春日野の青根が峰の苔筵誰かおりけむ縦緯なしに
| kasuga no no aone ga mine no kokemushiro tare ka orikemu tatenuki nashi ni |
On the plain at Kasuga Atop Aone Peak Lie blankets of moss Who is it that wove them With no warp or weft? |
On a night when the Ise Vestal was conducting the Kōshin rite at the shrine in the fields, she composed this on the topic of the wind in the pines sounding a zither’s strings when blowing at night.
ことのねに峯の松風かよふらしいづれのをよりしらべそめけん
| koto no ne ni mine no matukaze kayoFurasi idure no wo yori sirabe someken |
The zither’s strains With wind from pines atop the peak Do sound; Which string is it That may start me on my way? |
The Ise Vestal Consort 斎宮女御
[Princess Yoshiko/Kishi 徽子女王] (929-985)
Left.
思ひこそ千島の奥を隔てねどえぞ通はさぬ壺の碑
| omoi koso chishima no oku o hedatenedo ezo kayowasanu tsubo no ishibumi |
My love Has not the Thousand Islands Barring it, yet The barbarians cannot pass The Stone at Tsubo – nor can I write to you! |
Kenshō
871
Right (Win).
思ひやる心幾重の峰越えて信夫の奧を尋ね入るらん
| omoiyaru kokoro ikue no mine koete shinobu no oku o tazuneiruran |
Dwelling on you, My heart numberless Peaks will cross To the depths of Shinobu, Perhaps to visit someone hidden there? |
Ietaka
872
As the previous round.
In judgement: the Left’s ‘Thousand Islands’ (chishima) is a familiar expression from the past, but I do not recall it being used in poetry. I am familiar with the Right’s ‘depths of Shinobu’ (shinobu no oku), so that is better. Again, the Right wins.
Left (Tie).
行通ふ心の戀をしるべにてまだ見ぬ峰を幾重越ゆらん
| yukikayou kokoro no koi o shirube nite mada minu mine o ikue koyuran |
Crossing distances, with Our hearts’ love As a guide; How many unseen peaks Must I yet cross… |
Lord Ari’ie.
865
Right.
尋ぬべき程を聞くにもいとゞしく心の道ぞまづ迷ひぬる
| tazunubeki hodo o kiku ni mo itodoshiku kokoro no michi zo mazu mayoinuru |
The distance I must travel: When I ask how far it is, More and more Does my heart upon the path Begin by wandering lost. |
Lord Takanobu.
866
The Right state: we wonder about the appropriateness of the expression ‘our hearts’ love’ (kokoro no koi)? The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: the Left’s ‘our hearts’ love’ is something I am completely unaccustomed to hearing. The Right’s poem does have ‘my heart upon the path’ (kokoro no michi), but the use of ‘more and more’ (itodoshiku) means it is difficult to make it a winner. The round should tie.
Composed for the Poetry Competition held at the Residence of the Former Uji Grand Minister in Chōgen 8 [1035].
君が世は白雲かかる筑波嶺の峰のつづきの海となるまで
| kimi ga yo Fa sirakumo kakaru tukubane no mine no tuduki no umi to naru made |
My Lord’s reign: White clouds cling To the peak of Tsukuba; Until those very heights Shall sink into the sea! |
Nōin