恋草に染かへりたる色なれば思ひそめけむ日をぞ恨むる
| koFigusa ni simikaFeritaru iro nareba omoFisomekemu Fi wo zo uramuru |
The lovely grasses’ Have ever staining Hues, so When it seemed I was first deeply dyed with love – That day I do hate! |
Minamoto no Toshiyori
源俊頼
When he drew the topic of dew, when people were composing poetry on randomly selected topics at the residence of the Minister of the Left.
我ならぬ草葉もものは思ひけり袖より外におけるしらつゆ
| aFare naranu kusaba mo mono Fa omoFikeri sode yori Foka ni okeru siratuyu |
Not only I, but All the grassy leaves Are sunk in gloomy thought For in places other than my sleeves Fall silver dewdrops. |
Fujiwara no Tadakuni
藤原忠国
On the moon passing over the plain, when he presented a fifty poem sequence.
行く末は空もひとつの武蔵野に草の原より出づる月影
| yukusue wa sora mo hitotsu no musashino ni kusa no hara yori izuru tsukikage |
Its destination: The skies, one with Musashi Plain, where From among the fields of grass Emerges moonlight. |
The Regent and Prime Minister (Fujiwara no Yoshitsune)
In Kanpyō-Shōhō 2 [750], on the 24th day of the Third Month, it would be near to the beginning of summer in the Fourth Month, so he composed these two poems when, on the evening of the 23rd day, he suddenly thought of a cuckoo calling at dawn.
霍公鳥来鳴き響めば草取らむ花橘を宿には植ゑずて
| pototogisu kinaki toyomeba kusa toramu panatatibana wo yado ni wa uwezute |
When the cuckoo Arrives, his resounding song Sends me gathering grasses, For orange blossom Has not been planted in my grounds… |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
Left (Win).
旅寢する我をば床の主にて枕に宿る小夜の面影
| tabinesuru ware oba toko no aruji nite makura ni yadoru sayo no omokage |
When sleeping on my travels I of my bedding Am master! Lodging by my pillow is A face from a night too brief… |
Lord Ari’ie
895
Right.
まどろまぬその夜な夜なを數ふれば夢路も遠き草枕哉
| madoromanu sono yona yona o kazoureba yumeji mo tōki kusamakura kana |
Unable to even doze Night after night I count them up, and The path of dreams gets more Distant from my grassy pillow. |
Lord Takanobu
896
The Right state: the Left’s poem seems fine. The Left state: we find no faults to mention.
In judgement: the Right’s ‘the path of dreams gets more distant’ (yumeji mo tōki) sounds elegant, but the Left’s poem has already been assessed as ‘fine’ in the comments by the gentlemen of the Right. This round I will leave the judgement in their hands and make the Left the winner.