From the poetry match at Tsurayuki’s house in Tengyō 2 – The beginning of autumn.
松もなくしげき木の葉は夏ながらもみぢの色ぞ染めはじめける
| matsu mo naku shigeki no ha wa natsu nagara momiji no iro zo somehajimekeru | Not waiting at all The leaves upon the trees, so lush In summer, have With scarlet hues Begun to be dyed! |
Anonymous
From a poetry match held by Tsurayuki when he was Suō province in Tengyō 2 – The beginning of Summer.
いつしかとなつになるらしうつせみのこゑもあはれになきはじむらし
| itsu shika to natsu ni narurashi utsusemi no koe mo aware ni nakihajimurashi | All of a sudden Summer has come, it seems: Cicada shell Songs, sadly Seem to sound in the air. |
Anonymous
Cuckoos
Round One
Left
ほととぎすまきのとばかりまちつれどなかであけぬる夏のしののめ
| hototogisu maki no to bakari machitsuredo nakade akenuru natsu no shinonome | O, cuckoo, Briefly by my door of cedar wood Did I await you, yet No song, at all, brightened This summer edge of dawn. |
Lord Dainagon
15
Right (Win)
ほととぎすなくうれしさをつつめどもそらにはこゑもとまらざりけり
| hototogisu naku ureshisa o tsutsumedomo sora ni wa koe mo tomarazarikeri | At the cuckoo’s Song, my joy To hold fast did I try, yet In the skies, his cry Lingered not. |
Lord Chūnagon
16
The Left’s poem, after careful consideration, has a graceful style. The diction of the Right’s poem is superb, and there is an excess of conception. Reading and reciting these leaves my aged heart at a loss. Thus, they tie.
In the Left’s poem, ‘briefly’ is an expression which means ‘just for a short time’, I think, and thus the sentiments are lacking. Saying ‘brightened…edge of dawn’ sounds as if the poet has only begun waiting at daybreak. One does see, apparently, a number of poems in prior matches where the poet has not heard the cuckoo. Nevertheless, I do wonder about whether this is appropriate, given that poems where the cuckoo has been heard are faultless. The Right’s poem is not that good, but it is poetic. Thus, it has to win.
Round Five
Left
さやけさに又ことごともわすられてふた心なく月をこそみれ
| sayakesa ni mata kotogoto mo wasurarete futagokoro naku tsuki o koso mire | In its pure clarity Still, all other things Are forgotten, With no divisions in my heart Do I view the moon! |
Lord Suetsune
57
Right (Win)
いかで猶秋しも月のかかりけむみるほどあらじ夏のよならば
| ikade nao aki shimo tsuki no kakarikemu miru hodo araji natsu no yo naraba | Why is it that always In autumn, above all, the moon Does seem to hang within the sky? There’s no time to see it, perhaps, On a summer night… |
Lay Priest Sanekiyo
58
The Left’s configuration is entirely lacking in consistency and, in addition, fails to indicate a clear conception, so the Right must be declared the winner.
Autumn
Composed on the morning of the 1st day of the Seventh Month.
昨日こそ夏はくれしかあさ戸出の衣手さむし秋のはつかぜ
| kinō koso natsu wa kureshi ka asa tode no koromode samushi aki no hatsukaze | Was it only yesterday that Summer reached its end? For stepping out my door this morning My sleeves are chilled By autumn’s first breeze… |
