Left.
松陰にいかで時雨の漏りつらん岩本柞初紅葉せり
| matsu kage ni ikade shigure no moritsuran iwamoto hahaso hatsu momijiseri |
Beneath the pine trees’ shade Why has the shower Drenched all? The oak tree, at the crag-foot Has its first scarlet leaf. |
439
Right.
山科の岩田の小野に秋暮れて風に色ある柞原かな
| yamashina no iwata no ono ni aki kurete kaze ni iro aru hahasowara kana |
In Yamashina At Iwata-no-Ono Autumn is almost done Its hues are in the wind Upon the oak groves. |
440
The Right ask whether the Left can cite a poem as a precedent for the expression ‘oak tree, at the crag-foot’ (iwamoto hahaso). The Left respond that they cannot bring one to mind immediately. However, ‘crag-foot’ is often used about a range of plants of various kinds. Thus, where is the fault in using it? The Left have no criticisms to make of the Right’s poem.
Shunzei’s judgement: It is not particularly important whether there is a precedent for the Left’s use of ‘oak tree, at the crag-foot’ [shōka no yūmu ni oyobubekarazu]. The final section, ‘has its first scarlet leaf’(hatsu momijiseri), however, given that what comes before is a standard poem [tsune no uta], is somewhat over-explicit [niwaka ni kotogotoshiku haberumere]. The Right’s poem has nothing particular to say. Starting with ‘Yamashina’ sounds overly blunt [amari ni tashika ni kikoetaru]. In addition, the final section displays no deep thought [munen narubeshi]. So, again, the round is a tie.
Once, when she was on her way to Ishiyama, she stopped to rest at a place called Yamashina; the master of the house there was interested in her and so suggested that she might stop there again on her way back. She composed this to say she would do nothing of the sort.
歸るさをまち心みよかくながらよもたゞにては山科の里
| kaFeru sa wo mati kokoromiyo kaku nagara yomo tada nite Fa yamasina no sato |
For my journey home I’ll be waiting-see if that’s the truth! Were it so, Surely like this We would not remain, in your house in Yamashina! |
Izumi Shikibu
和泉式部