Lady Ise

Lady Ise (伊勢 or 伊勢の御息所 Ise no miyasudokoro) (c. 875 – c. 938)[1] was a female Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. She was born the Fujiwara no Tsugukage of Ise, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.[2]

Her poems were emblematic of the changing styles of the time, and 22[3][4] of them were included in the Kokin Wakashū.

She is not to be confused with Ise no Taiu, a later poet with a similar name.

Quote

 Hanging from the branches of a green
 Willow tree,
 The spring rain
 Is a
 Thread of pearls. (Composed on the topic "Thread of Pearls" [5])

 Even for a time
 Short as a piece of the reeds
 In Naniwa's marsh,
 We must never meet again:
 Is this what you are asking me? -(from the Hyakunin Isshu)

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ pg 141 of Woman poets of Japan, 1977, Kenneth Rexroth, Ikuko Atsumi, ISBN 0-8112-0820-6; previously published as The Burning Heart by The Seabury Press.
  3. ^ 2001 Waka - Ise
  4. ^ Other Women's Voices - Ise
  5. ^ [2]

External links