Tag Archives: soul

Kanpyō no ōntoki chūgū uta’awase 14

Love

Round Fourteen

Left

逢ふ事をいづくなりともしらぬ身の我がたましひの猶まどふかな

au koto o
izuku nari tomo
shiranu mi no
wa ga tamashii no
nao madou kana
Meeting you,
When will it be?
Not knowing that
My soul is
Yet lost!

26

Right (Win)

あふことはまつにてとしのへぬるかな身はすみの江におひぬものから

au koto wa
matsu nite toshi no
henuru kana
mi wa suminoe ni
oinu mono kara
To meet with you
I have pined, and the years
Have passed!
For my flesh at Suminoe
Has grown…

27

Eikyū hyakushu 155

Fans (扇)

つねよりも身にもしむかな夕ざれの君にあふぎのかぜの気色は

tsune yori mo
mi ni mo shimu kana
yūsare no
kimi ni ōgi no
kaze no keshiki wa
More than normal does
It pierce my soul!
At early evening,
The sight of you
By fan’s breeze brushed…

Minamoto no Akinaka

An allusive variation on: Horikawa hyakushu 646.

Love V: 17

Left (Win).
悲しきは境異なる中として亡き玉までもよそに浮かれん

kanashiki wa
sakai kotonaru
naka to shite
naki tama made mo
yoso ni ukaren
How sad it is:
Beyond the borders of this life
Should our bond endure
Even your departed soul
So distant, would I trail after…

Lord Sada’ie
873

Right.
忘れずよ幾雲井とは知らねども空行月の契ばかりは

wasurezu yo
iku kumoi to wa
shiranedomo
sora yuku tsuki no
chigiri bakari wa
I will not forget!
How far beyond the clouds you are
I know not, yet
As the moon across the skies,
Is my simple vow to you…

Jakuren
874

Left and Right: no faults to mention.

In judgement: although the Left’s poem sounds a little over-familiar, it certainly does have conception. The Right’s poem does sound smooth, but the origin poem has ‘Forget me not’ (wasuru na yo) – and this has ‘I will not forget’ (wasurezu yo) – the origin poem has ‘for distant as the clouds’ (hodo wa kumoi ni) – and this has ‘how far beyond the clouds’ (iku kumoi to wa); and ‘as the moon across the skies’ (sora yuku tsuki no) is identical, so the only part which as been changed is ‘I shall return – ‘til then’ (meguri au made). It is only to be expected that it would sound good, given that it presents much of the same material in the same order. The Left should win.