Original

さくらばなゆきとふるめりみかさやまいざたちよらむなにかくるやと

sakurabana yukitourumeri mikasayama iza tachiyoramu nani kakuru ya to

The cherry blossom Seems to pass as falling snow On Mikasa Mountain— Say, let’s shelter ‘neath umbrellas there, Whether they’ll conceal us or not…[1]

Mitsune
28

Left (Tie)

やまのなにたちしもよらじさくらばなゆきとふるともいろにぬれめや

yama no na ni tachishi mo yoraji sakurabana yukitouru to mo iro ni nureme ya

Based on the mountain’s name, I would take no shelter from The cherry blossoms, for Even should they pass as falling snow Would their hues wet my sleeves?

29

Right

かくるれどやまずゆきこそふりかかれみかさのやまははなやもるらん

kakururedo yamazu yuki koso furikakare mikasa no yama wa hana ya moruran

I have concealed myself, yet Incessantly those snows Do fall; From Mikasa Mountain, will The blossom drip, I wonder?

30

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[1] This poem occurs in Mitsune-shū (328) with the same headnote as that for poem 22 (above). This is a somewhat facetious poem in that Mitsune is punning on the name of the mountain, Mikasa, which could be read to mean ‘honoured umbrella’. Both of the ladies composing this round pick up on his wordplay, with the author of (29) saying that there’s no need to take shelter as blossom will not leave a stain, as snow would, and the author of (30) wondering rhetorically if the blossom would drip from an umbrella as melting snow would.