Waterweed 萍
ふる河のとだえをわたるたび人のもすそにあをくつける萍
| furukawa no todae o wataru tabibito no mosuso ni aoku tsukeru ukikusa | An ancient river’s Broken bridge a’crossing goes A traveller, Her skirt-hem greenly Gripped by waterweed… |
Kanemasa
Tag Archives: tabibito
Eikyū hyakushu 348
Eikyū hyakushu 1
Love VII: 25
Left (Win).
いざやさは君に逢はずは渡らじと身を宇治橋に書き付けてみん
| iza ya sa wa kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to mi o ujihashi ni kakitsuketemin |
So, then, If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross In my despair, the bridge at Uji, But just inscribe this here… |
Kenshō
1009
Right.
都思ふ濱名の橋の旅人や浪に濡れては恋渡るらむ
| miyako omou hamana no hashi no tabibito ya nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran |
His thoughts on the capital, The bridge at Hamana, Does a traveller, Wet by the waves, Cross while lost in love? |
Lord Takanobu
1010
The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder if the Right’s poem does not sound as if it is only the capital which the poet loves?
In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross’ (kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to) is particularly charming, having the conception of the tale of Sima Xiangru in Mengqiu, at the bridge into the commandery of Shu, where he says, ‘If I am not aboard a four-horse carriage, I’ll never cross this bridge again!’, and then later was made a Cavalryman in Permanent Attendance, and entered as an imperial messenger. Metaphorically, it also evokes his meeting with Wenjun, and so seems particularly profound. The poem of the Right commences with ‘His thoughts on the capital’ (miyako omou) and then continues with ‘wet by the waves, cross while lost in love’ (nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran). I do not see how one can say that this poem lacks the conception of Love. However, the conception of the Left’s poem seems rare, indeed. Thus, it wins.
KYS IV: 263
SIS XIV: 886
SIS VI: 342
Summer I: 7
Left (Win).
旅人や夏野の草を分けくらん菅の小笠の見え隱れする
| tabibito ya natsuno no kusa o wakekuran suge no ogasa no miekakuresuru |
Does a traveller Through the grasses on the summer plains Come forging? A woven hat of sedge Revealed and then concealed… |
193
Right.
夏草の茂みを行ば何となく露分け衣袖ぞ濡れける
| natsu kusa no shigemi o yukeba nani to naku tsuyu wake koromo sode zo nurekeru |
Through the summer grass’ Lush growth a’going Somehow My robe’s dew breaking Sleeves are drenched. |
194
The Right have no criticisms to make of the Left’s poem, but the Left remark that, ‘the phrase “somehow” (nani to naku) is obscure and discordant.’
Shunzei comments, ‘While the style [fūtei] of the Left’s poem is somewhat lacking, it otherwise has no faults. The Right’s “robe’s dew breaking” (tsuyu wake koromo) is superb, but as a whole the expression in the poem is insufficient. The Left wins.’