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Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love III: 18

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Left.

心さへまた外人になり果てば何か名殘の夢の通路

kokoro sae
mata yosobito ni
narihateba
nanika nagori no
yume no kayoiji		 Should even our hearts
Once more strangers
To each other become,
No trace at all would remain
On my path of dreams…

Lord Sada’ie
755

Right.
思侘びあはれ幾夜か槇の戸をしばしといひて月を見つらん

omoiwabi
aware iku yo ka
maki no to o
shibashi to iite
tsuki o mitsuran		 Grieving and
Sighing, how many nights
Has my cedar door been
Ajar
For me to gaze upon the moon?

Jakuren
756

Both Left and Right state the opposing team’s poem is not bad.

In judgement: the conceptions of the Left’s ‘path of dreams’ (yume no kayoiji) and the Right’s ‘cedarwood door’ (maki no to) in gazing at the moon, are both elegant. The round should tie.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love III: 11

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Left.

年ぞ經る見る夜な夜なも重ならで我も無き名か夢かとぞ思

toshi zo furu
miru yonayona mo
kasanarade
ware mo nakina ka
yume ka to zo omou		 The years go by
And meeting night after night
Is so rare, that
Even for me a baseless rumour, or
A dream, it seems…

Lord Sada’ie.

741

Right (Win).

心ざし有るか無きかの忘れ水いかなる折に思ひ出づらむ

kokorozashi
aru ka naki ka no
wasuremizu
ikanaru ori ni
omoi’izuramu		 Your love for me:
Is it real, or is it not,
Like a forgotten stream;
When, for certain,
Do you remember me, I wonder…

Lord Tsune’ie.

742

The Gentlemen of the Right state: we wonder, somewhat, about the link in ‘Even for me a baseless rumour, or a dream, it seems’ (ware mo nakina ka yume ka to zo). The Gentlemen of the Left state: the Right’s poem is old-fashioned.

In judgement: the Left’s poem certainly has the fault of obscuring its subject – there can be no doubt of this. The conception of the Right’s ‘forgotten stream’ (wasuremizu) is not retained in contemporary poetry, I think. And yet, while it is old fashioned, I cannot recall such a usage. In the absence of this, it must seem novel. Thus, in the end, the Right should win.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love III: 4

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Left.

よしさらば今は忍ばで戀死なん思に負けし名にだにも立て

yoshi saraba
ima wa shinobade
koishi nan
omou ni makeshi
na ni dani mo tate		 I care not if it’s so!
Now, with no concealment
Will I die of love!
One defeated by his feelings:
Let that be how I’m known!

Lord Sada’ie.

727

Right (Win).

君戀ふと人には知れぬいかにして逢はぬ憂き名を今は包まん

kimi kou to
hito ni wa shirenu
ika ni shite
awanu ukina o
ima wa tsutsuman		 That I love you
Has become known to all,
But what to do?
The rumour that you’ll cruelly not meet –
How will you conceal that?

The Provisional Master of the Empress’ Household Office.

728

The Right state: the final section of the Left does not match the conception. The Left state: the Right’s poem is old-fashioned in conception.

Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s poem really does seem unsatisfactory. While ‘has become known to all’ in the Right’s poem does sound old-fashioned, again despite the presence of old-fashioned diction, it is a fine poem. I make ‘known to all’ the winner!

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love II: 27

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Left (Win).

変れただ別るる道の野辺の露命に向ふ物も思はじ

kaware tada
wakaruru michi no
nobe no tsuyu
inochi ni mukau
mono mo omowaji		 O, change
Upon our parting! The path
Through the dew dropped fields –
How like life:
I would not think such thoughts!

Lord Sada’ie 

713

Right.

別れ路のありける物を逢坂の關を何しに急ぎ越えけん

wakareji no
arikeru mono o
ōsaka no
seki o nani shi ni
isogikoeken		 The path after parting
Is such a thing, so
Why to Meeting Hill’s
Barrier Gate do we
Rush to pass in haste?

Lord Tsune’ie

714

The Gentlemen of the Right state: the diction in the Left’s poem fails to link. The Gentlemen of the Left state: what novelty there is in the Right’s poem!

Shunzei’s judgement: in the Left’s poem it does not appear to me that the diction of the initial section links poorly. ‘How like life’ (inochi ni mukau) does, indeed, appear in the Man’yōshū and other works, but it does not seem that desirable. As for the Right, while it seems that the appearance of Meeting Hill is well understood, saying ‘why to the barrier gate’ (seki o nani shi ni) is inferior to ‘how like life’.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love II: 18

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Left (Tie).

風荒きもとあらの小萩袖に見て更け行夜半におもる白露

kaze araki
moto’ara no kohagi
sode ni mite
fukeyuku yowa ni
omoru shiratsuyu		 The wind, rough,
Speckles the little bush clover;
Upon my sleeves
At midnight
Heavy lie silven dewdrops.


Lord Sada’ie.

695

Right.

來ぬひとを何にかこたん山の端の月は待出でて小夜更けにけり

konu hito o
nani ni ka kotan
yama no hashi no
tsuki wa machi’idete
sayo fukenikeri		 A man who comes not –
For what should I sigh?
The mountains’ edge
Awaits the emerging moon,
As evening wears on.

Lord Takanobu.

696

Left and Right, again, state they find no faults.

Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s ‘upon my sleeves’ (sode ni mite) seems to go well with the conception, but that conception itself is not expressed in the poem’s diction. The Right’s ‘for what should I sigh?’ simply expresses the conception in its diction. They are of the same quality and should tie.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love II: 11

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Left.

あぢきなし誰もはかなき命もて頼めば今日の暮を頼めよ

ajikinashi
tare mo hakanaki
inochi mote
tanomeba kyō no
kure o tanomeyo		 How tedious!
All have so brief
A life, that
When I wish, it is for this
Evening, that you should give me!

Lord Sada’ie.

681

Right (Win).

たゞ頼め例へば人の偽りを重ねてこそは又も恨みめ

tada tanome
tatoeba hito no
itsuwari o
kasanete koso wa
mata mo uramime		 Just believe in me!
And then if my
Lies
Should mount higher,
Then, once more, you can hate me!

Nobusada.

682

The Left and Right both state: we find no faults to mention.

Shunzei’s judgement: although ‘when I wish, it is for this’ (tanomeba kyō no) is an extremely natural expression, the configuration of ‘and then if my lies’ (tatoeba hito no itsuwari) sounds even more profound. Thus, the Right should win.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love II: 5

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Left (Win).

年も經ぬ祈る契りは初瀬山尾上の鐘のよその夕暮れ

toshi mo henu
inoru chigiri wa
hatsuseyama
onoe no kane no
yoso no yūgure		 Years have gone by,
Praying that our bond should be, but
On Mount Hatsuse
The bell of Onoe
Tolls only distant dusk…

Lord Sada’ie.

Right.

朽果つる袖のためしとなりねとや人を浮田の杜のしめ縄

kuchihatsuru
sode no tameshi to
narine to ya
hito o ukita no
mori no shimenawa		 ‘All rotted through
Your sleeves
Should be,’ is that your word?
She is heartless as Ukita’s
Sacred grove’s boundary cords…

Ietaka.

670

The Gentlemen of the Left and Right both state that they find no faults worth mentioning with the opposing poem.

Shunzei’s judgement: the style of both poems seems pleasant [fūtei wa yoroshiku miehaberu], but the conception contained in the Left’s poem is not fully expressed by its diction. The Right’s rotted sleeves should be ‘like the sacred grove’s boundary cord’ (mori no shimenawa no tameshi to ya), but the poet makes his own sleeves the focus. This reference to ‘sacred grove’s boundary cord’ also sounds somewhat impious. ‘The bell of Onoe’ should win.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love I: 23

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Left.

憂しつらし安積の沼の草の名よかりにも深き縁は結ばで

ushi tsurashi
asaka no numa no
kusa no na yo
kari ni mo fukaki
en wa musubade		 How cruel and cold!
At Asaka Marsh
The once seen reeds do grow;
Briefly, a deep
Bond will not be made.

Lord Sada’ie.

645

Right.

かゝりける姿の池の鴛の聲聞きては袖の濡れし數かは

kakarikeru
sugata no ike no
oshi no koe
kikite wa sode no
nureshi kazu ka wa		 Such a
Form! On Sugata Pond
The loving mandarin duck calls
I hear and my sleeves:
Drenched how many times?

Jakuren.

646

Neither team has any criticisms this round.

Shunzei’s judgement: ‘The Left’s ‘At Asaka Marsh’ (asaka no numa) and the Right’s ‘On Sugata Pond the loving mandarin duck calls’ (sugata no ike no oshi no koe) are both tasteful in diction [yū no kotoba ni wa haberu], but beginning with ‘How cruel and cold!’ (ushi tsurashi) sounds like the poet is writing a love letter, and this is overly informal for a poetry competition [uta’awase ni wa kegen naru yō ni ya haberan]. ‘On Sugata Pond the loving mandarin duck calls’ is charming, but why did the poet not continue with ‘I did hear and my sleeves’ (kikishi wa sode no)? In any case, this round neither poem is markedly superior to the other.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love I: 18

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Left.

唐土の見ず知らぬ世の人ばかり名にのみ聞きて止みねとや思ふ

morokoshi no
mizu shiranu yo no
hito bakari
na ni nomi kikite
yamine to ya omou		 Distant Cathay:
Unseen and unknown once was to
Folk – every one;
With the report of your name, alone,
Will our love be over?

Lord Sada’ie.

635

Right.

いかにして露をば袖に誘ふらんまだ見ぬ里の萩の上風

ika ni shite
tsuyu o ba sode ni
sasouran
mada minu sato no
hagi no uwakaze		 What am I to do?
Dewfall to my sleeves
Has come, brought from
A dwelling, yet unseen,
By breeze upon the bush-clover…

Jakuren.

636

The Right state that the Left’s use of ‘every one’ (bakari) connects poorly with the subsequent section [kakeawazu]. The Left state that the while the style of the Right’s poem seems elegant [sono tei yū ni niru to iedomo], ‘A dwelling, yet unseen bush-clover’ (mada minu sato no hagi) is hard to hear [kikigataku].

Shunzei’s judgement: ‘Distant Cathay unseen and unknown once’ (morokoshi no mizu shiranu yo) must be referring to the Three Histories and Eight Dynasties. This seems to be meaningful, but does not really indicate anything profound. As for ‘a dwelling, yet unseen bush-clover’, whichever way you look at it, it is modified by ‘dewfall has come’ (tsuyu o sasouran). However, the Left also has the recollection of Cathay, so the two poems are comparable.

Poetry Competition in Six Hundred Rounds

Love I: 11

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Left.

氷ゐるみるめなぎさのたぐひかな上堰く袖の下のさゞ浪

kōri iru
mirume nagisa no
tagui kana
ue seku sode no
shita no sazanami		 As ice-bound
Algae on the beach
Am I:
The surface stopped up, but my sleeves
Conceal a confusion of waves…

Lord Sada’ie.

621

Right.

我とはと思ふにかゝる涙こそ抑ふる袖の下になりぬれ

ware to wa to
omou ni kakaru
namida koso
osauru sode no
shita ni narinure		 I should say nothing,
I feel, and yet
My tears,
Held down by my sleeves,
Do flow beneath them…

Nobusada.

622

The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left do not seem to be expressing enough. The Gentlemen of the Left state: the initial line of the Right’s poem is difficult to pronounce. In addition, it is difficult to understand.

Shunzei’s judgement: the Left’s ‘the surface stopped up, but my sleeves’ (ue seku sode no) and the Right’s ‘held down by my sleeves’ (osauru sode no) are both elegant in form [yū naru sama], but no matter how much I ponder them I find them difficult to comprehend, so again, there is no clear winner or loser this round.