Composed on the conception of gazing at mountain cherries in the distance, when people were drinking wine and composing poetry at the residence of the Minister of the Centre.
高砂の尾上のさくらさきにけりと山のかすみたたずもあらなん
| takasago no wonoFe no sakura sakinikeri toyama no kasumi tatazu mo aranan | On Takasago’s Heights the cherries Have bloomed; O, I wish the haze around the nearby peaks Would not rise at all! |
Lord Ōe no Masafusa
Composed on the conception of the beginning of winter.
草の葉もはや霜がれの色みえて外山かたかけ冬はきにけり
| kusa no ha mo haya shimogare no iro miete toyama katakake fuyu wa kinikeri | The blades of grass, Swiftly, their frost burned Hues do show All o’er the distant mountains Has the winter come. |
The Lay Priest and Former Regent and Minister of Left
Left.
我戀に深さくらへば外山哉吉野の奧の岩のかけ道
| wa ga koi ni fukasa kuraeba toyama kana yoshino no oku no iwa no kakemichi |
My love’s Depth were you to measure, Distant mountains, perhaps? As in the heart of Yoshino, where The craggy paths are overgrown! |
Lord Ari’ie.
963
Right (Win).
ふみ見ても馴れぬけしきのつれなさや吉野の奧の岩のかけ道
| fumi mitemo narenu keshiki no tsurenasa ya yoshino no oku no iwa no kakemichi |
She read my letter – I treading on paths unknown – And cared not – an unfamiliar scene – Is her cruelty As in the heart of Yoshino, where The craggy paths are overgrown? |
Ietaka.
964
The Right state: in the Left’s poem, the expression ‘distant mountains, perhaps’ (toyama kana) sounds poor. The Left state: the Right’s poem has no faults to mention.
In judgement: both Left and Right have precisely identical sections: ‘as in the heart of Yoshino’ (yoshino no oku) and ‘craggy paths are overgrown’ (iwa no kakemichi), but considering the initial sections, it has already been stated that the Left’s sounds poor, while the Right lacks faults. Thus, in accordance with the remarks by the Gentlemen of both teams, the Right is the winner.