Round Twenty-One
Left (Win)
しがらきの外山の末の郭公たが里ちかき初音なるらん
shigaraki no toyama no sue no hototogisu ta ga sato chikaki hatsune naruran In Shigaraki
Takasuke
Right
橘のにほひを空に尋ねきて山時鳥なかぬ日ぞなき
tachibana no nioi o sora ni tazunekite yamahototogisu nakanu hi zo naki Orange blossom’s familiar
Shimotsuke
The Left poem’s ‘near whose estate does it first call’ does not sound bad. The Right’s poem, too, seems to have no faults to mention, yet the Left still wins by a hair.
いろふかくをしみぞとむるきくの花よをへてみよとしもはおかなむ
iro fukaku oshimi zo tomuru kiku no hana yo o hete miyo to shimo wa okanamu Their hues as deep
[Fujiwara no] Motokata
かをとめてをしむばかりぞきくのはなしももきえずはいろもみえじを
ka o tomete oshimu bakari zo kiku no hana shimo mo kiezu wa iro mo mieji o Their lingering scent
[Minamoto no] Moro’akira
きくのはなをりてはとしもへしものをおきながらこそ色まさりけれ
kiku no hana orite wa toshi mo heshi mono o okinagara koso iro masarikere Chrysanthemum blooms
Kakesuke[1]
いろもかもともににほへるきくのはななにしもうちにとけてみゆらん
iro mo ka mo tomo ni nioeru kiku no hana nani shi mo uchi ni tokete miyuran Hue and scent, too,
[Fujiwara no] Kanemochi
[1] Possibly Fujiwara no Kanesuke 藤原兼輔
Round Six
Left (Win)
梅の花をりてかざせば二月の雪は衣におつるなりけり
ume no hana orite kazaseba kisaragi no yuki wa koromo ni otsuru narikeri When plum blossom
Masashige
Right
時ならぬ卯花ともやおもはましかきねの梅のかをらざりせば
toki naranu u no hana tomo ya omowamashi kakine no ume no ka orazariseba Unseasonal
Atsuyori
The Left is not lacking in conception.
Round Five
Left (Tie)
にほふ香はいづれの梅もかはらねど色なる花ぞわきて身にしむ
niou ka wa izure no ume mo kawaranedo \iro naru hana zo wakite mi ni shimu The fragrant scent of
Iemoto
Right
梅の花かをばたもとにしむれども色をばえこそうつさざりけれ
ume no hana ka oba tamoto ni shimuredomo iro oba e koso utsusazarikeri The plum blossoms’
Kūnin
I wish I could say that the Left is superior, but that is not the case, so a tie.
Round Four
Left (Win)
春の夜はいこそねられねねやちかき梅のにほひにおどろかれつつ
haru no yo wa i koso nerarene neya chikaki ume no nioi ni odorokaretsutsu On a night in springtime
Norimori
Right
さ夜ふかみ旅ねの床にかをらずは梅さく宿といかでしらまし
sayo fukami tabine no toko ni ka orazu wa ume saku yado to ikade shiramashi Deep within brief night
Kenshō
The Left is particularly evocative. The Right is from an old poetry match.
Autumn
りんだうも名のみなりけり秋の野の千草の花のかにはおとれり
rindō mo na nomi narikeri aki no no no chigusa no hana no ka ni wa otoreri The gentian, too,
Minamoto no Shitagō
Created with Soan.
After I had had various people compose on the scent of plum carried on the breeze.
梅がかをゆめの枕にさそひきてさむるまちける春の山風
ume ga ka o yume no makura ni sasoikite samuru machikeru haru no yamakaze The scent of plum
Created with Soan .
Composed on plum blossom.
わが袖に香をだにのこせ梅花あかで散りぬるわすれがたみに
wa ga sode ni ka o dani nokose ume no hana akade chirinuru wasuregatami ni Upon my sleeves
Created with Soan .
In reply.
春雨にいかにぞ梅やにほふ覧わが見る枝は色もかはらず
Farusame ni n such spring rain
Ki no Haseyo
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'Simply moving and elegant'
