Round Three

Left (Tie)

おきあかしくまなき月をながむれば野原の草の露もかくれず

oki’akashi kumanaki tsuki o nagamureba nohara no kusa no tsuyu mo kakurezu

Lying awake ‘til dawn, and Upon the cloudless moon A’gazing— Upon the grasses o’er the plain Not a single dewdrop is concealed.

Mikawa
53

Right

月をみて心をこよひつくすかなくまなき空は又もこそあれ

tsuki o mite kokoro o koyoi tsukusu kana kumanaki sora wa mata mo koso are

Seeing the moon, Tonight, my heart Exhausts! The cloudless skies Once more are such!

Lord Kinshige
54

The Left’s ‘lying awake ‘til dawn, gazing’ suggests that the poet is at their own residence, but then it finally turns out that they are on the plain – what to make of this? It’s also the case that the moon doesn’t necessarily always appear over the plains. This poem should really have included a clearer reason for the poet’s journey. As for the Right, while it isn’t bad, the final line certainly regrettable, so this round is a tie.