hitotabi wa kaze ni chirinishi momijiba o tonase no taki no nao otosu kana
Once Scattered by the wind Scarlet leaves Down the cateract at Tonase Fall once more!
Arifusa 91
Right
色ふかき紅葉うつらぬ所こそ立田の川のあさせなりけれ
iro fukaki momiji utsuranu tokoro koso tatsuta no kawa no asase narikere
Deep the hues of Scarlet leaves, reflected not In this place above all: The River Tatsuta’s Shallow rapids.
Lay Priest Sanekiyo 92
The Left appears charming, but might have been slightly improved had it been composed about pleasure boating on the Ōi. As for the Right, it is erroneous to specify the shallow rapids as a place where scarlet leave are not reflected. Taken as a whole it is inferior.
Composed on the conception of visiting distant blossom in the mountains, on a day when he was due to return after paying a visit to the residence of the regent.
たづねつる花のあたりになりにけりにほふにしるしはるの山かぜ
tazuneturu Fana no atari ni narinikeri nioFu ni sirusi Fa Faru no yamakaze
I have paid a visit to A place of blossom Here; Of their scent a sign is carried On the spring mountain breezes.
mitekaeru kokoro akaneba sakurabana sakeru atari ni yado ya karamashi
Seeing you and returning home Leaves my heart unsated, O, cherry blossom! In the place where you do bloom is Where I would borrow lodging…
Okikaze 21
Right
しののめにおきてみつればさくらばなまだよをこめてちりにけるかな
shinonome ni okite mitsureba sakurabana mada yo o komete chirinikeru kana
At the edge of dawn, When I arise to gaze upon The cherry blossoms Within the night’s span Have they scattered!
Yorimoto 22
The Right’s poem was just as His Majesty said: ‘It expresses affection for the blossom through gazing and gazing upon them.’ When it was suggested to him that the work produced by Lord Sadakata and Lord Noboru conveyed the same overall impression, he took his time to consider the matter, then said, ‘In that case,’ and made the round a tie.
Only the date of this contest remains, along with two of its poems. Given the season, it would clearly have been an autumn-themed event and, as the 15th day of the Eighth Month was when conventionally the moon was at its brightest, it is not surprising that it seems to have been held at night, and contained at least some poems where the moon was a theme.
Of the two surviving poems, one was included in Fubokushō (XIV: 5840), while the other is only recorded here.
いそのかみふるのやしろにはふくずもあきにしなれば色かはりけり
isonokami Furu no yasiro ni haFu kuzu mo aki ni shi nareba iro kaFarikeri
In Isonokami At the ancient shrine of Furu Even the creeping kudzu vine When the autumn comes Does change its hues.
1
Right
山のはももみぢてちりぬ月影のかくるるところなくなりぬべし
yama no Fa mo momidite tirinu tukikage no kakururu tokoro nakunarinubesi
Along the mountains’ edge Scarlet leaves have scattered In the moonlight A place concealed Is there none, at all.
