Left (Tie).
斧の柄をかくてや人はくたしけん山路おぼゆる春の空かな
ono no e o
kakute ya hito wa
kutashiken
yamaji oboyuru
haru no sora kana |
‘His axe haft:
Is this how he
Let it rot away?’
I wonder on the mountain paths
Under the springtime skies. |
Lord Kanemune.
131
Right (Tie).
春の日は灘の塩屋のあま人もいとまありてやくらしわぶらん
haru no hi wa
nada no shioya no
amabito mo
itoma arite ya
kurashiwaburan |
In the springtime sun
At Nada, the salt-making
Fisher-folk, too,
Have time to spare, and
Live with it heavy on their hands… |
Ietaka.
132
Both teams say they can find nothing to criticise in the other’s poem.
Shunzei agrees, saying, ‘You gentlemen have already stated that there is no reason to fault either poem. The round must be a tie.’
Left (Win).
秋ならば月待つことの憂からまし櫻にくらす春の山里
aki naraba
tsuki matsu koto no
ukaramashi
sakura ni kurasu
haru no yamazato |
Were it autumn,
Waiting for the moon is
Bitter, indeed, but
Amongst the cherry blossom do I live,
In my mountain hut in springtime. |
A Servant Girl.
129
Right.
白雲の八重立つ山の花を見て歸る家路も日ははるか也
shirakumo no
yae tatsu yama no
hana o mite
kaeru ieji mo
hi wa harukanari |
Clouds of white,
Lie eight-fold upon the mountains;
Gazing on the blossoms, being
Homeward bound at
Sundown seems a long, long way away… |
Jakuren.
130
The Right team have no particular criticisms of the Left’s poem this round. The Left, though, say ‘What are we to make of ‘Sundown seems a long, long way away’ (hi wa harukanari)?’ (Probably suggesting it’s an insufficiently poetic expression to use in a waka.)
Shunzei doesn’t address the Left’s criticism in his judgement, simply saying, ‘The Left’s final section starting “amongst the cherry blossom do I live” (sakura ni kurasu) sounds charming. It must win.’
Left (Win).
ながめわびぬ光のどかに霞む日に花咲く山は西を分かねど
nagame wabinu
hikari nodoka ni
kasumu hi ni
hana saku yama wa
nishi o wakanedo |
Surfeited with gazing,
In the tranquil light
Of the hazy sun,
At the mountain – blossom-covered –
Yet not on its western side alone… |
Lord Sada’ie.
127
Right.
つれづれとくらしぞかぬる山里の花咲かぬまの春の心は
tsurezure to
kurashi zo kanuru
yamazato no
hana sakanu ma no
haru no kokoro wa |
In this tedium
I cannot spend my days:
Dwelling on a mountain,
The blossoms not yet blooming
In springtime – or so I feel! |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
128
Both teams say their feelings are as in the previous round.
Shunzei says, ‘The final stanza ‘At the mountain – blossom-covered – yet not on its western side alone…’ (hana saku yama wa nishi o wakanedo) appears particularly splendid. The Right’s ‘I cannot spend my days: dwelling on a mountain’ (kurashi zo kanuru yamazato no) is also good, but ‘The blossoms not yet blooming’ (hana sakanu ma) would be more appropriate for a poem on the end of the First, or beginning of the Second Month. Wouldn’t it?’
Left.
夕暮に思へばけさの朝霞夜をへだてたる心地こそすれ
yūgure ni
omoeba kesa no
asa kasumi
yo o hedatetaru
kokochi koso sure |
In the evening
Pondering on the morn’s
Morning mist:
That a night does stand between,
The feeling strikes me strongly. |
Lord Ari’ie.
125
Right (Win).
かくしつゝつもればおしき春の日をのどけき物と何思らむ
kakushitsutsu
tsumoreba oshiki
haru no hi o
nodokeki mono to
nani omouramu |
Doing this and that
Time passes, so I should regret
These days of spring,
Spent in peaceful
Thought – and for what! |
Lord Takanobu.
126
Neither team has any comments to make about the other’s poem this round.
Shunzei states, ‘The Left seem to touch on the topic of the round only distantly, while the Right’s ‘Time passes, so I should regret’ (tsumoreba oshiki) appears particularly splendid. It must be the winner.
Left (Win).
春の日はたのむる中にあらねどもくらしわづらふ物にぞ有ける
haru no hi wa
tanomuru naka ni
aranedomo
kurashiwazurau
mono ni zo arikeru |
The days of Spring for
Longing love affairs
Are unsuited, yet
In yearning for dusk,
Do they go by… |
Lord Suetsune.
123
Right.
春の日のなぐさめがたきつれづれに幾たびけふ晝寢しつらん
haru no hi no
nagusamegataki
tsurezure ni
ikutabi kyō
hirune shitsuran |
The hours in spring are
Hard to endure, as
In idleness,
How many times, today,
Have I dozed in daytime? |
Lord Tsune’ie.
124
Both teams say they don’t think much thought has gone into the other’s poem.
Shunzei takes the opportunity here to show off his erudition, saying, ‘In the Right’s poem, doing such a thing as many times as Zai Yu would be appallingly lazy, would it not? The Left’s “yearning for dusk” (kurashiwazurau), however, is a superb expression. I must make them the winner.”
Left (Tie).
鶯の百囀りを幾かへりながき春日に鳴きくらすらん
uguisu no
momo saezuri o
iku kaeri
nagaki haru hi ni
nakikurasuran |
The warblers’
Multitude of twitters
Goes round, and round again;
The long, late days of spring,
Do they spend in song? |
Kenshō.
121
Right (Tie).
雲の上に鶴の諸聲をとづれてあはれのどけき春のけふ哉
kumo no ue ni
tsuru no morogoe
otozurete
aware nodokeki
haru no kyō kana |
By the clound borne palace
The choir of cranes
Gives song;
O, how peaceful is
Today, in springtime! |
Nobusada.
122
Neither team can find any particular fault with the other’s poem this round.
Shunzei says, ‘Both poems are on “lengthening days”, and both – the Left’s “warblers’ multitude of twitters” (uguisu no momo saezuri) and the Right’s “choir of cranes” (tsuru no morogoe) – have a tranquil air and sound excellent. Again, I must make them a tie.’
'Simply moving and elegant'