Lady Ise

Japanese poet

Lady Ise (伊勢, c. 875 – c. 938),^[1] also known as Ise no Miyasudokoro (伊勢の御息所), was a Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. She was born to Fujiwara no Tsugukage [ja] of Ise Province, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi [ja] and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.^[2] She also had a daughter with Prince Atsuyoshi called Nakatsukasa.^[3]

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

One of her poems was included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

Poems

Japanese	Rōmaji	English translation
青柳の枝にかかれる春雨は糸もてぬける玉かとぞ見る	Aoyagi no Eda ni kakareru Harusame wa Ito motenukeru Tama ka to zo miru	Hanging from the branches of a green Willow tree, The spring rain Is a Thread of pearls.^[5]

難波潟みじかき芦のふしのまもあはでこの世を過ぐしてよとや	Naniwa-gata Mijikaki ashi no Fushi no ma mo Awade kono yo o Sugushite yo to ya	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?

References

^ "A Celebration of Women Writers: I Listings".
^ 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.
^ "Lady Ise • . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史". . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
^ "2001 Waka - Ise". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
^ "Nonduality Salon Highlights, #1198".