Please read poem on embroidered scroll

[Ger]

Please see attached a partially embroidered scroll showing a poem.
On the box I can't read the third character. Would it say 三十六歌仙 36 immortals?
Underneath is the front of the box.
The box contained a note with an attempted transcription.
What does it say?

A partial solution is also welcome.

 

[Majestic]

Yes, the box lid says "36 Immortal Poets"

As I think you guessed, the writing is an attempt to read the poems that are painted on the scroll. Since the calligraphy on the scroll is rather hard to read, and uses some characters that are out of use today, it is quite hard for most people to read these.

The two poems are

Priest Kisen Poem #8 of the One Hundred Poems (Hyakunin Isshu)

我が庵は wa ga io wa
都のたつみ miyako no tatsumi
しかぞすむ shika zo sumu
よをうぢ山と yo wo Ujiyama to
人はいふなり hito wa iu nari

My own home is a retreat laying southeast of the capital, where I can hide from the troubles of this world.

Buddhist High Priest Henjo

浅みとり asa midori
いとよりかけて ito yori kakete
白露を shiratsuyu wo
当麻（たま）よりぬける tama yori nukeru
春の柳か haru no yanagi ka

Along slender threads of delicate twisted green, translucent dewdrops strung as small fragile jewels, new willow webs in spring.

 

[Ger]

That was amazingly fast !

 

[Ger]

My own home is a retreat laying southeast of the capital, where I can hide from the troubles of this world.
Along slender threads of delicate twisted green, translucent dewdrops strung as small fragile jewels, new willow webs in spring.

I like the contrast - or would that be only in English...

 

[Majestic]

Actually I shouldn't say the writing is an "attempt" to read the poem, because the writer obviously knew what the poems were. I think they were just parsing the words and transposing to modern Japanese.

I'm not sure about the significance of the poems. They feel very different. They may have some connection with the figures in the scroll. The figures seem out of place: I wouldn't expect a court woman to be playing board games with a court man. Or, are those arrows next to him? If so, is he a warrior? That would seem even more incongruous. And I don't know what the other two figures are... teacher and pupil? I'm sure there is some significance in all of that, but it is lost on me.

 

[Majestic]

Another thought- one of those poems is used in a new year's card game of karuta. Maybe they both were used at one point, but I know the Poem #8 was for sure used in the game. Together with the man and woman playing a board game, maybe its meant to evoke New Year's Holidays, when the people have time for card games and board games.

 

[Toritoribe]

There is a sticker under 三十六歌仙.
非売品
30萬
not for sale
three hundred thousand

my attempt for the left poem
My hermitage is in southeast of the capital
I live peacefully like this
(Although) People say that I live here in Mt Uji because the world is annoying

As in the note, there is a word play between 宇治 Uji and 憂し ushi in the poem.

 

[Dentanmono]

not for sale

Wait, is Ger an international art thief? Pretty sure you and Majestic are accomplices now, time to form your knock version of キャッツ♥アイ

 

[Majestic]

I loved the schizophrenia of that label.
"Not for sale" but also "300,000"

Absolutely not for sale...unless you are going to offer me 300,000 (Yuan? Yen?) then maybe I could be persuaded.

 

[Ger]

Wait, is Ger an international art thief? Pretty sure you and Majestic are accomplices now, time to form your knock version of キャッツ♥アイ

You must have seen Lupin III vs. Cat's Eye...