mezurashiki kyō no kasuga no yaotome o kami mo koishi to shinobazarame ya
Charming, Today at Kasuga Were maidens eight— Would the deity, too, such yearning Be unable to recall?[1]
1
In reply:
Left (Tie)
やをとめをかみししのばばゆふだすきかけてぞこひむけふのくれなば
yaotome o kami shi shinobaba yūdasuki kakete zo koimu kyō no kurenaba
If maidens eight The deity does recall, then Cords of mulberry cloth Would he hang that on this beloved Day evening should not fall…
2
Right
ちはやぶるかみしゆるさばかすがのにたつやをとめのいつかたゆべき
chihayaburu kami shi yurusaba kasuga no ni tatsu yaotome no itsuka tayubeki
Should the mighty Deity permit, Upon Kasuga plain Stand maidens eight— How long would they endure?
3
[1] A variant of this poem occurs in Shūishū: Composed when officials from the provinces presented twenty-one poems on the occasion of an imperial progress to Kasuga by the former Teiji Emperor in Engi 20: めづらしきけふのかすがのやをとめを神もうれしとしのばざらめや mezurashiki / kyō no kasuga no / yaotome o / kami mo ureshi to / shinobazareme ya ‘Charming, / Today at Kasuga / Were maidens eight— / Would the deity, too, such joy / Be unable to recall?’ Fujiwara no Tadafusa (SIS X: 620)
