Haze
み冬つぎ春しきぬれば青柳のかづらき山に霞たなびく
mifuyu tsugi haru shikinureba aoyagi no kazuragiyama ni kasumi tanabiku | After deep winter’s passing Spring has come, so Across willow-green Kazuragi Mountain The haze does trail. |
Left.
葛城や久米路の橋にあらねども絶えぬる中は渡る物かは
kazuragi ya kumeji no hashi ni aranedomo taenuru naka wa wataru mono ka wa |
At Kazuragi The bridge of Kumeji It is not, yet Can a relationship that’s done Ever continue on? |
Lord Suetsune
1017
Right (Win).
葛城や渡しもはてぬ岩橋も夜の契はありとこそ聞け
kazuragi ya watashi mo hatenu iwabashi mo yoru no chigiri wa ari to koso kike |
At Kazuragi lies The unfinished Bridge of stone: A vow at night There was, I hear! |
Ietaka
1018
Both Left and Right state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: both poems refer to ‘the bridge of Kazuragi, while the Left has ‘a relationship that’s done’ (taenuru naka). As the bridge, from the very beginning, was never finished, it is not appropriate to say that it is ‘done’. ‘A vow at night’ (yoru no chigiri) seems to be referring to Kodaigimi’s ‘cannot endure’ (taenubeshi). The Right has certainly matched the conception of the bridge. Thus, I make the Right the winner.
A poem composed in winter in the Eleventh Month, by His Majesty, when the Major Controller of the Left, Prince Kazuragi, and others, were granted the name Tachibana.
橘は実さへ花さへその葉さへ枝に霜降れどいや常葉の木
tatibana pa mi sape pana sape sono pa sape e ni simo puredo iya toko pa no ki |
O, orange tree: Fruit and flowers both, And leaves, too, Even should frost fall on your branches Evegreen will you be! |
The above poem was composed in winter, on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month, after Prince Kazuragi, Junior Third Rank, and Prince Sai, Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, among others, surrendered their membership of the imperial family and were granted the name of Tachibana. At that time Former Emperor [Genshō], the Emperor [Shōmu], and Empress [Kōmyō], were present in the Empress’ quarters, and hosted a banquet at which poems celebrating the name of Tachibana were composed, and sake was presented to the new members of the family. It is alternatively said, ‘This poem was composed by the Former Emperor. In addition, the Emperor and the Empress each composed a single poem. Those poems were lost and cannot now be located.’ If one seeks copies of the documents now, they say that on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month [Tenpyō] 8 [736], Prince Kazuragi and other submitted a request to the throne to be granted the name of Tachibana. On the 17th day the request was granted.
On hearing that Toki’akira, the Assistant-Governor of Sanuki, had not gone to the house of Koben, in service to the empress.
葛城や一言主もたけからず久米の岩橋渡しはてねば
kaduragi ya Fitokotonusi mo takekarazu kume no iFabasi watasiFateneba |
Kazuragi Mountain’s Master of the Single Word Lacks courage; For the boulder bridge of Kume He cannot cross, entirely! |
晴れよかし憂き名を我にわぎもこが葛城山の嶺の朝霧
hare yokashi uki na o ware ni wagimoko ga kazuragi yama no mine no asagiri |
Let them clear away! The cruel words said of me, as My darling’s Hairpin – Mount Kazuragi’s Morning mists! |