Round Thirteen
Left
うらちかくふりくる雪はしら波のすゑの松山こすかとぞみる
ura chikaku furikuru yuki wa shiranami no sue no matsuyama kosu ka to zo miru Close by the beach
Fujiwara no Okikaze
Right
みよしのの山の白雪つもるらしふる里さむく成りまさるなり
miyoshino no yama no shirayuki tsumorurashi furusato samuku narimasaru nari On fair Yoshino
Sakanoue no Korenori[1]
[1] Kokinshū VI: 325: Composed at the place he was staying when he had gone to the Nara capital.
Topic unknown.
むばたまのよるのみふれる白雪はてる月影のつもるなりけり
mubatama no Lily-seed dark
Anonymous
A wave of chill in the heart due to snow (依雪波心寒)
Left
わだづもにふるしら雪は消えながら波の心にさむさをぞそむ
wadadumi ni Across the broad sea sweep
10
Right (Win)
ふる雪に波の心もさむからし風とかくれやへたにだによる
furu yuki ni With the falling snow
11[1]
[1] Minor variants on these poems appear in Fubokushō (XVIII: 7269 ) and (XVIII: 7268 ).
A poem from the Poetry Contest held by the Empress Dowager during the reign of the Kanpyō emperor.
しら雪の八重ふりしけるかへる山かへるがへるも老いにける哉
shirayuki no White snow
Ariwara no Muneyana
First Snow 初雪
冬きぬとききつるからにいちじるくいちしの原 にふれる白雪
fuyu kinu to Winter has come,
Tadafusa
年のうちに積もれる罪はかきくらし降る白雪とともに消えなむ
tosi no uti ni
Within the year
Ki no Tsurayuki
Composed on the conception of the beginning of spring.
みよしのは山もかすみてしらゆきのふりにしさとに春はきにけり
miyoshino wa
In fair Yoshino
The Regent and Prime Minister
Left (Win).
訪へかしな庭の白雪跡絶えてあはれも深き冬の朝を
toekashi na
I would go a’calling;
Lord Kanemune .
545
Right.
軒のうち雀の聲は馴るれども人こそ知らぬ今朝の白雪
noki no uchi ni
From underneath the eaves
Nobusada .
545
The Right state that the Left’s initial line makes their poemsound like a reply . In addition, the final line is ‘overly forceful’ [itau tsuyoku ]. The Left merely comment that the Right’s use of ‘sparrow’ (suzume ) is ‘inappropriate’.
Shunzei’s judgement: Even though the Left’s poem is not a reply, starting with ‘I would go a’calling’ (toekashi na ) is common in the reply style [zōtōtei]. In addition, ‘Winter Mornings’ is not a topic which one needs to approach obliquely. There are only the good and bad points of the poetry. ‘From underneath the eaves to the sparrows’ chirps have I grown accustomed’ (noki no uchi ni suzume no koe wa naruru ) is not an expression much used about morning snow. However, the final section of the poem appears fine. ‘Sparrows’ chirps’ (suzume no koe ) is, perhaps, somewhat colloquial [zoku no chikaku ]. Despite the comment by the gentlemen of the Right that the final section of the Left’s poem is ‘overly forceful’, it is a better ‘Winter Morning’ poem.
'Simply moving and elegant'