Left (Win).
さはらずは今宵ぞ君を頼むべき袖には雨の時わかねども
| sawarazu wa koyoi zo kimi o tanomubeki sode ni wa ame no toki wakanedomo | If you were unhindered On this night, then, my love, In you I could trust; But on my sleeves the rain Falls without surcease… |
Lord Sada’ie.
945
Right.
來ぬ人を待つ夜更け行秋の雨は袖にのみ降る心地こそすれ
| konu hito o matsu yo fukeyuku aki no ame wa sode ni nomi furu kokochi koso sure | When a man who fails to come Is awaited and the night grows late, The autumn rain Falls on my sleeves, alone – That is what I feel! |
Ietaka.
946
The Right state: the phrase ‘if you were unhindered’ (sawarazu wa) sounds poor. The Left state: the Right have simply composed a poem just like Lord Yorimasa’s君戀ふとながめあかせる夜の雨は袖にしも降る心地こそすれ kimi kou to / nagame akaseru / yoru no ame wa / sode ni shimo furu / kokochi koso sure ‘That you love me / I have heard enough / This night when the rain / Upon my sleeves especially does fall – / That is what I feel!’.
In judgement: the Left are said to have a poor-sounding phrase, and the Right to have referred to Yorimasa’s poem. That it is difficult to entirely avoid to referring poems outside of the anthologies is something which people still seem to be unable to remember, but the Gentlemen of the Left have recalled this well. The final section of the Right’s poem does bear an uncanny resemblance to Yorimasa’s poem. If there should be a prior example of a phrase’s use, then while it maybe poor-sounding, the Left should win.
Left.
独のみ寢屋の板間もあはずして雨も涙も所せきまで
| hitori nomi neya no itama mo awazushite ame mo namida mo tokoroseki made |
All alone, and The boards above my bedchamber Fail to come together; Until with raindrops and tears both I am excessively… |
Lord Ari’ie.
943
Right (Win).
深き夜の寢覺に何を思けむ窓打ちてすさむ暁の雨
| fukaki yo no nezame ni nani o omoikemu mado uchisusamu akatsuki no ame |
Late within the night, I start awake; what Was in my thoughts? Beating against my window is The dawntime rain. |
Jakuren.
944
The Right state: we cannot grasp the sense of the Left’s use of ‘until’ (made). The Left state: the Right’s poem is certainly not easy to understand on hearing.
In judgement: is not the use of ‘until’ (made) simply because it is appropriate to conclude a poem with that syllable? I can see nothing problematic with the use of ‘beating against my window’ (mado uchisusamu) in the Right’s poem. Thus, I make the Right the winner.
Left (Tie).
かきくらし降りくる雨も君ならば濡るとてさらに厭はざらまし
| kakikurashi furikuru ame mo kimi naraba nuru tote sara ni itowazaramashi |
All is darkened by The falling rain, but Were that to be you, my love, I would be drenched, but It would not be unwelcome! |
Lord Kanemune.
941
Right.
ひとり寢の床にしもなど音す覧しづかたにそゝく暁の雨
| hitorine no toko ni shimo nado otosuran shizukata ni sosoku akatsuki no ame |
Sleeping solo In my bed, so why Is there the sound Of quiet dripping Dawntime rain? |
Lord Takanobu.
942
The Right state: while the Left’s poem does have a desirable sentiment, its expression is outrageous. The Left state: why, indeed, should there be a sound in the poet’s bed?
In judgement: the Left’s desirable sentiment is perfectly commonplace in poetry. The Right, with ‘dawntime rain’ (akatsuki no ame), is elegant. The poems are comparable and tie.
Left.
雨そそき人待つ宵は憂かりけりこやことづけにならんと思へば
| ame sosoki hito matsu yoi wa ukarikeri koya kotozuke ni naran to omoeba |
Rain dripping, The nights awaiting him are Cruel, indeed; That is his excuse, Or so I feel! |
Lord Suetsune.
939
Right (Win).
頼めねど絶えず音する時雨かな戀しき人のかゝらましかば
| tanomenedo taezu otosuru shigure kana koishiki hito no kakaramashikaba |
I put no trust in you, yet Ceaselessly, you come to call O, showers! I would that the man I love Would do the same… |
Lord Tsune’ie.
940
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults. The Left state: the Right’s poem is pedestrian.
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, while ‘rain dripping’ (ame sosoki) sounds like it should recall Eastern House, there is no clear reason for this, and ‘that is his excuse’ (koya kotozuke) would also seem to refer to ‘“In the land of Tsu / Come on”’ (tsu no kuni no / koya). ‘Rain dripping’, though, does not link to this, I think. While the Right’s poem may be pedestrian, it certainly should win.
Left.
下とをる涙に袖も朽ちはてゝ着るかひもなき雨衣かな
| shita tōru namida ni sode mo kuchihatete kiru kai mo naki amagoromo kana |
Right through to below With tears are even my sleeves Quite rotted; Putting it on would be pointless This raincoat of mine! |
Kenshō.
937
Right (Win).
戀ゆへに身を知る雨の年を經て心のうちにかき曇るらむ
| koi yue ni mi o shiru ame no toshi o hete kokoro no uchi ni kakikumoruramu |
For love The rain knows how I feel full well Down through the years Within my heart The clouds grow ever thicker… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress Household Office.
938
The Right state: the Left’s ‘right through to below’ (shita tōruʼ) sounds as if the poet is passing below the palace! The Left state: in this poem it is not at all clear why it is that ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’ (mi o shiru ame).
In judgement: the Left, by using ‘right through to below’, has forgotten that ‘raincoat’ (amagoromo) evokes the sense of a salt-hut and, because there is nothing in the poem to suggest a location by the sea, amagoromo appears to be the clothing of a nun, or something similar. As for the Right’s ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’, it is simply ‘for love’. This seems plain to me. The Right wins.