Women Poets of the Heian Era (Cont’d)

I suppose I could’ve said “League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen” since as ladies of the court, that term could apply, but it seemed a bit over the top, so I refrained (except I guess I really didn’t?😉)

Anyway, here are several more I thought should get some mention. As always, it’s hard to pick, so I hope their sister’s shades will forgive me. In time, I hope to do right by them too. Here goes…

Lady Kasa

Lady Kasa served at Japan’s Nara court (just before the beginning of the Heian period) and was a noted poet of the early 8th century. Little is known of her or her family except for 29 poems she wrote to Ōtomo no Yakamochi, himself an important poet and probably one of the compilers of the Manyōshū, the first great anthology of Japanese poetry, as it contains nearly 500 of his poems.

Yakamochi was a noted lover, and may have been something of a rake. He wrote numerous poems to high-ranking women of the Nara court and received the same from them. Lady Kasa’s love for him seems not to have been returned, as her poems reflect her longing and despair. What motivated Yakamochi to preserve so many of them in the Manyōshū can only be guessed at.

Like those cranes that cry		
       merely to be heard far off
     in night’s dark emptiness,	
must I only hear from you? 
             Shall we never truly meet? 

This one is a special favorite of mine. The imagery is exquisite.

Spring’s sun has melted
      the last of these mountains’ snows. 
   Torrents overspill		
       in brightly colored waterfalls—
profound confusion,		
           like my love for you. 

Lady Ki

Lady Ki was at the Nara court with Lady Kasa. Daughter of Ki Kahito, whose work also appears in the Manyōshū, she has 12 poems in the anthology. Like Lady Kasa, she seems to have admired Yakamochi, but unlike her sister poet may have consummated an affair with him. Later, she became the consort of Prince Aki, grandson of Emperor Tenji.1

She left us this beautiful poem:

           For you, I have entwined		
the jewel threads of my life
    into a true lover’s knot	 
             to ensure that in time,		
                 I shall see you again.

Yasuko, Shrine Priestess of Ise

Yasuko, Shrine Priestess of Ise, was high priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine and a contemporary of Ono no Komachi. She wrote her poem to Ariwara no Narihira, who is thought to have been her lover. He replied:

         Through the blackest shadow
Of the darkness of the heart I wander
        In bewilderment—
You who know the world of love, decide:
            Is my love reality or dream? 

Whether they were actually lovers or not, their supposed affair was famous and inspired the name of the Japanese classic The Tales of Ise.

This poem must’ve have been sent to a lover. Was it him? Or another? We can only guess.

       My mind is dazzled—		
Did you visit me? 
         Or I you?		 
    Was our night a dream? Reality?	 
             Was I sleeping? Or was I awake?

Empress Iwa no Hime

Empress Iwa no Hime was the empress consort of Emperor Nintoku, who lived from 313 to 399, making her poem one of the earliest in the Manyōshū. They were said to be very much in love and to have written many poems to each other. Her poem below was written while the emperor was away on a journey and poignantly expresses her longing for him. We can hope they had a long and happy life together.

Like the morning mist 
		that covers these fields 
till blown away by the autumn wind
	when will my longing for you
		also be lifted up and carried away?

Lady Otomo no Sakanoe

I can’t leave out Lady Otomo no Sakanoe, who lived in the 8th century. She’s considered one of the finest woman poets of the Manyōshū, and maybe the most fascinating? She was the half-sister of Otomo Tobito, himself a famous poet and the father of Otomo Yakamochi, therefore she was his aunt. She married another member of the Otomo clan (who were famous for their military prowess) and had a daughter who became a noted poet in her own right. This daughter, who is known to us only as Lady Otomo no Sakanoe’s Elder Daughter, later married Yakamochi, making her mother Yakamochi’s mother-in-law as well as his aunt.

To complicate matters further, it is suspected, based on their poems, that Lady Otomo was secretly involved with Yakamochi; “secret” that is, until the “evidence” appeared in the Manyōshū. Given his reputation, this may not be as surprising as it might be supposed and the bounds of consanguinity could be flexible in Japan at this time; it was common for emperors to marry their aunts. Presumably, this suspected affair occurred before Yakamochi’s marriage to her daughter.

Lady Otomo’s poem below (it reads more like a note) was written to Yakamochi.

     What dreadful gossips in this place has!
Tireless tongues wag constantly!		
         So don’t let blushes betray our love	
                I could die thinking of it!

If that’s not enough, his response might be taken as confirmation? He wrote:

Is there somewhere		
         a land where no one lives?
  Ah, to such a place	
Hand in hand, my love and I
            would go and live together.

History is never boring! 😉

Now, I can’t mention Lady Otomo without also introducing her daughter.

Lady Otomo no Sakanoe’s Elder Daughter

Like her mother, Lady Otomo no Sakanoe’s Elder Daughter was a notable figure of her day, both as a poet and the wife of Otomo Yakamochi. It seems her life wasn’t as colorful as her mother’s but her poems reflect a strong character, as shown by her indignation at people being upset over a night she spent with her future husband (or so we may presume). She wrote:

          There’ll be so many 
nights that we will be together 
           so please tell me why 
    Everyone is so upset
            over that one night we met?

Well said! She wrote other poems to him during an extended period of separation that reflect a loving relationship. This is one:

     Not a day goes by
 that the mists do not rise 
      on the mountain.
  Likewise it is you, my lord
            whom I long to see each day...

To All the Brilliant Women Poets

Finally, I must include two last poems from the Manyōshū, both attributed to anonymous women. The first may have been the wife of Prince Yahara, a close associate of Yakamochi. About the second, we know nothing at all.

Regardless, they stand in for all the brilliant women poets whose names are unknown to us. Their loves, longings and losses, however, live on in their words

       Your robe				
Given in memory		
             of the nights we made love
    will never leave my side	
            even though it does not speak.

During your voyage	
           should you spend a night on shore
     and the mists gather		
Know now that is my breath	
              rising up in sighs.

There you have it. A selection of these genius women poets from our greatest golden age. I hope you have enjoyed. We will meet them again.

Thank you more than words can say for your interest in my work!