Topic unknown.
風わたる軒端の梅に鴬の鳴きてこつたふ春の曙
| kaze wataru nokiba no mume ni uguFisu no nakite ko tutaFu Faru no akebono |
Breeze brushed, Upon the plum beneath my eaves The bush-warbler’s Song tells me this: it is The dawn in springtime. |
Provisional Major Councillor Sane’ie (1145-1193)
権大納言実家
Topic unknown.
梅が枝の花にこつたふ鶯の声さへにほふ春の曙
| mume ga e no Fana ni ko tutaFu uguFisu no kowe saFe niFoFu Faru no akebono |
A branch of plum Blossom tells me this: The bush-warbler’s Very voice does shine at The dawn in springtime. |
Cloistered Prince Shukaku
Left (Win).
空はなを霞もやらず風冴えて雪氣にくもる春の夜の月
| sora wa nao kasumi mo yarazu kaze saete yukige ni kumoru haru no yo no tsuki |
The skies are still Untouched by haze; The wind clearly brings A sense of snow to cloud The moon, this springtime night. |
23
Right.
梅が枝の匂ばかりや春ならんなを雪深し窓のあけぼの
| ume ga e no nioi bakari ya haru naran nao yuki fukashi mado no akebono |
Is a branch of plum’s Scent alone Spring? Still the snows lie deep Outside my window this dawn. |
24
Neither team has any criticisms to make of the other’s poem in this round.
Shunzei comments that both poems are simply and beautifully constructed in both form and phrasing, and the final two lines of both poems are equally charming. He feels, though, that the beginning of the Right’s poem would have been improved if, instead of ‘a branch of plum’ (ume ga e), which focuses the audience’s attention on the branch, and not the blossom, it had begun ‘Is the plum beneath my eaves’ (noki no ume), instead. In addition, while reluctant to discount ‘outside my window this dawn’ (mado no akebono), he cannot help but feel that ‘the moon, this springtime night’ (haru no yo no tsuki) is a more superlative conclusion, and so has to award victory to the Left.
Left.
花の香のかすめる月にあくがれて夢もさだかに見えぬ比かな
| hana no ka no kasumeru tsuki ni akugarete yume mo sadaka ni mienu koro kana |
The blossoms’ scent Befogs the moon; Thus lost, Certain it is that dreams Will not come now, perhaps… |
7
Right (Win)
春の夜は月の桂もにほふ覧光に梅の色はまがひぬ
| haru no yo wa tsuki no katsura mo niouran hikari ni ume no iro wa magainu |
On a night in springtime The moon’s silver trees, too, Must give out their fragrance; In such light the plums’ Hues can be mistaken. |
8
Left (Tie)
うちわたす遠方人はこたえねどにほひぞなのる野べの梅が枝
| uchiwatasu ochikatabito wa kotaenedo nioi zo nanoru nobe no ume ga e |
A far, far, Distant soul Makes no reply, yet A fragrance styles A sprig of plum upon the plain. |
Right
5
飛鳥河遠き梅が枝にほふ夜はいたづらにやは春風の吹
| asukagawa tōki ume ga e niou yo wa itzura ni ya wa harukaze no fuku |
By the Asuka River, From afar a spray of plum Scents the night; Pointlessly Does the spring wind blow? |
6
Left (Win)
おほぞらは梅のにほひに霞つゝくもりもはてぬ春の夜の月
| ōzora wa ume no nioi ni kasumitsutsu kumori mo hatenu haru no yo no tsuki |
The heavens with The scent of plum Are hazed; Not with cloud is covered This spring night’s moon. |
3
Right
こゝろあてにわくともわかじ梅の花散かふ里の春の淡雪
| kokoroate ni waku tomo wakaji ume no hana chirikau sato no haru no awayuki |
A guess Could not tell between The plum blossom Scattered round my dwelling and Spring snow spume. |
4
On plum.
梅が香に夕暮早き麓哉
| ume ga ka ni yūgure hayaki fumoto kana |
With the drifting scent of plum Evening comes early To the foothills. |
On plum.
うめ折て皺手にかこつ薰かな
| ume orite shiwade ni kakotsu kaori kana |
Plucking plum I do regret my wrinkled hands, Filled with fragrance. |
On plum.
梅咲て小さくなりぬ雪丸げ
| ume sakite chiisaku narinu yuki maroge |
Now the plum’s in bloom How much smaller are The snowballs. |