Question and Response Poetry Contest on Spring and Autumn held in a Certain Place[1]
It is entirely unclear whether this fragment of a match is an offcut of another event, such as Sadafumi uta’awase 貞文歌合 (dates unknown) or Tsurayuki uta’awase 貫之歌合 (939), in which case one can suppose the poems formed part of a larger consideration of the seasons. Another possibility, however, is that this is taken from a selection of his own poems by Ōshikōchi no Mitsune, with the final self-deprecatory comment being an indication of his unwillingness to take a view on the quality of his own work (Hagitani 1957, 233).
春にみなあひにし花の今日の雨に咲くをみるにぞ片負けぬべき
| haru ni mina ainishi hana no kyō no ame ni saku o miru ni zo katamakenubeki | In springtime, all The blossoms that I met, In the rain today I see a’blooming— Not completely inferior at all! |
1
こきまぜに花紅葉散るただ今は春秋ぞともいかがさだめむ
| kokimaze ni hana momijiba chiru tada ima wa haru aki zo to mo ikaga sadamemu | All mixed together Blossoms and scarlet leaves Scatter so now whether ‘Tis spring or autumn, How can I decide? |
2
I had thought to write down the winner and loser, but when, in my extreme ignorance, I tried judging, embarrassingly I was unable to do it. The poems are just as in the text. Incomprehensible untruths and all.
[1] Aru tokoro no shunjū mondō uta’awase 或所春秋問答歌合
