Tag Archives: yesterday

Entō ōn’uta’awase 15

Round Fifteen

Left (Win)

山たかみみだれてにほふ花桜人もすさめぬ春やへぬらん

yama takami
midarete niou
hanazakura
hito mo susamenu
haru ya henuran
In these mountain heights
The riotous glow of
Blooming cherries:
Is there no one to sing their praises
As spring passes by?[1]

Chikanari
29

Right

行末の山のかひより昨日みし雲もさながら桜なりけり

yukusue no
yama no kai yori
kinō mishi
kumo mo sanagara
sakura narikeri
On my way
Through mountain passes
Yesterday I saw
Clouds of white—all were
Cherries![2]

Ie’kiyo
30

The Right’s poem, having ‘mountain passes yesterday I saw’ sounds like it conveys the conception of Tsurayuki’s poem well, but isn’t it a bit pointless to end up with something that sounds like a Travel poem? The Left’s poem has the fine conception of the old poem which goes ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms’, so thus it must win.


[1] An allusive variation on: Topic unknown. 山たかみ人もすさめぬさくら花いたくなわびそ我みはやさむ yama takami / hito mo susamenu / sakurabana / itaku na wabi so / ware mihayasamu ‘In these mountain heights / There is no one to sing the praises of / You cherry blossoms. / Do not be aggrieved / For I will do it.’ Anonymous (KKS I: 50).

[2] An allusive variation on: When he was instructed by His Majesty to compose a poem, he composed this and presented it. 桜花さきにけらしもあしひきの山の峡よりみゆる白雲 sakurabana / sakinikerashi mo / ashihiki no / yama no kai yori / miyuru shirakumo ‘The cherry blossom / Seems to have bloomed, and from / The leg-wearying / Mountain passes / Appears white billowing clouds.’ Tsurayuki (KKS I: 59)

Entō ōn’uta’awase 8

Round Eight

Left (Win)

朝まだきたつや霞の波まより昨日はみえし淡路島山

asa madaki
tatsu ya kasumi no
namima yori
kinō mieshi
awajishima yama
Early in the morning,
Breaking, haze
From between the waves, rather than
Yesterday’s sight of
The mountains of Awaji Isle…

Fujiwara no Tomoshige
15

Right

さえ残る雪げの春の朝霞かすむ名のみや空に立つらん

saenokoru
yukige no haru no
asagasumi
kasumu na nomi
sora ni tatsuran
Do chilly remnants of
Snowmelt in spring
Make morning haze’s
Blur in name alone
Drift into the skies?

Dharma Master Zenshin
16

The Left’s ‘Yesterday’s sight of the mountains of Awaji Isle’ sounds pleasant. The Right’s ‘Blur in name alone drift into the skies’ does not sound bad, but thinking of the conception of the topic, haze in name only is a bit inferior, isn’t it? Thus, the Left wins.

SHGSS VII: 419

On autumn mornings, kōshin Fourth Month, Kenpo 5.

をぐら山しぐるるころのあさなあさな昨日はうすき四方のもみぢば

ogurayama
shigururu koro no
asana asana
kinō wa usuki
yomo no momijiba
On gloomy Ogura Mountain
When the showers fall
Each and every morning,
How faded are yesterday’s
Scarlet leaves, all around.

Former Middle Counsellor Sada’ie

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.

Teiji-in uta’awase 37

Left

夏夜のまだもねなくにあけぬれば昨日今日ともおもひまどひぬ

natsu no yo no
mada mo nenaku ni
akenureba
kinō kyō tomo
omoimadoinu
On a summer night,
Still sleep has eluded me,
When dawn breaks—
Is it yet yesterday, or today,
I wonder in confusion.

74

Right

うのはなのさけるかきねは白雲のおりゐるとこそあやまたれけれ

u no hana no
sakeru kakine wa
shirakumo no
ori’iru to koso
ayamatarekere
Deutzia flowers
Are blooming by the brushwood fence—
Clouds of white
Have descended there, I think—
How strange…

75

Uda-in uta’awase 10

Orchids

Left

はるきてはきのふばかりをあさみどりなべてけさこくのはなりにけり

haru kite wa
kinō bakari o
asamidori
nabete kesa koku
no wa narikeri
Spring’s coming means, though
Yesterday was simply
Pale green,
Everywhere, this morning deeper-hued
Have the meadows become.

Tsurayuki
19

Right

はるさめにしべゆるぶらし春のくさこくのはなべてさきみちにけり

harusame ni
shibe yuruburashi
haru no kusa
koku no wa nabete
sakimichinikeri
In the springtime rain,
The flowers’ hearts seem loosened, so
With spring plants’ hues
Deepening, the meadows everywhere
Have filled with blossom.

20

SIS XX: 1339

When Lord Tamemasa sponsored a sutra reading at the Fumon Temple, on the following day, everyone departed all together; when she was leaving Ono, she noticed how charming the blossom was and composed:

たき木こる事は昨日につきにしをいざをののえはここにくたさん

takigi koru
koto Fa kinoFu ni
tukinisi wo
iza wono no e Fa
koko ni kutasan
Gathering kindling,
Yesterday
Did you exhaust yourself, but
Will your axe handle
Rot here, I wonder?

The Mother of Master of the Crown Prince’s Household Office Michitsuna

Tadamishū 163

When His Majesty was particularly impressed by his reply, and presented him with two rolls of silk.

きのふまでうらみしかぜはおほぞらのうきくもはらふつかひなりけり

kinō made
uramishi kaze wa
ōzora no
ukikumo harau
tsukai narikeri
Until yesterday
I did despise the wind:
The heavens
Sweeping clear of drifting clouds –
That was its task.

Mibu no Tadami