Grieving that he had grown old, while seated beneath the cherry blossoms.
色も香もおなじ昔にさくらめど年ふる人ぞあらたまりける
| iro mo ka mo onadi mukasi ni sakuramedo tosi Furu Fito zo aratamarikeru | In both hue and scent Just as in days long gone Do they seem to bloom, yet A man with years laid upon him Has changed beyond all measure. |
Ki no Tomonori
When he was in the presence of the Somedono Empress[1] and, seeing that Her Majesty had placed some cherry blossom in a vase, he composed:
年ふればよはひは老いぬしかはあれど花をし見れば物思もなし
| tosi Fureba yoFaFi Fa oinu sika Fa aredo Fana wo si mireba mono’omoFi mo nasi | The years have passed, and Aged I have become; That is so, and yet When these blossoms I see Regrets have I not a one. |
The Former Grand Minister[2]
[1] Fujiwara no Akirakeiko (Meishi) 藤原明子 (829-900). Daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, and consort of Emperor Montoku.
[2] Fujiwara no Yoshifusa 藤原良房 (804-872).
Poems composed on the ninth day of the Third Month, at the end of spring, when on the way to the village of Furue to oversee the distribution of seed rice to the poor, and observing blossom by the roadside. Poems composed at places of interest and put together.
A poem composed on seeing a tree upon the crags when passing the point at Shibutani. The tree was a tsumama.
礒の上のつままを見れば根を延へて年深からし神さびにけり
| iso no upe no tumama wo mireba ne wo papete tosi pukakarasi kamu sabinikeri | When upon the stony shore A hardy evergreen I see, Roots extending The length of its years, How venerable it is! |
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
大伴家持
Brushwood
位山みねの椎しばとしふともうつろふ色はあらじとそおもふ
| kuraiyama mine no shiishiba toshi futomo utsurou iro wa araji to zo omou | On Kurai Mountain, The brushwood on the peak: Though the years do pass Of fading hues There is no sign, I feel! |
Daishin, Lady-in-Waiting from the Rokujō Palace
六条院女房大進
Left
起きもゐで年ふる戀はをのづから常世の神やしるし見すべき
| oki mo ide toshi furu koi wa onozukara tokoyo no kami ya shirushi misubeki |
Unable to arise From love these many years, May I By the eternal gods Be shown a sign! |
Kenshō
1069
Right (Win)
獨臥すながながし夜のかなしきを語らひあかすきりぎりす哉
| hitori fusu naganagashi yo no kanashiki o katarai akasu kirigirisu kana |
Lying alone, So long, long the night’s Sorrow; Lightening it with chatter Are the crickets! |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office
1070
The Gentlemen of the Right state: what is the meaning of ‘the eternal gods’ (toko no kami). In appeal, the Left: in the Chronicles of Japan, insects are worshipped under the name of ‘the eternal gods’ and made to seem like men. The Left state: what can an insect chatter about?
In judgement: in regard to the Left’s poem, while it is true that insects were worshipped, a poem on ‘Love and Insects’ with no insect is lacking something from the start. This poem would seem to be more a case of ‘Love and Prayers’. Thus, this is nothing enduring. A prior example has been contrived, but this is ineffective. It does not seem as if this insect’s nature has any relation to the topic. The Right’s poem has a commonplace cricket. Where is the fault in having it lighten one’s mood with chatter? Thus, the Right must win.
Expressing true feelings.
敷栲の枕をまきて妹と我れと寝る夜はなくて年ぞ経にける
| sikitape no makura wo makite imo to are to nuru yo pa nakute tosi zo penikeru |
Spread mulberry cloth For a pillow tangled, My love and I Sleep no nights away, and only Years have gone by! |
池水の深き心を年経とも言ひ出ださずはいかが知らさむ
| ikemidu no Fukaki kokoro wo tosi Futomo iFi’idasazu Fa ikaga sirasamu |
Pond water Deep, my heart, but The years go by, yet Bursting not into speech How am I to let her know? |
Ei’en
永縁
数ふるれば我が身に積もる年月を送り迎ふとなに急ぐらむ
| kazourureba wa ga mi ni tsumoru toshitsuki o okurimukau to nani isoguramu |
When I count them up Upon me are laden Years and months To see off and welcome in, so Why should I make haste? |
Taira no Kanemori
平兼盛
Left (Tie).
年を經て茂るなげきをこりもせでなど深からん物思ひの山
| toshi o hete shigeru nageki o kori mo sede nado fukakaran mono’omoi no yama |
The years go by and My ever verdant grief Is never felled; Why am I so deep In mountains of gloomy thought? |
Kenshō.
961
Right.
君にわれ深く心を筑波山しげきなげきにこりはてぬ哉
| kimi ni ware fukaku kokoro o tsukubayama shigeki nageki ni korihatenu kana |
You for me Had deep thoughts once – All gone now, yet on Tsukuba Mountain My ever verdant grief Remains unfelled… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress’ Household Office.
962
The Right state: we are not familiar with the expression ‘mountains of gloomy thought’ (mono’omoi no yama) used in the Left’s poem. The Left state: the Right’s poem has nothing significant to say.
In judgement: both poems use the wordplay of ‘ever verdant grief’ (shigeki nageki) and a ‘heart unfelled’ (korinu kokoro); they have no particular merits or faults. The round ties.
濡れ衣と人にいはすな菊の花齢延ぶとぞ我そぼちつる
| nureginu to Fito ni iFasu na kiku no Fana yoFaFi nobu to zo ware sobotituru |
That you have no effect – Give folk no cause to say it, O chrysanthemum blooms! Saying you’ll prolong my years I am drenched right through! |