Love
Left
あまぐもに鳴きわたるなる雁がねはおくれし秋や恋しかるらむ
| amagumo ni nakiwataru naru kari ga ne wa okureshi aki ya koishikaruramu | Through the heavens’ clouds Crying, crossing go The geese, their calls, Delayed, might autumn’s surfeit Make me yearn for you more? |
21
Right
わが心あやしかりけり秋果ててゆくとみるみるなほぞ恋しき
| wa ga kokoro ayashikarikeri aki hatete yuku to mirumiru nao zo koishiki | My heart Feels strange, indeed! Autumn’s done, and I ever watch it leave, yet Still I yearn so strongly… |
22
Love
Left
秋萩におく白露の消えかへり人をこひしとおもふころかな
| akihagi ni oku shiratsuyu no kiekaeri hito o koishi to omou koro kana | In autumn upon the bush clover Fall silver dewdrops, Vanishing away, with Her I loved— My feelings in those days! |
17[i]
Right
寒き夜はさごろも雁の声きけばかへすがへすぞ人はこひしき
| samuki yo wa sagoromo kari no koe kikeba kaesugaesu zo hito wa koishiki | On a night so chill, In a scanty robe, when the goose Cries I hear, Again and yet again Do I long for her… |
18
[i] This poem is included in Shinshūishū (XII: 1011), with the headnote, ‘From the poetry match at Tsurayuki’s house’. A variant of it also appears in some Mandaishū (XV: 2458) texts; in others the version provided is as in the contest: From the poetry match held when Tsuryuki was in Suo province. 秋萩におく白露の澄みかへり人をこひしとおもふころかな aki hagi ni / oku shiratsuyu no / sumikaeri / hito o koishi to / omou koro kana ‘In autumn upon the bush-clover / Fall silver dewdrops / Ever clear / Her I loved— / My feelings in those days’.
Written on the edge of a folding screen by a painting of geese flying in the clouds, when His Majesty ordered a celebration for the Junior Principal Handmaid.
白雲の中にまがひてゆく雁もこゑはかくれぬ物にざりける
| shirakumo no naka ni magaite yuku kari mo koe wa kakurenu mono ni zarikeru | Within the clouds, so white, Entangled Goes a goose, Unable to conceal his cry With anything at all! |
Round Thirty-One
Left
露すがる庭の萩原色付きぬいかなる人の思ひそむらん
| tsuyu sugaru niwa no hagiwara irozukinu ika naru hito no omoisomuran | All clung with dew, The bush clover grove in the grounds Has taken on such hues, that I wonder who it is Might have just fallen into passion’s flames? |
Chikanari
61
Right (Win)
おく露は秋のならひの萩が枝にあまるや雁の涙なるらん
| oku tsuyu wa aki no narai no hagi ga e ni amaru ya kari no namida naruran | Dewdrops falling is Autumn’s custom for The bush clover branches, but Added to them are the goose Tears, perhaps?[1] |
Ie’kiyo
62
The Left’s poem has a person’s feelings being dyed by the bush-clover, but I cannot think why this should be? The Right’s poem seems particularly pleasant. Thus, it wins.
[1] An allusive variation on: Composed on the occasion of a poetry competition at Prince Koresada’s house. 秋の夜のつゆをばつゆとおきながらかりの涙やのべをそむらむ aki no yo no / tsuyu oba tsuyu to / okinagara / kari no namida ya / nobe o somuran ‘On Autumn nights / The dew as dewdrops / Falls, but, / Perhaps goose tears / Stain the fields?’ Mibu no Tadamine (KKS V: 258)
Round Twenty-Seven
Left (Tie)
高砂のすそ野の真萩露ふかし嶺の秋風ふかずもあらなむ
| takasago no susono no ma’hagi tsuyu fukashi mine no akikaze fukazu mo aranamu | On Takasago’s Slopes the fair bush clover is Deep in dew— O, that the autumn winds from the peak Would fail to blow… |
The Supernumerary Major Counsellor
53
Right
久かたの天とぶかりの涙さへおちてみだるる萩のうは露
| hisakata no ama tobu kari no namida sae ochite midaruru hagi no uwazuyu | From the eternal Heavens flying, even the goose Tears Drop in confusion Overlaying the dew upon the bush clover.[1] |
Nobunari
54
Both Left and Right seem particularly pleasant. Thus, they tie.
[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. なきわたるかりの涙やおちつらむ物思ふやどの萩のうへのつゆ nakiwataru / kari no namida ya / ochitsuran / mono’omou yado no / hagi no ue no tsuyu ‘Calling across / Did the geese let tears / Fall? / My dwelling, lost in thought, / Has dew upon the bush clover.’ Anonymous (KKS IV: 221)
草のかう色変わりぬる白露は心おきても思ふべきかな
| kusa no kō iro kawarinuru shiratsuyu wa kokoro okitemo omoubeki kana | The grasses have such Changing hues with The silver dewdrops Fall upon my heart, yet I am filled with longing! |
1[i]
風寒み鳴くなる雁の声によりうたむ衣をまづやからまし
| kaze samumi nakunaru kari no koe ni yori utamu koromo o mazu ya karamashi | Chill will turn the wind as Calling come the goose Cries, so The robes upon the fulling block— First would I borrow one! |
2[ii]
[i] This poem is included in Kokin rokujō (VI: 3768), attributed to Ise, with the headnote ‘The scent of grasses’. It is also included in Ise-shū (88), with the headnote ‘The scent of grasses, in the Minister of Ceremonial’s Garden Match’.
[ii] This poem is included in Ise-shū (89), with the headnote ‘Gentian’ (rindō 竜胆).
