百草の花のけぶりや七夕の雲の衣の袖に染むらむ
momokusa no hana no keburi ya tanabata no kumo no koromo no sode ni shimuramu |
Are all the grasses Blooms, a smoke, that into The Weaver Maid’s Robe of cloud’s Sleeves will sink? |
Fujiwara no Shunzei
Left.
山里の寂しさ思ふ煙ゆへ絶え絶え立てる峯の椎柴
yamazato no sabishisa omou keburi yue taedae tateru mine no shiishiba |
That mountain dwelling’s Loneliness feeling, The smoke, Rising in sporadic strands: The brushwood on the peak… |
565
Right (Win).
冬籠る草の戸ざしは霜枯れてま近き山の峯の椎柴
fuyugomoru kusa no tozashi wa shimogarete majikaki yama no mine no shiishiba |
Sealed in winter The blockading grasses are Seared by frost, and How much closer is the mountain Peak’s brushwood. |
566
Both teams say that the conceptions of the two poems resemble each other closely [kokoro hōfutsu].
Shuzei’s judgement: The Left, by starting, ‘That mountain dwelling’s loneliness feeling, the smoke’ (yamazato no sabishisa omou keburi yue) sounds as if it is the brushwood itself which has some sensitivity to the situation, and are rising up from time to time. I wonder about that. The Right’s evergreen groves ‘nearing the mountain’ (majikaki yama) is what should win.
Sent to a woman.
風ふけば室の八嶋のゆふ煙心のそらにたちにけるかな
kaze fukeba muro no yashima no yū keburi kokoro no sora ni tachinikeru kana |
When the wind blows ‘cross the waters of Muro no Yashima At eventide as smoke, Up to the firmament of my heart, My passion soars… |
Fujiwara no Koreshige (953-989)
Left (Tie).
立わたる野邊の霞を煙にてもえ出にけるこれや若草
tachiwataru nobe no kasumi o keburi nite moe’idenikeru kore ya wakakusa |
Spreading, everywhere, Across the plain, the haze Seems smoke: Is the burning the buds Of new-grown grass… |
39
Right (Tie).
もえ出づる野邊の春草末わかみ空とゝもにぞ淺緑なる
moeizuru nobe no haru kusa sue wakami sora to tomo ni zo asamidori naru |
Shooting up Across the plain, the grass’ Tips are so young That, with the skies, They celadon seem… |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
40
Both teams say there is ‘nothing remarkable’ about the other’s poem, while Shunzei says simply the purport of both is ‘generally appropriate’ and that it would be ‘difficult to determine’ a winner.