夏衣薄きかひなく秋待てば木の下風のやまず吹かなむ
| natugoromo usuki kaFinaku aki mateba ko no sitakaze no yamazu Fukanamu |
My summer garb is Thin, but to no effect, so I will wait for autumn, then Beneath the trees the breezes Will blow ceaselessly! |
Tag Archives: summer garb
Kokin rokujō I: 72
Yoshinobu-shū 216
Autumn I: 5
Left.
秋來ても猶夕風を松が根に夏を忘れし陰ぞたち憂き
| aki kitemo nao yū kaze wo matsu ga ne ni natsu o wasureshi kage zo tachi uki |
Though the autumn has come, Still, for an evening breeze, Must I abide beneath the pines, As did I to forget the summer, Loath to leave the shade… |
309
Right.
夏衣まだ脱ぎやらぬ夕暮は袖に待たるゝ萩の上風
| natsukoromo mada nugiyaranu yūgure wa sode ni mataruru hagi no uwakaze |
My summer garb Have I not yet put away; In the evening My sleeves await A breeze over the bush-clover. |
310
Neither team can find any fault with the other’s poem.
Shunzei, however, says, ‘With regard to the Right’s poem, one marks the change of clothing at the end of spring into summer, and the passage from autumn and the entrance to winter. Does one say that now it is autumn, one changes from summer clothes? The Left’s ‘beneath the pines’ must win, must it not?’
Summer II: 6
Left (Win).
たち花の匂を風のさそい來て昔にかへす夜半のさ衣
| tachibana no nioi o kaze no sasoikite mukashi ni kaesu yowa no sagoromo |
Orange blossom Scent upon the breeze Urges Me back to times gone by, In my night-time garb… |
251
Right.
軒近き花たちばなに風過てにほひをのこす蝉の羽衣
| noki chikaki hana tachibana ni kaze sugite nioi o nokosu semi no hagoromo |
Close by my eaves The orange blossom Brushed by the breeze Leaves its scent upon The cicada’s gossamer garb. |
252
The Right team have no particular criticisms to make this round. The Left, however, say that, ‘the expression “the orange blossom brushed by the breeze” (hana tachibana ni kaze sugite) sounds old-fashioned. Furthermore, “cicada’s gossamer garb” (semi no hagoromo) seems somewhat unexpected.’
Shunzei seems to agree, simply saying, ‘The Left’s “urges me back to times gone by, in my night-time garb’ (mukashi ni kaesu yowa no sagoromo) seems particularly fine. It must win.’
Summer II: 5
Left (Tie).
尋入る楢の葉陰の重なりてさてしもかろき夏衣かな
| tazuneiru nara no hakage no kasanarite sateshimo karoki natsugoromo kana |
Entering within The oak leaves’ shade, Layer upon layer; Still, how light Is my summer garb! |
249
Right (Tie).
花の色の袖は重ねし物なれどひとへに惜しき蝉の羽衣
| hana no iro no sode wa kasaneshi mono naredo hitoe ni oshiki semi no hagoromo |
Cherry blossom hued Sleeves lay one upon the other And yet now, A single, deep regret: For the cicada’s gossamer garb… |
The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
250
Neither team has any criticisms to make this round.
Shunzei merely remarks, ‘The Left’s poem has “still, how light” (sateshimo karoki) and the Right’s “sleeves lay one upon the other and yet now” (sode wa kasaneshi mono naredo): both of these are only close to the topic, I feel. The round ties.’
Summer II: 4
Left (Win).
重ねても涼しかりけり夏衣うすき袂にやどる月影
| kasanetemo suzushikarikeri natsugoromo usuki tamoto ni yadoru tsukikage |
Layered on, yet ‘Tis cool, upon My summer garb’s Flimsy sleeves Rests moonlight. |
247
Right.
夏衣へだつともなき袂にも猶よそにこそ風は吹きけれ
| natsugoromo hedatsu mo naki tamoto ni mo nao yoso ni koso kaze wa fukikere |
My summer garb Makes no hindrance With its sleeves; Far away is The breeze a’blowing… |
248
Neither team can find any fault with the other’s poem this round.
Shunzei states, ‘The Left’s poem is perfectly balanced between beginning and end. Thus, it must win.’
Summer II: 3
Left (Win).
涼しとも思ひもはてず夏衣朝夕影のほどにぞ有ける
| suzushi to mo omoi mo hatezu natsugoromo asayūkage no hodo ni zo arikeru |
Of coolness, Can I feel nothing in My summer garb; For ‘tween the light of morn and eve Alone does it lie. |
245
Right.
夏衣薄きかひこそなかりけれ袂涼しき風吹かねば
| natsugoromo usukai koso nakarikere tamoto suzushiki kaze fukaneba |
My summer garb is Thin, yet effect Has it none, when Upon my sleeve a cool Breeze blows not. |
246
The Right remark that ‘the topic seems sidelined’ in the Left’s poem, to which the Left respond that their poem ‘is clearly about the appearance of the summer sun.’ The Left have no comments to make of the Right’s poem.
Shunzei states that ‘the Right’s “breeze blows not” (kaze fukaneba) is slightly less satisfactory than the Left’s approach, and their poem wins.’ (By this he means he prefers the more indirect statement on the heat of summer in the Left’s poem.)
Summer II: 2
Left (Tie).
脱ぎ代へし蝉の羽衣あつきまでいかになりゆく夏の日數ぞ
| nugikaeshi semi no hagoromo atsuki made ikani nariyuku natsu no hikazu zo |
Stripped off to change, A cicada-silk robe, yet Why, this heavy hotness Do I feel? As the summer days go on… |
243
Right (Tie).
橘のにほひも深し夏衣花ゆへたれかいとひそめけん
| tachibana no nioi mo fukashi natsugoromo hana yue tare ka itoisomeken |
Orange blossom Scent lies thick Upon my summer garb; For the cherry blossom’s sake Should I begin to hate it? |
244
The Right state they find themselves ‘unable to agree’ with the Left’s ‘Why, this heavy heat do I feel?’ (atsuki made ikani nariyuku), while the Left remark that ‘it is perhaps too similar to introduce a poem with “orange blossom” (tachibana) and conclude it with “cherry blossom” (hana).’
Shunzei simply asks, ‘Can the Left’s “do I feel” really be disagreeble? The Right’s “For the cherry blossom’s sake should I begin to hate it?” (hana yue tare ka itoisomeken) recollects the poem on “regret on changing clothes” by Minamoto no Shigeyuki, does it not? Furthermore, it is not implying that summer garb is necessarily fragranced by orange blossom. I question, though,the Left’s use of “heat”. The round should, therefore, tie.’
Summer II: 1
Left (Win).
裏もなき名立ながら夏衣たもとに風はなを隔てけり
| ura mo naki natachinagara natsugoromo tamoto ni kaze wa nao hedatekeri |
Unlined By repute is Summer garb, But this sleeve to the wind Does pose some hindrance. |
241
Right.
夏衣ひとへなれども中なかにあつさぞまさる裏となりける
| natsugoromo hitoe naredomo nakanaka ni atsusa zo masaru ura to narikeru |
Summer garb Is but a single layer, yet This slight Heat overpowers To lie beneath it. |
242
The Right team state that they ‘cannot comprehend the use of “by repute” (natachinagara)’, while the Left counter that they ‘do not understand the use of “slight” (nakanaka ni) before saying that the heat gets under one’s clothing.’
Shunzei responds by stating, ‘The Left’s “by repute” is simply a conventional companion to the statement that summer garb is but a single layer – that is just what one says. It would also seem to suggest the rise of a rumour about an affair, would it not? Nor is there any reason to be puzzled by the Right’s statement of heat beneath one’s clothes; I do wonder, though about “slight” in conjunction with “this heat” (atsusa zo). Thus, even though the rumour in the Left’s poem is unclear, its concluding line is most fine, and it should be the winner.’