narubeki
The rush-wood fence:
So near
She lives;
When will unblocked
Our bond be?

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office
888

The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem is old-fashioned.

In judgement: both poems start with ‘rush-wood fence’ (ashigaki); the Left’s sound of the silver grass passed over by the evening wind sounds pleasant, but simply saying that the sound is hard means that the conception of Love in the poem is weak. While the initial section of the Right’s poem does sound antiquated, it is quite normal for this to be the case, and the lower section is certainly elegant. The conception of Love also seems clear, so the Right should win.

Love V: 15

Left.
行かへる心は程も無かりけり幾雲井とも知らぬ中にも

yukikaeru
kokoro wa hodo mo
nakarikeri
iku kumoi tomo
shiranu naka ni mo
To go to her
My heart feels the distance
Is nothing;
How far beyond the clouds it is
I care not at all…

Lord Suetsune.
869

Right (Win).
思遣るほどは苦しき戀路にも心は安く通ふなりけり

omoiyaru
hodo wa kurushiki
koiji ni mo
kokoro wa yasuku
kayou narikeri
My thoughts fly
So far to you; painful
Are the paths of love, that
The heart, so simply,
Travels over!

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
870

Both Left and Right state together: we find no faults.

In judgement: both poems have the conception of the heart travelling and, in addition, do not appear to have any particular features which suggest a win or a loss, but the Left’s ‘I care not at all’ (shiranu naka ni mo) sounds weaker. Thus, the Right wins.

 

Love V: 8

Left.
いかにして戀てふことを知りぬらん物の心も昨日今日こそ

ika ni shite
koi chō koto o
shirinuran
mono no kokoro mo
kinō kyō koso
How did
Love
Then seem to me?
When the truth of things
Has come to me now…

Lord Ari’ie.
855

Right (Win).
今はさは思亂ると知らせてん振分髪も肩過ぎにけり

ima wa sa wa
omoimidaru to
shiraseten
furuwakegami mo
kata suginikeri
Now it is that
I am in a tangle of love,
Let me tell you!
For my hair, bunched on either side,
Has come to brush my shoulders!

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
856

The Right state: the Left’s poem is facetious. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.

In judgement: the Right’s poem is elegant. It certainly wins over the Left.

Love V: 2

Left (Tie).
逢見ても身にやは年の積るべき我老いらくになしと答ふな

aimite mo
mi ni ya wa toshi no
tsumorubeki
wa ga oiraku ni
nashi to kotauna
Even should you meet me
Upon you the years
Would the years pile up?
So to this old man
I would not have you say no…

Lord Ari’ie.
843

Right.
包めども老蘇の森の薄紅葉たへでも色に出でにける哉

tsutsumedomo
oiso no mori no
usumomiji
taedemo iro ni
idenikeru kana
Although they may be hidden in
The sacred grove of Oiso,
The pale scarlet leaves’
Hues may not endure, but
Still have appeared…

The Provisional Master of the Empress Household Office.
844

The Right state: the Left’s poem’s conception is vague. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to indicate.

In judgement: the Left is unclear in style, but the configuration of ‘upon you the years’ (mi ni ya wa toshi no) is pleasant. Although one wonders why ‘pale scarlet leaves’ (usumomiji) is used, the following ‘hues may not endure’ (taedemo iro ni) is elegant. The round should tie.

Love IV: 25

Left.
拂ひつる夜床は咎もなき物を來ぬ人ゆへにうとく成ぬる

haraitsuru
yodoko wa toga mo
naki mono o
konu hito yue ni
utoku narinuru
I swept clean
My bed tonight, and faults
Has it none, but
Because he has failed to come
I hate it now!

Kenshō.
829

Right.
戀かぬる我をばをきて誰にさは枕かはして妹が寢ぬらん

koi kanuru
ware o ba okite
tare ni sa wa
makura kawashite
imo ga nenuran
Unable to bear this love
Am I, abandoned;
With whom, I wonder,
Does she swap pillows,
When my darling sleeps now?

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
830

The Right state: we wonder about the use of ‘faults’ (toga). The Left state: this style of poem is commonplace.

In judgement: both Left and Right are the same level, and there is no difference between them.