Round Ten
Left (Win)
かぞふればやとせへにけりあはれわがしづみしことはきのふとおもふに
| kasoureba yatose henikeri aware wa ga shizumishi koto wa kinō to omou ni | When I count them up, Many years have passed, but Sadness Overcomes me for the events Of yesterday, I feel… |
Lord Sanesada
119
Right
いたづらにふりぬるみをもすみよしのまつはさりともあはれしるらむ
| itazura ni furinuru mi o mo sumiyoshi no matsu wa sari tomo aware shiruramu | How quickly Age has come upon my flesh, too— Sumiyoshi’s Pines must that Sadness know too well… |
Lord Toshinari
120
The poem of the Left: these are not matters which could be understood by just anyone, yet even a superficial glance at it reveals that its conception and configuration display and exceptional sadness. How true it is that off all the myriad things in our lives it is the events of yesterday and today that we recall, and this is how we pass through the years and months, so how difficult, indeed, it is to supress the configuration of ‘When I count them up, / Many years have passed’! As for the Right’s poem, well, the conception of the initial section is pedestrian at best, although the latter section does seem to have some conception to it in places and shows some signs of thought. It is the poor composition of the judge, who is into his dotage. Once more, therefore, I have not rendered judgement, however, I feel that the deity would determine in favour of the Left.
Autumn
Composed on the morning of the 1st day of the Seventh Month.
昨日こそ夏はくれしかあさ戸出の衣手さむし秋のはつかぜ
| kinō koso natsu wa kureshi ka asa tode no koromode samushi aki no hatsukaze | Was it only yesterday that Summer reached its end? For stepping out my door this morning My sleeves are chilled By autumn’s first breeze… |
Left
わかれてののちやわびしきたなばたのあふごはるけきことをおもへば
| wakarete no nochi ya wabishiki tanabata no au go harukeki koto o omoeba | They part, and Later are filled with lonely sadness The Weaver Maid’s Time of meeting distant grows Within her thoughts… |
13
Right (Win)
わかれてはわびしきものをひこぼしのきのふけふこそおもひやらるれ
| wakarete wa wabishiki mono o hikoboshi no kinō kyō koso omoyararure | Parting is Such a sad and lonely thing— The Herd Boy, Yesterday and today, too, Dwells on it in his thoughts… |
14
Round Fifteen
Left (Win)
山たかみみだれてにほふ花桜人もすさめぬ春やへぬらん
| yama takami midarete niou hanazakura hito mo susamenu haru ya henuran | In these mountain heights The riotous glow of Blooming cherries: Is there no one to sing their praises As spring passes by?[1] |
Chikanari
29
Right
行末の山のかひより昨日みし雲もさながら桜なりけり
| yukusue no yama no kai yori kinō mishi kumo mo sanagara sakura narikeri | On my way Through mountain passes Yesterday I saw Clouds of white—all were Cherries![2] |
Ie’kiyo
30
The Right’s poem, having ‘mountain passes yesterday I saw’ sounds like it conveys the conception of Tsurayuki’s poem well, but isn’t it a bit pointless to end up with something that sounds like a Travel poem? The Left’s poem has the fine conception of the old poem which goes ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms’, so thus it must win.
[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. 山たかみ人もすさめぬさくら花いたくなわびそ我みはやさむ yama takami / hito mo susamenu / sakurabana / itaku na wabi so / ware mihayasamu ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms. / Do not be aggrieved / For I will do it.’ Anonymous (KKS I: 50).
[2] An allusive variation on: When he was instructed by His Majesty to compose a poem, he composed this and presented it. 桜花さきにけらしもあしひきの山の峡よりみゆる白雲 sakurabana / sakinikerashi mo / ashihiki no / yama no kai yori / miyuru shirakumo ‘The cherry blossom / Seems to have bloomed, and from / The leg-wearying / Mountain passes / Appears white billowing clouds.’ Tsurayuki (KKS I: 59)
Round Eight
Left (Win)
朝まだきたつや霞の波まより昨日はみえし淡路島山
| asa madaki tatsu ya kasumi no namima yori kinō mieshi awajishima yama | Early in the morning, Breaking, haze From between the waves, rather than Yesterday’s sight of The mountains of Awaji Isle… |
Fujiwara no Tomoshige
15
Right
さえ残る雪げの春の朝霞かすむ名のみや空に立つらん
| saenokoru yukige no haru no asagasumi kasumu na nomi sora ni tatsuran | Do chilly remnants of Snowmelt in spring Make morning haze’s Blur in name alone Drift into the skies? |
Dharma Master Zenshin
16
The Left’s ‘Yesterday’s sight of the mountains of Awaji Isle’ sounds pleasant. The Right’s ‘Blur in name alone drift into the skies’ does not sound bad, but thinking of the conception of the topic, haze in name only is a bit inferior, isn’t it? Thus, the Left wins.
For a folding screen.
昨日までよそにおもひしあやめ草けふ我がやどの妻とみるかな
| kinoFu made yoso ni omoFisi ayamegusa keFu wa ga yado no tuma to miru kana | Until yesterday Distant did I think us, but As a sweet flag Today from my house’s Eaves, my wife I see! |
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu
When a man she had been seeing had failed to visit for a long time, she sent him this in the Longest Month.
おほかたのあきのそらだにかなしきにものおもひそふ昨日今日かな
| oFokata no aki no sora dani kanasiki ni mono’omoFisoFu kinoFu keFu kana | As ever, Even the autumn sky’s Sadness is Overlaid with gloomy thoughts Today, and the day before! |
Ukon
On autumn mornings, kōshin Fourth Month, Kenpo 5.
をぐら山しぐるるころのあさなあさな昨日はうすき四方のもみぢば
| ogurayama shigururu koro no asana asana kinō wa usuki yomo no momijiba | On gloomy Ogura Mountain When the showers fall Each and every morning, How faded are yesterday’s Scarlet leaves, all around. |
Former Middle Counsellor Sada’ie
