Tag Archives: uji

Love VII: 30

Left (Win)
恋わたる夜はのさむしろ波かけてかくや待けん宇治の橋姫

koi wataru
yowa no samushiro
nami kakete
kaku ya machiken
uji no hashihime
Crossed in love
At night my mat of straw
Is washed by waves;
Is this how she waits,
The maid at Uji bridge.

A Servant Girl
1019

Right
いにしへの宇治の橋守身をつまば年経る恋を哀とも見よ

inishie no
uji no hashimori
mi o tsumaba
toshi furu koi o
aware tomo miyo
Ancient
Warden of Uji bridge,
If you pinch me,
How I have aged with love for you
Will you know, and pity me…

Jakuren
1020

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

In judgement: the style of both the Left’s ‘maid at Uji bridge’ (uji no hashihime) and the Right’s ‘Warden of Uji bridge’ (uji no hashimori) is pleasant, and the Left’s ‘Is this how she waits, the maid at Uji bridge’ (kaku ya machiken uji no hashihime) draws on the conception of a tale from long ago, and the configuration also seems deeply moving. Thus, the Left should win.

Love VII: 25

Left (Win).
いざやさは君に逢はずは渡らじと身を宇治橋に書き付けてみん

iza ya sa wa
kimi ni awazu wa
wataraji to
mi o ujihashi ni
kakitsuketemin
So, then,
If I am not to meet you,
I’ll not cross
In my despair, the bridge at Uji,
But just inscribe this here…

Kenshō
1009

Right.
都思ふ濱名の橋の旅人や浪に濡れては恋渡るらむ

miyako omou
hamana no hashi no
tabibito ya
nami ni nurete wa
koiwataruran
His thoughts on the capital,
The bridge at Hamana,
Does a traveller,
Wet by the waves,
Cross while lost in love?

Lord Takanobu
1010

The Gentlemen of the Right state: the Left’s poem has no faults to indicate. The Gentlemen of the Left state: we wonder if the Right’s poem does not sound as if it is only the capital which the poet loves?

In judgement: in the Left’s poem, ‘If I am not to meet you, I’ll not cross’ (kimi ni awazu wa wataraji to)  is particularly charming, having the conception of the tale of Sima Xiangru in Mengqiu, at the bridge into the commandery of Shu, where he says, ‘If I am not aboard a four-horse carriage, I’ll never cross this bridge again!’, and then later was made a Cavalryman in Permanent Attendance, and entered as an imperial messenger. Metaphorically, it also evokes his meeting with Wenjun, and so seems particularly profound. The poem of the Right commences with ‘His thoughts on the capital’ (miyako omou) and then continues with ‘wet by the waves, cross while lost in love’ (nami ni nurete wa koiwataruran). I do not see how one can say that this poem lacks the conception of Love. However, the conception of the Left’s poem seems rare, indeed. Thus, it wins.

SZS VI: 420

Composed when he had gone to the Uji River.

朝ぼらけ宇治の川ぎり絶々にあらはれ渡る瀬々の網代木

asaborake
udi no kaFagiri
taedae ni
araFarewataru
sese no aziroki
At the dawn
The mists across Uji River
Fade in and out
Drifting across
The fishing nets in the rapids.

Middle Councillor [Fujiwara no] Sadayori (995-1045)
中納言定頼

Summer I: 21

Left.

をちこちにながめやかはす鵜飼舟闇を光の篝火の影

ochikochi ni
nagame ya kawasu
ukaibune
yami o hikari no
kagaribi no kage
Near and far
My gaze goes back and forth;
Cormorant boats
Light the darkness with
Fishing-fires’ glow.

Lord Sada’ie.

221

Right (Win).

鵜飼舟あはれとぞ見るものゝふの八十宇治川の夕闇の空

ukaibune
aware to zo miru
mononofu no
yaso ujigawa no
yūyami no sora
The cormorant boats
Seem so keen!
Warriors,
Eighty in all, on Uji River,
Beneath the darkening evening sky…

Nobusada.

222

The Right comment that, ‘In the Left’s poem, “light the darkness” (yami o hikari) does not seem that elegant an expression,’ while the Left can find no fault with the Right’s poem.

Shunzei agrees: ‘“Light the darkness with fishing-fires’ glow” (yami o hikari no kagaribi no kage) does not seem particularly satisfactory in sense. The Right’s “Eighty in all, on Uji River, beneath the darkening evening sky” (yaso ujigawa no yūyami no sora) is especially fine. There is no question but that it wins.’

Autumn 32

Left (Win).

山賤の身のためにうつ衣ゆへ秋の哀を手にまかすらむ

yamagatsu no
mi no tame ni utsu
koromo yue
aki no aware o
te ni makasuramu
The mountain folk
Full, for my sake,
These clothes, so
Is it that all of autumn’s sadness is
In their hands?

63

Right

川風に夜わたる月のさむければ八十氏人も衣うつなり

kawa kaze ni
yo wataru tsuki no
samukereba
yaso ujibito mo
koromo utsunari
Carried on the river breeze
The sky-traversing moon
Is chill, so
All the folk of Uji
Full their clothes.

64

Spring 11

Left.

槇の戸は軒ばの花のかげなれば床も枕も春の曙

maki no to wa
nokiba no hana no
kage nareba
toko mo makura mo
haru no akebono
My door of cedar wood
Within the eave-bourned blossoms’
Shade does stand, so
Bed and pillow both
Are perfect this spring dawning.

21

Right (Win)

花の色のおられぬ水にさすさはの雫もにほふ宇治の河長

hana no iro no
orarenu mizu ni
sasu sao no
shizuku mo niou
uji no kawaosa
Blossoms’ hues —
Within the insubstantial water
Thrusts the pole —
Gleam in the droplets cast by
A ferryman at Uji.

22