Left
年深き入江の秋の月見ても別惜しまぬ人やかなしき
toshi fukaki
irie no aki no
tsuki mitemo
wakare oshimanu
hito ya kanashiki | Late on in the year
Above the bay one evening,
Glimpsing the moon:
That he cares not at their parting –
Is that a source of sadness? |
A Servant Girl
1199
Right (Win)
ともすれば別を知らぬ浪の上にかきなす音をも人は問けり
tomo sureba
wakare o shiranu
nami no ue ni
kakinasu ne o mo
hito wa toikeri | As ever,
In ignorance of our parting,
Upon the waves
The strains I pluck
Bring folk to ask me why… |
Ietaka
1200
Both Gentlemen state: the poems are based on ‘The Song of the Lute’ and have no faults to mention.
In judgement: both the Left and the Right are based on ‘The Song of the Lute’ and the Left, beginning with ‘late on in the year’ (toshi fukaki) is pleasant, but ‘that he cares not at their parting’ (wakare oshimanu) and what follows seems rather insufficient, in addition to simply seeming to recall Xunyang River and lack a conception of the poet’s own love. The Right has ‘in ignorance of our parting’ (wakare o shiranu), while ‘bring folk to ask me why’ (hito wa toikeri) also has a slight conception that the lady has not asked why either. Thus, the Right should win.
Love and Bridges.
難波がた入江に渡すまろき橋踏みそめしとや人は思はん
naniwagata
irie ni watasu
marokibashi
fumisomeshi to ya
hito wa omowan | At the Naniwa tidelands
Crossing the shore is
A bridge of logs;
Do I take that first step upon it?
Did someone think once… |
Fujiwara no Tadamichi
Left (Win)
鴨のゐる入江の浪を心にて胸と袖とにさはぐ戀かな
kamo no iru
irie no nami o
kokoro nite
mune to sode to ni
sawagu koi kana |
Ducks flock on
The inlet’s waves
Within my heart, so
My breast and sleeves both
Are raucous with love! |
Lord Sada’ie
1055
Right
佐保川の霧のまよひの程だにも妻もとむとて千鳥鳴夜を
saogawa no
kiri no mayoi no
hodo dani mo
tsuma motomu tote
chidori naku yo o |
To the vernal river:
The mist brings confusion
And in its midst,
Seeking a mate,
A plover cries at night… |
Jakuren
1056
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of ‘my breast and sleeves both are raucous’ (mune to sode to ni sawagu)? The Left, in appeal, state: there is ‘the river-mouths of my sleeves’ (sode no minato) and ‘when I think, upon my breast’ (omoeba mune ni) so linking ‘breast’ and ‘sleeve’ is entirely uncontroversial. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we find no faults to mention in the Right’s poem.
In judgement: I understand the views of the Left’s poem held by both teams. It has also been said that the Right’s poem lacks faults. However, in ‘seeking a mate, a plover cries at night’ (tsuma motomu tote chidori naku yo o) only the two words ‘at night’ (yo o) have any conception of love. The remainder of the poem is simply about plovers, so there is little of love about it. ‘Breast and sleeves both’ (mune to sode to) should win.
三島江の入江に生ふる白菅の知らぬ人をも逢ひ見つるかな
misimae no
irie ni oFuru
sirasuge no
siranu Fito wo mo
aFimituru kana |
At Mishima Bay
In the inlets grows
White sedge;
With an unknown lady
Have I met together! |
Fujiwara no Mototoshi
藤原基俊
Sad thoughts.
三島江の入江の薦を刈りにこそ我れをば君は思ひたりけれ
misimae no
irie no komo wo
kari ni koso
ware wo ba kimi pa
omopitarikere |
At Mishima Bay
Wild rice in the inlets
Did you reap, and
That is how you of me
Do think… |
和歌の浦や入り江の葦の霜の鶴かかる光にあはむとや見し
waka no ura ya
irie no ashi no
shimo no tsuru
kakaru hikari ni
awamu to ya mishi |
O Waka Bay!
In the reeds upon your shore
Did frost-covered cranes
With the light
I once see become one? |
Ietaka
'Simply moving and elegant'