Tag Archives: tsukuba

Entō ōn’uta’awase 16

Round Sixteen

Left

桜さく吉野の山の山風にふもとをこめて花にほふらし

sakura saku
yoshino no yama no
yamakaze ni
fumoto o komete
hana niourashi
Cherries bloom
In the mountains of Yoshino, where
The mountain breezes
Make even the foothills
Aglow with blossom.

Tomoshige
31

Right (Win)

花の色はあまりにけりなつくばねのこのもかのもにかかる白雲

hana no iro wa
amarinikeri na
tsukubane no
kono mo kano mo ni
kakaru shirakumo
The blossoms’ hues
Have overflowed[1]
The peak of Tsukuba—
Near and far, both,
Draped with clouds of white.[2]

Dharma Master Zenshin
32

The Left’s poem has no faults worth mentioning and, furthermore, is not particularly remarkable. The Right’s poem refers to the peak of Tsukuba; while this is generally thought of as a mountain, it is not necessarily limited to mountains and there are, I think, a bunch of instances where it means a place with lots of trees; however, because here it also conveys the conception of mountains, from the use of pleasant poetic technique, the Right should win.


[1] Zenshin is clearly referencing Ono no Komachi’s famous: Topic unknown. 花の色はうつりにけりないたづらにわが身世にふるながめせしまに hana no iro wa / utsurinikeri na / itazura ni / wa ga mi yo ni furu / nagame seshi ma ni ‘The blossoms’ hues / Have already faded away, / While in idle thoughts / My life goes by, / As I watch the long rains fall.’ (KKS II: 113).

[2] An allusive variation on: Eastern poem: a poem from Hitachi. 筑波嶺のこのもかのもに影はあれど君がみかげにます陰はなし tsukuba ne no / kono mo kano mo ni / kage aredo / kimi ga mikage ni / masu kage wa nashi ‘On the peak of Tsukuba / Here and there / Lie shadows, yet / To your shadow, my love (my Lord) / They cannot compare!’ Anonymous (KKS XX: 1095).

Shikin wakashū 975

At around the same time [Kenpō 4 (1216)] in summer, an impromptu composition.

つくばねのしげきの木のまかげはあれど秋にはかはる夏の夜の月

tsukubane no
shigeki no ko no ma
kage wa aredo
aki ni wa kawaru
natsu no yo no tsuki
On the peak of Tsukuba
Between the trees so lush
Shadows fall, yet
In autumn ‘twill be different—
The moon this summer night.

Juntoku

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

MYS XIV: 3396

小筑波の茂き木の間よ立つ鳥の目ゆか汝を見むさ寝ざらなくに

otukuba no
sigeki ko no ma yo
tatu tori no
me yuka na o mimu
sanezaranakuni
At Tsukuba
Between the lushly growing trees,
As a darting bird
Did I catch a glimpse of you?
Though ‘tis not that you were not asleep…

Anonymous

SKS X: 373

When Fujiwara no Sanemune was Assistant Governor of Hitachi, he was severely criticised by messengers from the Ministry of the Treasury, and when Minister Masafusa heard this, he was ordered to transfer to Tōtōmi, so she composed this and sent it to him.

筑波山ふかくうれしと思ふかな浜名の橋にわたす心を

tukubayama
Fukaku uresi to
omoFu kana
Famana no Fasi no
watasu kokoro wo
Upon Mount Tsukuba
Will there be great rejoicing
I think, that
To the bridge at Hamana
Have your attentions turned!

Lady Higo [in service to] the Grand Empress Dowager
太皇太后宮肥後

SKS V: 164

Composed for the Poetry Competition held at the Residence of the Former Uji Grand Minister in Chōgen 8 [1035].

君が世は白雲かかる筑波嶺の峰のつづきの海となるまで

kimi ga yo Fa
sirakumo kakaru
tukubane no
mine no tuduki no
umi to naru made
My Lord’s reign:
White clouds cling
To the peak of Tsukuba;
Until those very heights
Shall sink into the sea!

Nōin