Topic unknown.
ちはやぶる宇治の橋守なれをしぞあはれとは思ふ年のへぬれば
tiFayaburu udi no Fasimori nare wo sizo aFare to Fa omoFu tosi no Fenureba | Mighty Uji’s bridge wardens! You, indeed, do Deeply move me Through all the passing years… |
Anonymous
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.
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.
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. |
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… |
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.’
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
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