saohime no ito somekakuru aoyagi o fuki na midari so haru no yamakaze
Princess Sao Has dyed the dangling threads of Green willow— O, don’t blow them into tangles, Spring breeze from the mountains!
Kanemori 9
While the Right’s poem was being recited, the gentlemen of the Left stated, ‘The current willow poem was already recited out of sequence, and yet they desire to recite it again. It seems they have forgotten basic procedure!’ This minor official replied, ‘His Majesty’s ruling has already been granted on this matter following the Left’s request when the poems on bush warblers were recited, so this objection cannot be raised again.’
In the Left’s poem ‘New jewels, / The years seem to spin out / Green willow’ lacks sense. While the Right’s poem has nothing worth mentioning about it, it does not appear to have any faults, and thus it wins.
[i] A variant on this poem is included in Goshūishū (I: 74), as well as in some texts of this match: Composed on willows for the Palace Poetry Match held in Tentoku 4. あらたまのとしをへつつもあをやぎのいとはいづれのはるかたゆべき aratama no / toshi o hetsutsu mo / aoyagi no / ito wa izure no / haru ka tayubeki ‘New jewels, / The years pass ever by with / Green willow / Threads: when might / The spring be that they snap?’ Given Saneyori’s judgement, however, I am following Hagitani and Taniyama (1965, 80) in prioritising this version.
saohime no ito somekakuru aoyagi o fuki na midari so haru no yamakaze
Princess Sao Has dyed the dangling threads of Green willow— O, don’t blow them into tangles, Spring breeze from the mountains!
Kanemori 6
Warblers should have appeared here, but this is a poem about willows, so it loses.
しろたへの雪ふりやまぬ梅がえにいまぞうぐひす花となくなる
shirotae no yuki furiyamanu ume ga e ni ima zo uguisu hana to nakunaru
White as mulberry cloth The snow falls unceasing— Upon the branch of plum, Now, indeed, the warbler, Sings of the blossom!
Kanemori 7
Despite the mistaken composition, His Majesty required the original poem and it was located and recited.
Lord Hiromasa, the Reciter for the Right, mistakenly recited the willow poem. The Left raised an objection, saying, ‘He should have recited the warbler poem but, instead, erroneously recited the willow poem. Should he really be allowed to recite the correct poem now?’ The substance of the Left’s objection was conveyed to His Majesty, who instructed, ‘Provide a report based on prior precedent.’
This minor official advised His Majesty, ‘The Left’s objection is not unreasonable. However, matters such as this are best determined according to the circumstance of the occasion. As this was simply human error, why discriminate against the poem?’
Thus, His Majesty ordered that the poem be recited.
When he did so, Lord Hiromasa turned pale and was unable to recite the poem straight away. Although he finally managed to do so, his voice trembled and the Left laughed at him. Furthermore, the poem’s diction contained the nonsensical expression ‘sings of the blossom’, and thus this was still a loss.
[i] An allusive variation on: A poem from the Empress’ poetry competition held in the Kanpyō period. 花の香を風のたよりにたぐへてぞ鶯さそふしるべにはやる hana no ka o / kaze no tayori ni / taguete zo / uguisu sasou / shirube ni wa yaru ‘The blossoms’ scent / Messaged on the breeze / Brings / An invitation to the warbler / To try and bring him forth!’ Ki no Tomonori (Kokinshū I: 13)
[ii] This poem was included in Gyokuyōshū (I: 42), attributed to Asatada, with the headnote ‘On warblers, from the Palace Poetry Match in Tentoku 4’.
