Cherry Blossom
Left (Tie)
わがそのへいざかへりなむあさがほのひとはなさくらのはなりにけり
| wa ga sono e iza kaerinamu asagao no hito hana sakura no wa narinikeri | To my garden, Well, I must return, for A morning glory’s Single bloom in flower seems To have turned it to a meadow. |
Okikaze
9
Right
はるはきぬたねにまくべきいねはなさくらのはなへにおろしはててよ
| haru wa kinu tane ni makubeki ine wa nasa kura no hanae ni oroshihateteyo | Spring has come, and The seeds must be sown; No seedlings sprout Beside the storehouse Sow them all! |
10
When someone was holding a plant-matching contest, and plants like morning glories were being compared, and a mirror blossom lay near her.
まけがたの耻かしげなる朝顏を鏡草にも見せてける哉
| makegata no Fadukasigenaru asagaFo wo kagamigusa ni mo misetekeru kana |
The loser Seems so bashful: The morning glory To the mirror bloom Has displayed herself! |
Anonymous
When she was alone, an enquiry arrived from someone as to how she was, so she attached this to a morning glory and sent it to him.
夕暮のさびしき物は朝顔の花を頼める宿にぞ有りける
| yuFugure no sabisiki mono Fa asagaFo no Fana wo tanomeru yado ni zo arikeru |
The evening is So lonely: A morning glory Bloom alone is trustworthy At my house! |
Anonymous
[One of] two poems composed by Yamanoue no Okura listing the flowers of the autumn fields.
芽之花 乎花葛花 瞿麦之花 姫部志 又藤袴 朝皃之花
萩の花尾花葛花なでしこの花をみなへしまた藤袴朝顔の花
| pagi no pana wobana kudupana nadesiko no pana wominapesi mata pudibakama asagapo no pana | Bush clover blooms, Silver grass and kudzu, Pinks, Valerian And fujibakama, Morning glory blooms. |
Yamanoue no Okura
山上憶良
Left.
今朝よりはさらば涙にまかせてん絞り逢ふべき袖の雫か
| kesa yori wa saraba namida ni makaseten shiboriaubeki sode no shizuku ka |
From this morning Should it be that my tears I will just let fall, for I cannot wring out These droplets from my sleeves… |
Lord Suetsune.
793
Right.
我ごとく人や戀しき見るまゝにやがてしぼるゝ朝顔の花
| ware gotoku hito ya koishiki miru mama ni yagate shiboruru asagao no hana |
As much as I Is there anyone in love? While watching, Soon enough languish, The morning glory blooms… |
Lord Takanobu.
794
The Right state: is saying ‘From this morning’ (kesa yori wa) suggesting that the feelings have particularly arisen this morning? In response: this is simply the style of poetry. It is commonplace to use expressions such as ‘today it is that’ (kyō wa sa wa) or ‘now it is that’ (ima wa sa wa). The Left state: the initial two lines of the Right’s poem pay no attention to style.
In judgement: the Left’s poem, commencing ‘From this morning’ (kesa yori wa) and then saying ‘Should it be that my tears’ (saraba namida ni) does not seem poor. I do wonder about the final ‘These droplets from my sleeves’ (sode no shizuku ka), though. As for the Right’s poem, I do not feel that the initial two lines lack attention to style. The entirety of both teams comments display no knowledge of poetry, and fail to identify the merits or faults of the opposing poems. I feel that both the Left and the Right poems this round are elegant. Thus, the round should tie.
Topic unknown.
をきて見んとおもひしほどにかれにけりつゆよりけなるあさがほの花
| okite min to omoishi hodo ni karenikeri tsuyu yori kenaru asagao no hana |
Dropped upon, I’ll place them here within my sight, Yet while that thought was in my mind They had withered; More fleeting than the dewdrops are Morning glory flowers. |
Sone no Yoshitada
曾禰好忠