On a place where plum blossom blooms.
わがやどの梅のはつはなさきにけりまつうぐひすはなどかきなかぬ
| wa ga yado no ume no hatsuhana sakinikeri matsu uguisu wa nado ka kinakanu | My dwelling’s First plum blossom Has bloomed, so Why has the long awaited warbler Not come to sing? |
Plum blossom disliking the rain.
我がやどの梅のはなさけり春雨はいたくなふりそちらまくもをし
| wa ga yado no ume no hana sakeri harusame wa itaku na furi so chiramaku mo oshi | At my house The plum blossom has bloomed, so Spring showers, Don’t fall so hard, for Scattered petals I would regret! |
Plum blossom at an ancient estate.
年ふればやどはあれにけり梅のはな花はむかしの香ににほへども
| toshi fureba yado wa arenikeri ume no hana hana wa mukashi no ka ni nioedomo | The years have passed, so The house has into ruin fallen, yet The plum’s blossoming Flowers, as in days long gone Scent the air with fragrance. |
30
Composed on plum blossom.
わがやどの八重のこうばいさきにけりしるもしらぬもなべてとはなん
| wa ga yado no yae no kōbai sakinikeri shiru mo shiranu mo nabete towanan | At my house Eightfold scarlet plum Has bloomed; Acquaintances, and not, All, equally, I would have you come to visit! |
Composed on plum blossom.
梅のはなさけるさかりをめのまへにすぐせるやどは春ぞすくなき
| ume no hana sakeru sakari o me no mae ni suguseru yado wa haru zo sukunaki | The plum blossoms Are blooming in profusion Before my eyes Passing time at my house Spring is brief, indeed! |
A warbler between the blossom.
春くれば先さくやどのむめのはなかをなつかしみうぐひすぞ鳴く
| haru kureba mazu saku yado no mume no hana ka o natsukashimi uguisu zo naku | When the spring has come, First to bloom at my house is Plum blossom Fond of its fragrance Does the warbler sing! |
Left
さよふけてなどかなくらむほととぎすたびねのやどをかすひとやなき
| sayo fukete nado ka nakuramu hototogisu tabine no yado o kasu hito ya naki | Brief night breaks, so Why does he cry so? The cuckoo A lodging on his journey Has no one to lend him! |
49
Right (Win)
なつのいけによるべさだめぬうきくさのみづよりほかにゆくかたもなし
| natsu no ike ni yorube sadamenu ukikusa no mizu yori hoka ni yuku kata mo nashi | Upon the pond in summer No destination has The waterweed, so Other than the water It has no place to go… |
Okikaze
50
Left (Tie)
やまざとにしるひともがなほととぎすなきぬときかばつげもくるがに
| yamazato ni shiru hito mogana hototogisu nakinu to kikaba tsuge mo kuru gani | At a mountain retreat, I would I had a friend, O, cuckoo, That on hearing your call, He would tell me so… |
Okikaze
43
Right
なつきぬとひとしもつげぬわがやどにやまほととぎすはやくなくなり
| natsu kinu to hito shimo tsugenu wa ga yado ni yamahototogisu hayaku nakunari | Summer has come—that Folk do tell; At my home A mountain cuckoo Gives an early call. |
44
Summer
Five poems on the Fourth Month
Left (Win)
みやまいでてまづはつこゑはほととぎすよぶかくまたむわがやどになけ
| miyama idete mazu hatsukoe wa hototogisu yobu kaku matamu wa ga yado ni nake | Emerging from the mountains deep, Early, your first call, Cuckoo— Where I would be waiting all night long At my house, o, sing out! |
Masakata[i]
41
Right
けふよりはなつのころもになりぬれどきるひとさへはかはらざりけり
| kyō yori wa natsu no koromo ni narinuredo kiru hito sae wa kawarazarikeri | From today Summer garb We have put on, yet The folk who wear it Have not changed at all. |
Mitsune
42
‘The Right is uninteresting,’ so it lost.
[i] Minamoto no Masakata 源雅固 (dates unknown). A son of Minamoto no Sada’ari 源定有 (dates unknown), one of the sons of Emperor Montoku (827-858; r. 850-858).
Ten Poems on the Third Month
Left (Tie)
みてかへるこころあかねばさくらばなさけるあたりにやどやからまし
| mitekaeru kokoro akaneba sakurabana sakeru atari ni yado ya karamashi | Seeing you and returning home Leaves my heart unsated, O, cherry blossom! In the place where you do bloom is Where I would borrow lodging… |
Okikaze
21
Right
しののめにおきてみつればさくらばなまだよをこめてちりにけるかな
| shinonome ni okite mitsureba sakurabana mada yo o komete chirinikeru kana | At the edge of dawn, When I arise to gaze upon The cherry blossoms Within the night’s span Have they scattered! |
Yorimoto
22
The Right’s poem was just as His Majesty said: ‘It expresses affection for the blossom through gazing and gazing upon them.’ When it was suggested to him that the work produced by Lord Sadakata and Lord Noboru conveyed the same overall impression, he took his time to consider the matter, then said, ‘In that case,’ and made the round a tie.