Preparing Tribute 貢調
あさづまやはたさす駒に声たててせたのながはしひきわたすなり
asazuma ya hata sasu koma ni koe tatete seta no nagahashi hikiwatasunari | In Asazuma To the flag-flying colts I will call out, and Across the lengthy bridge at Seta Will I draw them! |
Akinaka
Preparing Tribute 貢調
あさづまやはたさす駒に声たててせたのながはしひきわたすなり
asazuma ya hata sasu koma ni koe tatete seta no nagahashi hikiwatasunari | In Asazuma To the flag-flying colts I will call out, and Across the lengthy bridge at Seta Will I draw them! |
Akinaka
Topic unknown.
駒並めていざ見にゆかむ古里は雪とのみこそ花はちるらめ
koma namete iza mi ni yukamu Furusato Fa yuki to nomi koso Fana Fa tirurame | Line up our mounts, and Let’s go to see An ancient estate with A blizzard of Blossom, scattered all around! |
Anonymous
Composed for a folding screen with a picture suited to a month of the year upon it.
あふさかの関のし水に影見えて今やひくらんもち月のこま
aFusaka no seki no simidu ni kage miete ima ya Fikuran motiduki no koma | In Ausaka Barrier’s spring waters Are they reflected; Is it now they’re taken hence, The colts of Mochizuki? |
Ki no Tsurayuki
Left (Win)
唐国の虎臥す野邊に入るよりもまどふ戀路の末ぞあやうき
karakuni no tora fusu nobe ni iru yori mo madou koiji no sue zo ayauki |
In far Cathay are Meadows where tigers lie, But rather than entering there, The confusing paths of love Are, at the end, more dangerous… |
Lord Ari’ie
1063
Right
我宿は人もかれ野の淺茅原通ひし駒の跡もとゞめず
wa ga yado wa hito mo kareno no asajiwara kayoishi koma no ato mo todomezu |
At my home Is only a withered field Of cogon grass; The mount who once did cross it Has left no lingering tracks… |
Ietaka
1064
The Gentlemen of the Right state: how can love be dangerous? The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: saying that the ‘paths of love are, at the end’ (koiji no sue) dangerous is perfectly commonplace. ‘Is only a withered field of cogon grass’ (hito mo kareno no asajiwara) seems to simply have taken the poem ‘Sedge fields lie / Around the estate of Fushimi, / All long overgrown; / He who passed across them / Has left no tracks at all…’ and swapped in ‘mount who once did cross it’ (kayoishi koma). Changing a man into a mount is discomposing, indeed. Again, the Left should win.
Left (Tie)
いかにしてつれなき中を渡るべき足の音もせぬ駒のありとも
ika ni shite tsurenaki naka o watarubeki ashi no oto mo senu koma no aritomo |
How, indeed, To one so heartless Can I make my way across? Even a silent-footed Steed had I to ride… |
Lord Suetsune
1059
Right (Win)
道遠み妹がりがりいそぐその駒に草取り飼はんなづみもぞする
michi tōmi imogari isogu sono koma ni kusa torikawan nazumi mo zo suru |
Long is the road To go swiftly seek my darling, so For my steed I’ll go gather grasses That he not tire along the way… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1060
The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of making one’s way across when there is no ‘bridge’? The Gentlemen of the Left state: there are no faults to indicate in the Right’s poem.
In judgement: the gentleman of the Left has composed his poem referring to the conception of the Man’yō poem ‘A silent-footed / Colt I’d have: / In Kashitsuka, / The clapper bridge at Mama / To ceaselessly traverse!’, but must have misplaced the bridge somewhere. Truly, I do wonder how it is possible to make one’s way across in the absence of a bridge. Although to say ‘for my steed I’ll go gather grasses’ (sono koma ni kusa torikawan) is something commonplace, doing it to prevent one’s mount getting tired, despite the length of the journey, seems better than lacking a bridge.
Love and Horse Hair.
隙もあらばをぐろに立てる青鷺のこまごまとこそ言はまほしけれ
Fima mo araba woguro ni tateru awosagi no komagoma to koso iFamahosikere |
Were there but space, As perching on the paddy-ridges Are the grey herons close As the mounts ahead, in such detail Would I tell you of my love. |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
Love on Sight
競ひつる尾斑の駒の待つ立ちてかつ見る人も恋しかりけり
kioFituru obuti no koma no matu tatite katu miru hito mo koFisikarikeri |
The racing Motley mounts Await and depart; Someone seen but once before Is dear, indeed! |
Minamoto no Kanemasa
源兼昌
別るれど安積の沼の駒なれば面影にこそ離れざりけれ
wakaruredo asaka no numa no koma nareba omokage ni koso hanarezarikere |
We have parted, yet As Asaka Marsh’s Mount, Your face, of all things Has not left me! |
Nōin
能因
君が為名づけし駒ぞ陸奥の安積の沼に荒れて見えしを
kimi ga tame nazukeshi koma zo michinoku no asaka no numa ni arete mieshi o |
For you I named my mount, and To Michinoku’s Asaka Marsh Did go to see in haste, but… |
Nōin
能因
その駒ぞや 我に 我に草請ふ 草は取り飼はむ 水は取り飼はむや
sono koma ya ware ni ware ni kusa kau kusa wa torikawamu mizu wa torikawamu ya |
O, my steed, From me From me you beg for fodder, so I’ll go gather grass to feed you; I’ll go gather water to give you! |
Anonymous