Tag Archives: red

Nishinomiya uta’awase 03

Scarlet Leaves and Daytime

Round Three

Left

朝霧のはれ行くままにもみぢ葉はあかねさしてぞ色まさりける

asagiri no
hareyuku mama ni
momijiba wa
akanesashite zo
iro masarikeru
As the morning mists
Are clearing away
The autumn leaves
Shine madder red,
Their hue the best of all.

Daishin
5

Right

月草の色どる比はかへれどもははそのもみぢこころにぞしむ

tsukikusa no
irodoru koro wa
kaeredomo
hahaso no momiji
kokoro ni zo shimu
At times the moon-grass’
Fair hues
Will shift, yet those of
The oaks in autumn
Pierce right to the heart!

His Excellency Akinaka
6

The Left poem’s sequencing isn’t bad, but ‘shining madder red’ has, since ancient times, been used of the sun in poetry, while here it is simply ‘Shine madder red, / Their hue the best of all’. It gives the impression that there is some emotion missing. In a poem for this type of poetry match, I wonder if omitting a single element like this is a grave fault? Even so, I have no recollection of a poem being composed in this manner in any poetry match which people have used for reference from days gone by. In addition, the Right’s  ‘At times the moon-grass’ / Fair hues / Will shift, yet’ and what follows shows little evidence of poetic cultivation, so in sum, it’s difficult to say anything here.

Daikōtaigōgū daijin kiyosuke-ason ke uta’awase 31

Round Thirty-One

Left

むらさきに色もかはらずあけ衣我がくろかみの白く成るまで

murasaki ni
iro mo kawarazu
akegoromo
wa ga kurokami no
shirokunaru made
To violet
Hues will never change
My robes of red
Until my tresses of black
Have turned grey…

Masashige
61

Right (Win)

世をもいとふ世にも我が身のいとはれてはなれがたきぞあやしかりける

yo o mo itou
yo ni mo wa ga mi no
itowarete
hanaregataki zo
ayashikarikeri
By this world that I hate so
My sorry self in turn
Is hated, so
That it is so hard to leave
Is a strange thing, indeed.

Kūnin
62

The Left isn’t bad, but as for the Right, well, it truly is a strange thing, isn’t it.

KYS VI: 351

Sent to someone who had served the empress of former Emperor Ichijō, who gone to Hyūga province.

あかねさす日にむかひても思ひいでよみやこはしのぶながめすらんと

akane sasu
Fi ni mukaFitemo
omoFi’ideyo
miyako Fa sinobu
nagame suran to
Shining madder red
Toward the sun have you made your way, but
O, remember,
To recall the capital, and
Turn your gaze that way…

Her Majesty, the Empress

SKKS VII: 748

A folk song about the village of Asahi in Ōmi Province, performed at the eastern celebration of the Great Thanksgiving Service in Chōwa 5 [1016].

あかねさす朝日のさとのひかげぐさ豊明のかざしなるべし

akane sasu
asahi no sato no
hikagegusa
toyo no akari no
kazashi narubeshi
Shining madder red
Morning sun rises over Asahi village,
Sunlight upon the ground pines, for
The banquets, ever lit,
A fine hair decoration!

Sukechika, Master of Service
祭主輔親