かけまくも あやに畏し 天皇の 神の大御代に 田道間守 常世に渡り 八桙持ち 参ゐ出来し時 時じくの かくの木の実を 畏くも 残したまへれ 国も狭に 生ひ立ち栄え 春されば 孫枝萌いつつ 霍公鳥 鳴く五月には 初花を 枝に手折りて 娘子らに つとにも遣りみ 白栲の 袖にも扱入れ かぐはしみ 置きて枯らしみ あゆる実は 玉に貫きつつ 手に巻きて 見れども飽かず 秋づけば しぐれの雨降り あしひきの 山の木末は 紅に にほひ散れども 橘の なれるその実は ひた照りに いや見が欲しく み雪降る 冬に至れば 霜置けども その葉も枯れず 常磐なす いやさかはえに しかれこそ 神の御代より よろしなへ この橘を 時じくの かくの木の実と 名付けけらしも
| kakemaku mo aya ni kashikosi sumeroki no kami no opomiyo ni tadimamori tokoyo ni watari ya poko moti mawidekosi toki toki ziku no kaku ko no mi wo kasikoku mo nokositamaere kuni mo se ni owitatisakape paru sareba pikoe moitutu pototogisu naku satuki ni pa patu pana wo eda ni taworite wotomera ni tuto ni mo yarimi sirotape no sode ni mo kokire kagu pasimi wokite karasimi ayuru mi pa tama ni nukitutu te ni makite miredomo akazu akizukeba sigure no amepuri asipiki no yama no konure pa kurenawi ni nipopi tiredomo tatibana no nareru sono mi pa pitatere ni iya migaposiku miyuki puru puyu ni itareba simo wokedomo sono pa mo karezu tokipa nasu iya sakapape ni sikare koso kami no miyo yori yorosinape kono tatibana wo toki ziku no kaku no ko no mi to nadukekerasi mo |
Even giving voice Fills me with awe: In the emperor’s Divine past ages, Tajimamori Crossed to the land of everlasting life; Eight spears in hand, When he did return Untouched by time These fragrant trees’ fruit With awe Did he leave for us. All throughout the land Do they grow and flourish, and When the spring does come, From fresh branches stretching out, The cuckoo Calls in the Fifth Month; The first blooms From the branches I take by hand, and To the maidens I present them; Into their white-mulberry Sleeves they thrust them; The fragrance sinks And lies there unfading; Fallen fruit as Gems I thread, Wound about my hand I gaze upon them, yet can never get my fill; With autumn’s advent Rain showers fall, and Leg-wearying Moutain treetops turn To scarlet Glowing and scattering, yet The orange Ripened fruit Gleams Ever attracting the eye; When snow falls And winter comes, Frost wraps them, yet Their leaves remain unwithered, Ever Freshly flourishing, And thus, From the Age of Gods Behold, The orange Eternally Fragranced fruit Has been called! |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
A poem composed in winter in the Eleventh Month, by His Majesty, when the Major Controller of the Left, Prince Kazuragi, and others, were granted the name Tachibana.
橘は実さへ花さへその葉さへ枝に霜降れどいや常葉の木
| tatibana pa mi sape pana sape sono pa sape e ni simo puredo iya toko pa no ki |
O, orange tree: Fruit and flowers both, And leaves, too, Even should frost fall on your branches Evegreen will you be! |
The above poem was composed in winter, on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month, after Prince Kazuragi, Junior Third Rank, and Prince Sai, Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade, among others, surrendered their membership of the imperial family and were granted the name of Tachibana. At that time Former Emperor [Genshō], the Emperor [Shōmu], and Empress [Kōmyō], were present in the Empress’ quarters, and hosted a banquet at which poems celebrating the name of Tachibana were composed, and sake was presented to the new members of the family. It is alternatively said, ‘This poem was composed by the Former Emperor. In addition, the Emperor and the Empress each composed a single poem. Those poems were lost and cannot now be located.’ If one seeks copies of the documents now, they say that on the 9th day of the Eleventh Month [Tenpyō] 8 [736], Prince Kazuragi and other submitted a request to the throne to be granted the name of Tachibana. On the 17th day the request was granted.
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.’