Tag Archives: moon-grass

Nishinomiya uta’awase 03

Scarlet Leaves and Daytime

Round Three

Left

朝霧のはれ行くままにもみぢ葉はあかねさしてぞ色まさりける

asagiri no
hareyuku mama ni
momijiba wa
akanesashite zo
iro masarikeru
As the morning mists
Are clearing away
The autumn leaves
Shine madder red,
Their hue the best of all.

Daishin
5

Right

月草の色どる比はかへれどもははそのもみぢこころにぞしむ

tsukikusa no
irodoru koro wa
kaeredomo
hahaso no momiji
kokoro ni zo shimu
At times the moon-grass’
Fair hues
Will shift, yet those of
The oaks in autumn
Pierce right to the heart!

His Excellency Akinaka
6

The Left poem’s sequencing isn’t bad, but ‘shining madder red’ has, since ancient times, been used of the sun in poetry, while here it is simply ‘Shine madder red, / Their hue the best of all’. It gives the impression that there is some emotion missing. In a poem for this type of poetry match, I wonder if omitting a single element like this is a grave fault? Even so, I have no recollection of a poem being composed in this manner in any poetry match which people have used for reference from days gone by. In addition, the Right’s  ‘At times the moon-grass’ / Fair hues / Will shift, yet’ and what follows shows little evidence of poetic cultivation, so in sum, it’s difficult to say anything here.