Showers

Round One

Left (Win – Both judges)

終夜嵐の音にたぐひつつ木の葉とともに降るしぐれかな

yomosugara arashi no oto ni taguitsutsu ko no ha to tomo ni furu shigure kana

All night long The sound of storm winds Is laced With that of leaves and Falling showers!

Lady Settsu, in service to the Empress
1

Right

おぼつかないかにしぐるる空なればうらごの山のかたみなせなる

obotsukana ika ni shigururu sora nareba urago no yama no kataminase naru

How puzzling it is! What sort of shower From the skies is it that Makes Urago Mountain Show such a thing?

Lord Toshiyori
2

Toshiyori states: While the conception and diction of the first poem are not that unusual, it appears to have no errors to indicate. The second poem’s choice of diction—using ‘show such a thing’—is vague: I wonder if when composing about this mountain that’s what one does? Nevertheless, the assembled company have stated that ‘Urago Mountain’ feels unpoetic as a piece of diction, and thus I make the Left the winner.

Mototoshi states: I feel that ‘With that of leaves and / Falling showers!’ is a moving and charming conception, but find it impossible to understand why Urago Mountain should ‘show such a thing’ in the poem of the Right! I have to say that the Left is superior.