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
Tag Archives: years
Love VII: 1
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.
Kokin rokujō I: 192
Kokin rokujō I: 189
Love VI: 19
Left.
下とをる涙に袖も朽ちはてゝ着るかひもなき雨衣かな
| shita tōru namida ni sode mo kuchihatete kiru kai mo naki amagoromo kana |
Right through to below With tears are even my sleeves Quite rotted; Putting it on would be pointless This raincoat of mine! |
Kenshō.
937
Right (Win).
戀ゆへに身を知る雨の年を經て心のうちにかき曇るらむ
| koi yue ni mi o shiru ame no toshi o hete kokoro no uchi ni kakikumoruramu |
For love The rain knows how I feel full well Down through the years Within my heart The clouds grow ever thicker… |
The Supernumerary Master of the Empress Household Office.
938
The Right state: the Left’s ‘right through to below’ (shita tōruʼ) sounds as if the poet is passing below the palace! The Left state: in this poem it is not at all clear why it is that ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’ (mi o shiru ame).
In judgement: the Left, by using ‘right through to below’, has forgotten that ‘raincoat’ (amagoromo) evokes the sense of a salt-hut and, because there is nothing in the poem to suggest a location by the sea, amagoromo appears to be the clothing of a nun, or something similar. As for the Right’s ‘the rain knows how I feel full well’, it is simply ‘for love’. This seems plain to me. The Right wins.
Love V: 18
Left (Tie).
戀しとは便りにつけていひやりつ年は返りぬ人は歸らず
| koishi to wa tayori ni tsukete iiyaritsu toshi wa kaerinu hito wa kaerazu |
I love you, I put in a letter, and Sent it off; The years have gone by, but He has not returned. |
A Servant Girl
875
Right.
遥かなり幾草枕結びてかその下紐の解けんとすらん
| harukanari iku kusamakura musubite ka sono shitahimo no token to sururan |
A great distance – How many times pillowed on the grass? Tied tight My under-belt – I wonder when I will undo it? |
Nobusada
876
The Right state: the Left’s poem seems comic. The Left state: the initial line of the Right’s poems does not seem to have much to say.
In judgement: I wonder if it really is comic? It’s just a poem in one particular style. The conception of the poem ‘I do not await / The new year, yet it is here; / The Winter plants’ is especially charming. As for the Right, the Gentlemen have stated that the first line ‘has nothing much to say’, but I feel it is appropriately placed. Furthermore, I wonder what to think about the final ‘my under-belt’ (sono shitahimo), but, then again, the configuration of ‘How many times pillowed on the grass’ (iku kusa makura) is evocative. The poems are comparable, and again, they tie. Alas, my judgement here suggests I know nothing of poetry. It is most difficult when one realises how times have changed. How sad it is…
KKS XIX: 1009
Sedōka Topic unknown.
初瀬河布留川のへに二本ある杉年をへて又もあひ見む二本ある杉
| FatusegaFa FurukaFa no Fe ni Futamoto aru sugi tosi o Fete mata aFimimu Futamoto aru sugi |
The River Hatsuse, and River Furu: between their banks Stand twin cedars; The years go by, and They will come together once more, Twin cedars standing. |
Anonymous
Love V: 10
Left (Tie).
年を經て遂に逢べき中ならば齢ばかりを歎かざらまし
| toshi o hete tsui ni aubeki naka naraba yowai bakari o nagekazaramashi |
If the years go by, and Finally, that we meet Should come to pass, Just our youth Should not be a source of grief! |
Lord Suetsune.
859
Right.
比べ來し振分髪のそのかみも終の思やなを遊びけん
| kurabekoshi furiwakegami no sono kami mo tsui no omoi ya nao asobiken |
We did match Our hair, bunched on either side: Back then, That, at last, our passions would Join – I wonder, did we know it? |
Nobusada.
860
The Right state: the conception of youth is lacking. The Left state: the initial part simply resembles the original poem.
In judgement: the Left’s poem, from beginning to end, uses nothing but commonplace diction. The Right’s poem, too, really says nothing beyond the sense of its origin poem. The poems are of the same quality.
MYS XVI: 3865
Love V: 5
Left (Tie).
言はぬ間は思ふも心九十九髪さは僞りの夢や見てまし
| iwanu ma wa omou mo kokoro tukumogami sa wa itsuwari no yume ya mitemashi |
While he’s said not a word, If love in his heart Arrived for my white hair, Then a false dream Would I see in truth? |
Lord Kanemune.
849
Right.
戀初めし心の色に積む年は我黒髪に現れにけり
| koi someshi kokoro no iro ni tsumu toshi wa wa ga kurogami ni arawarenikeri |
Since I first awoke to love The hues of passion in my heart by The drifting years Upon my raven tresses Are made clear. |
Nobusada.
850
The Right state: is this a reference to the recent poem ‘seeing a dream with white hair’ (yume o miru to mo tsukumogami)? The Left state: ‘drifting years’ (tsumu toshi) is grating on the ear.
In judgement: both poems refer to hair, and the Gentlemen of the Right have asked whether the Left are referring to a ‘recent poem’, and I wonder when this poem might have been composed? It is impossible to entirely avoid referring to poems which are not included in the anthologies. Needless to say, though, it is normal for one’s poems not to resemble others to a great extent. In addition, I do not feel that ‘drifting years’ is that grating on the ear. However, simply saying ‘Upon my raven tresses are made clear’ (wa ga kurogami ni arawarenikeri) does not convey a strong sense of gray hair, I think. Finally, the configuration of the Left’s ‘then a false dream’ (sa wa itsuwari no) is particularly unacceptable, I think. So, a tie.