Composed as a love poem, when at a poetry match.
おもひかねなほ恋ぢにぞかへりぬるうらみは末もとほらざりけり
| omoFikane naFo koidi ni zo kaerinuru urami Fa suwe mo toForazarikeri | I cannot but care, so Yet again to the path of love I have returned; My hatred right to the end Has not endured. |
Monk Shun’e
Topic unknown.
をしかふす夏のの草の道をなみしげき恋ぢにまどふ比かな
| oshika fusu natsuno no kusa no michi o nami shigeki koiji ni madou koro kana | Stags lie Within the summer meadow grasses— All the paths are lost in Lush paths of love where I wander lost these days! |
Sakanoue no Korenori
おもひ侘び恋路にまよふしるべには涙ばかりぞさきに立ちける
| omoiwabi koiji ni mayou shirube ni wa namida bakari zo saki ni tachikeru | Suffering with passion, and Lost upon the paths of love My guide is Simply my tears that Set out before me. |
Consultant and Middle Captain Tadanori
9
The reply, written in a style to blend in with the picture on the paper, of a many-petalled safflower, and attached to a stem of bellflower, made from metal.
恋路をばふみだに見じと思ふみに何かはかかる涙なるらん
| koiji oba fumi dani miji to omou mi ni nani ka wa kakaru namida naruran | Upon the path of love I’ve not seen you take even one step I feel, so Why might you show such Tears, I wonder? |
Kii, in service to the former Kamo Virgin
10
The same Major Counsellor, writing vertically upon delicate scarlet paper.
年ふともいはで朽ちぬる埋木の下の心はふりぬ恋かな
| toshi futomo iwade kuchinuru umoregi no shita no kokoro wa furinu koi kana | The years pass by, yet Without a word, has rotted The drowned tree— Beneath it, my heart Has grown old with love! |
3
In reply
ふかからぬ水無瀬の川の埋木はしたの恋路は年ふりぬとも
| fukakaranu minase no kawa no umoregi wa shita no koiji wa toshi furinu tomo | There’s no depth to The River Minase, where Drowned trees lie— Beneath, the paths of love Have grown old in years, and yet… |
Chikuzen, Daughter of Prince Yasusuke
4
Left (Win)
恋路には風やはさそふ朝夕に谷の柴舟行帰れども
| koiji ni wa kaze ya wa sasou asa yū ni tani no shibabune yukikaeredomo | Along the path of love Does the wind beckon me? Morning and evening Along the valley boats of brushwood Go back and forth, yet… |
A Servant Girl
1177
Right
真柴こる賤にもあらぬ身なれども恋ゆへわれも歎きをぞ積む
| mashiba koru shizu ni mo aranu mi naredomo koi yue ware mo nageki o zo tsumu | Cutting kindling as A mountain man is not My lot, yet For love do I Stack up my grief in logs! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1178
Left and Right together state: there is no reason to make any criticisms here.
In judgement: although ‘beckon’ (sasou) in the Left’s poem should be ‘send’ (okuru), it is certainly elegant how it evokes thoughts of Captain Cheng travelling along the valley. The Right, beginning with ‘kindling’ (mashiba) and then having ‘grief in logs’ (nageki) sounds a little too similar, I think. The Left should win.