Fujiwara no Ietaka

Lord Fujiwara no Ietaka/Karyū, Junior Fifth Rank Upper Grade

従五位上藤原朝臣家隆 (1158-1237)

Ietaka came from an illustrious background, his father being Provisional Middle Councillor Fujiwara no Mitsutaka 藤原光隆, and his mother the daughter of Assistant Master of the Dowager Empress’ Household Office Fujiwara no Sanekane 藤原実兼, while having Tsutsumi Middle Councillor Fujiwara no Kanesuke 藤原兼輔, and his daughter Murasaki Shikibu 紫式部 among his ancestors on his father’s side. He was also reputedly Jakuren’s son-in-law. Not surprisingly, therefore, he rose to the heights of Minister of the Emperor’s Household, at Junior Second rank, at which time he was often referred to as Mibu Nihon 壬生二品, ‘the Second Rank [person from] Mibu’, after the avenue on which his estate lay.

As a poet, he was a pupil of Shunzei , and while he was not as precocious a talent as Teika 定家, he gradually matured and distinguished himself, becoming an official in the Poetry Office, and one of the compilers of the Shinkokinshū. Retired Emperor Gotoba 後鳥羽 wrote that the renown of his poetry became even greater in the Kenkyū 建久era (1190-1199), and that there was no one he respected more for the depths of his study of poetry, and the numerous splendid poems he had composed.

Nowadays, he’s best remembered for the poem of his included in Teika’s Ogura Hyakunin Isshu 小倉百人一首 poetry collection:

風そよぐ楢の小川の夕暮はみそぎぞ夏のしるしなりける

kaze soyogu
nara no ogawa no
yûgure wa
misogi zo natsu no
shirushi narikeru
Wind rustles
The oaks along the stream
At eventide;
Purification: that is summer’s
Symbol.

Ietaka has the following poems in the Roppyaku-ban Uta Awase:

6
16
34
44
60
72
80
92
108
116
132
134
148
158
178
190
198
210
224
234
248
262
270
280
298
306
320
336
338
358
368
380
392
408
420
422
444
450
466
476
488
496
512
522
536
542
562
568
588
592
606
618
628
644
649
654
670
684
694
702
720
724
736
750
766
774
786
804
816
826
832
848
864
872
886
994
908
924
932
946
958
964
980
994
1004
1018
1030
1044
1050
1064
1074
1182
1102
1110
1118
1136
1146
1164
1170
1188
1200

'Simply moving and elegant'