Left.
白菊の散らぬは殘る色顔に春は風をも恨みけるかな
shiragiku no
chiranu wa nokoru
irogao ni
haru wa kaze o mo
uramikeru kana |
The white chrysanthemums
Will not scatter: they have about them
That look
Towards the springtime wind
Of spite! |
Lord Sada’ie.
503
Right (Win).
花もかく雪の籬まで見る菊の匂ひは袖にまた殘さなん
hana mo naku
yuki no mase made
miru kiku no
nioi wa sode ni
mata nokosanan |
Until flowers are there none
And snow piles against my fence,
Gazing at the chrysanthemums,
I wish the scent upon my sleeves
Would linger yet… |
Nobusada.
504
The Right state that the Left’s poem has nothing to do with lingering chrysanthemums in its initial part, and the concluding section is incomprehensible [kokoroegatashi]. The Left merely remark that the Right’s ‘snow piles against my fence’ (yuki no mase) sounds poor [kikiyokarazu].
Shunzei’s judgement: The gentleman of the Right states that ‘the Left’s poem has nothing to do with lingering chrysanthemums’ – this really isn’t the case, is it? Even superficially, this is not true [omote naki ni wa arazu].However, I am unable to accept ‘look’ (irogao) as appropriate diction. In the Right’s poem, ‘snow piles against my fence’ (yuki no mase), again, charmingly and especially reflects the conception of lingering chrysanthemums [zangiku no kokoro mo koto ni miete okashiku koso mie]. In general, hearing both sides complaining that the other’s poems ‘sound poor’ or ‘grate upon the ear’ is itself unpleasant to hear. The Right wins.
Left (Win).
白菊も紫深く成にけり秋と冬とに色や分くらん
shiragiku mo
murasaki fukaku
narinikeri
aki to fuyu to ni
iro ya wakuran |
The white chrysanthemums
A deeper violet
Have taken on;
Are autumn and winter, then
Divided by their hues? |
Lord Ari’ie.
501
Right.
霜枯の菊にしあらば紫に移ろふ色も嬉しとや見む
shimogare no
kiku ni shiaraba
murasaki ni
utsurou iro mo
ureshi to ya mimu |
If frost-burned
Chrysanthemums there were, then
To violet,
Would a shift of hue
Be a source of joy? |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
502
The Right state that the Left’s poem expresses the topic only in its initial part. The Left comment that the Right’s poem is ‘little different from’ [Minamoto no] Koremitsu (d.1127)’s poem:
霜枯るゝ花とも見ずは白菊の移ろふ色を歎かさらまし
shimogaruru
hana to mo mizu wa
shiragiku no
utsurou iro o
nagekazaramashi |
If frost-burned
Flowers I failed to spot,
White chrysanthemums’
Shifting hues
Might not cause me grief… |
Shunzei’s judgement: The criticism that ‘the Left’s poem expresses the topic only in its initial part’ is pointless. It is common practice [tsune no narai] in poetry for the topic to be mentioned the initial part of a poem, and not in the latter; or not mentioned initially and then referred to in the final section. This section, too, just as in the Right’s poem in Winter I: 9, follows the Theory of the Five Elements. On the fact of the Right’s poem resembling Koremitsu’s: as I have said before, it is difficult to entirely avoid reference to poems outside of the Anthologies. However, if this is a poem on the topic of ‘lingering chrysanthemums’ from the Poetry Contest held in the younger years of the Lord of Hosshōji, that is all the more reason to avoid it. Thus, although in form [sama de] it may be somewhat lacking, the Left’s poem is most tasteful [yū ni haberubeshi]. The Left wins.
Left (Win).
暮ていにし秋の形見と思ふべき菊さへ色を變へてけるかな
kurete’inishi
aki no katami to
omoubeki
kiku sae iro o
kaetekeru kana |
Night has fallen on
Autumn’s keepsake –
Or so I thought –
Even the chrysanthemums’ hues
Have changed… |
Lord Kanemune.
499
Right.
一枝も折りつる袖は白菊の匂ひまでこそ移ろひにけれ
hito eda mo
oritsuru sode wa
shiragiku no
nioi made koso
utsuroinikere |
A single stem
I plucked and to my sleeves
The white chrysanthemums’
Scent, even,
Has shifted… |
Jakuren.
500
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem. The Left state that there does not seem to be the conception of ‘lingering’ in the Right’s poem. In response, the Right say, ‘By the use of “even” (made) one can understand that the chrysanthemums’ hues have shifted as well. The use of “shift” (utsurou) expresses the conception of lingering [nokori no kokoro nari].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘Even the chrysanthemums’ hues’ (kiku sae iro o) seems most fine [yoroshiku koso haberumere]. The Right, too, with its ‘chrysanthemums’ scent’ (kiku no nioi) is particularly splendid [fukaku yū ni wa haberubeshi]. On the matter of the conception of lingering chrysanthemums [nokori no kiku no kokoro], the Right have said that ‘using “even the scent” expresses the conception of lingering’, which is true enough, but is it not that the scent has shifted to the poet’s sleeves, even though the flowers are chrysanthemums? Thus, the conception of a shift of hue must be somewhat weak [utsurou kokoro wa nao sukunakarubeku]. In any case, the Left’s conception of lingering is certainly stronger. The Left wins.
Left.
霜降れば若紫の色映へて菊は老せぬ花にぞ有ける
shimo fureba
wakamurasaki no
iro haete
kiku wa oisenu
hana ni zo arikeru |
With frost-fall,
A fresh violet
Hue shines out;
Chrysanthemums show not their age –
Such blooms are they! |
Kenshō.
497
Right (Win).
染めかふる籬の菊の紫は冬にうつろふ色にぞ有ける
somekauru
magaki no kiku no
murasaki wa
fuyu ni utsurou
iro ni zo arikeru |
Stained a different hue,
The chrysanthemums by my lattice fence
With violet
Show the shift to winter –
Such is their hue! |
Lord Tsune’ie.
498
Neither Left nor Right have any criticisms to make.
Shunzei’s judgement: Both poems are on ‘violet chrysanthemums’, and the Left’s ‘Chrysanthemums show not their age’ (kiku wa oisenu) is elegant [yū naru], but in terms of diction [kotoba] I find myself unable to accept [shokisubekarazu] ‘hue shines out’ (iro haete). The Right’s ‘Show the shift to winter – such is their hue!’ (fuyu ni utsurou iro ni zo arikeru), sounds pleasant [yoroshiku kikoe habere] and is in line with the Theory of the Five Elements. Violet is a colour obtained by adding black to red. Thus, it is a suitable hue to place between Autumn and Winter. The Right have composed upon such a conception most naturally [sono kokoro shizen ni yomaretaru]. It seems he is most knowledgeable about the elemental turning of the seasons [go gyō no rinten o shireru ni nitari]. The poem is pleasant in conception and configuration [kokoro sugata yoroshiki]. Again, the Right should win.
Left.
いつしかと移ろふ色の見ゆるかな花心なる八重の白菊
itsu shika to
utsurou iro no
miyuru kana
hanagokoronaru
yae no shiragiku |
All at once
Your colours change
I see;
What a flower’s heart you have,
Eightfold chrysanthemum! |
Lord Suetsune.
495
Right (Win).
花ならぬ匂ひも後はなき物を移ろひ殘れ庭の白菊
hana naranu
nioi mo nochi wa
naki mono wo
utsuroinokore
niwa no shiragiku |
Flowers are there none,
But a trace of scent
Of what’s gone
Leave trailed behind,
O, garden chrysanthemums! |
Ietaka.
496
The Right remark that the Left’s poem, ‘seems overly humorous’ [tawabure ni nitari]. The Left counter by wondering, ‘Whether it really is possible to separate flower and scent?’
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s poem, even though it has a ‘flower’s heart’ (hanagokoro) ‘changing’ (utsurou), seems to lack the conception of a poem on ‘lingering chrysanthumums’ [zangiku no kokoro sukunaku kikoyuru ni ya]. As for the Right’s poem, although it is true that flower and scent are not separate, there are poems composed on plum blossom, such as ‘The plum blossoms’/Scent, disturbingly,/Clings to my sleeves’ or ‘Leave behind your scent, at least’, so ‘a trace of scent’ (nioi mo nochi wa) does not seem to be a fault. ‘Leave trailed behind’ (utsuroinokore), too, is not unpleasant [yoroshikarazaru ni arazu]. The Right should win.
Left (Win).
さまざまの花をば菊に分とめて墻根に知らぬ霜枯の比
samazama no
hana o ba kiku ni
waketomete
kakine ni shiranu
shimogare no koro |
Of all the many
Flowers, the chrysanthemums
Alone are last;
I knew not they were by the fence, and
Now burned by frost… |
A Servant Girl.
493
Right.
移ろふか又咲花もなき花と菊にも染めつ深き心を
utsurou ka
mata saku hana mo
naki hana to
kiku ni mo sometsu
fukaki kokoro o |
Is it their changing hues?
Later blooming flowers
Are there flowers none, so
The chrysanthemums stain
The depths of my heart… |
Lord Takanobu.
494
The Right state that the Left’s poem is difficult to understand, and that it would have better to have had ‘unknown to all’ (shirarenu) in place of ‘I knew not’ (shiranu).The Left state that the ‘diction of the Right’s poem does not flow smoothly’ [kotoba, todokohoritari].
Shunzei’s judgement: The Left’s ‘alone at last’ (waketomete) is something I wonder at the meaning of, however, the final section is excellent [yoroshiku haberubeshi]. The Right’s poem appears to express the conception [kokoro aru yō ni wa haberu o], but due to the dual use of ‘flowers’ (hana), ‘chrysanthemums’ (kiku) are reduced to a hidden topic [kakushidai naru yō naru], and this sounds insufficient. The Left wins.
'Simply moving and elegant'