Zithers 筝
まつかぜの吹くにかよひてことの音は秋のしらべの身にもしむかな
matsukaze no fuku ni kayoite koto no ne wa aki no shirabe no mi ni mo shimu kana | The wind through pine trees Blowing blending with A zither’s notes— The melodies of autumn Do pierce my soul! |
Daishin
Left (Win).
定め置く星合の空のしるしとて秋の調べに琴柱たつ也
sadameoku hoshiai no sora no shirushi tote aki no shirabe ni kotoji tatsu nari |
Set, The stars meet within the heavens Signified by The rhythms of autumn Sounding ‘cross the zithers’ bridge. |
323
Right.
七夕の逢ふ夜の庭に置く琴のあたりにひくはさゝがにの糸
tanabata no au yo no niwa ni oku koto no atari ni hiku wa sasagani no ito |
At Tanabata, On the night of meeting, in the garden Are the zithers placed; All around for plucking are Strands of spiders’ webs. |
324
The Right say, ‘“Set” (sadameoku) just does not sound very good.’ The Left: ‘ “Spiders” (sasagani no) seems to appear rather abruptly in the poem.’
Shunzei: ‘“Spiders’ webs” (sasagani no ito) would seem to be being used to evoke the playing of the zithers. Is “set” really all that bad in form? The Left’s “rhythms of autumn” (aki no shirabe) gets the victory.’
Left (Tie).
七夕は今日貸す琴は何ならで逢ふにのみこそ心ひくらめ
tanabata wa kyō kasu koto wa nani narade au ni nomi koso kokoro hikurame |
For the Weaver Maid That this day the zithers play Means nothing; ‘Tis her meeting, alone, That plucks upon her heart. |
317
Right (Tie).
薫物の匂ひも貸しつ七夕に思ふ思を空に知れとて
takimono no nioi mo kashitsu tanabata ni omou omoi o sora ni shire tote |
Incense Scent I proffer To the Weaver Maid; The burning thoughts within my heart, Let it carry to the heavens! |
318
The Right state that ‘the expression “alone” (nomi) in Left’s poem is grating,’ while the Left have no particular criticisms of the Right.
Shunzei simply remarks, ‘The Left has a zither plucking the heart; the Right, the scent of burning incense carrying thoughts. Equally good word association. A tie.’
The year after her mother died, one evening when she was thinking idly following the final service, she was firmly wiping the dust from her zither, not playing it, yet from time to time a note rang out; her aunt, living in the same house, heard the zither’s notes , and sent a note over saying how sad it made her feel; she composed this in reply.
亡人は音づれもせで琴の緖をたちし月日ぞ歸りきにける
nakibito Fa otodure mo sede koto no wo wo tatisi tuki Fi zo kaFerikinikeru |
She, who’s died, Has sent no word Yet a zither’s notes- Broken-days gone by Brings back. |