Left (Tie)
uchitanomu
I placed all my trust
Lord Kanemune
Right
koi o nomi
Simply in love, but as
Lord Tsune’ie
Both Left and Right together state: the opposing poem is essentially the same as Toshiyori’s poem:
信濃なるすがの荒野にはむ熊のおそろしきまで濡るゝ袖哉
shinano naru
In Shinano
In judgement: both poems are about ‘bears’ and sound old-fashioned, as the Gentlemen have said. They must tie.
Left (Win)
ima wa sa wa
Now, indeed, let you
Lord Suetsune
Right
yo to tomo ni
With the passing time,
Lord Takanobu
The Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Left state: the Right’s poem is clichéd.
In judgement: the Right, in addition to being clichéd, can say no more than that love means wet sleeves. The Left’s ‘grasses’ roots’ (suga no ne ) is certainly better.
Left (Win).
yo to tomo ni
Together with the night
The Master 大夫
Right.
nami no yoru
The waves roll in
The Assistant Master 佐
For a folding screen for His Majesty, in the Tenryaku Era.
散りぬべき花見る時は管のねの長き春日も短かゝりけり
tirinubeki
Sure to fall are
Fujiwara no Kiyomasa (?-958)
A poem sent by the Elder Maiden of Nakatomi to Ōtomo, sukune Yakamochi.
いなと言はば強ひめや我が背菅の根の思ひ乱れて恋ひつつもあらむ
ina ipaba
Should you tell me no,
The Elder Maiden of Nakatomi
A poem composed by Lord Ōtomo, Major Councillor.
奥山の菅の葉しのぎ降る雪の消なば惜しけむ雨な降りそね
okuyama no
Deep within the mountains
Ōtomo no Yasumaro (?-714)
When a man who had long visited a woman at the house of the Sugawara Minister, ceased coming for a while, and then came once more.
菅原や伏見の里の荒れしより通ひし人のあともたえにき
sugaFara ya
Sedge fields lie
Anonymous
信濃なるすがの荒野にはむ熊のおそろしきまで濡るる袖哉
shinano naru
In Shinano
Minamoto no Shunrai
三島菅いまだ苗なり時待たば着ずやなりなむ三島菅笠
misima suge
The Mishima sedge
Left (Win).
菅薦の三編には我も寢たれども逢嬉さにしく物ぞなき
sugagomo no
Beneath sedge woven blankets
Lord Kanemune
701
Right.
戀々てあひみる夜半ぞまさりける人の心の知らまほしさに
koigoite
Long has our love been and
Ietaka
702
Left and Right both say their opponent’s poem expresses the truth of the matter.
Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s poem, in addition to drawing upon earlier work , seems technically accomplished. The Right’s poem does express a form of truth, yet would one really wish to know so much? The Left wins.
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'Simply moving and elegant'