A Servant Girl

Fujiwara no Yoshitsune 藤原良経 (1169-1206)

Yoshitsune was born into the elite of his society, being the son of Regent and Prime Minister Fujiwara no Kanezane 藤原兼実 (1149-1207); his mother was the daugher of Fujiwara no Sueyuki 藤原 季行 (1114-1162) who himself reached Junior Third Rank and the position of Senior Assistant Governor General of Dazaifu. Unsurprisingly, he had a glittering court career, although not without some upsets (he was subject to house arrest with his father for a period in 1196), eventually becoming Prime Minister himself in 1204 at Junior First Rank. Two years later, however, he was murdered in his bed by persons unknown, possibly offended by his relations with the shogunate in Kamakura, although that remains speculation. As a poet, Yoshitsune was lauded for his skill, frequently exchanging Japanese poems with his uncle, Jien 慈円, and Teika, although he was equally skilled in the composition of Chinese poetry, too, and his calligraphy was much prized by his contemporaries. He was accorded the great honour of being asked to write the kana preface to the Shinkokinshu anthology, and his death at a relatively young age was much lamented in poetic circles, with Emperor Gotoba remarking his work ‘had quality at its heart; he was capable of anything.’

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

1 23 35 47 49 69 81 91 105 117

129 143 153 165 179 191 203 213 225 237

247 253 265 277 299 311 321 333 345 357

369 381 395 407 419 431 441 455 467 479

491 493 505 517 539 551 563 565 577 599

601 613 633 647 657 671 679 693 703 719

731 739 745 761 769 791 803 805 825 839

847 863 875 887 889 911 923 933 947 957

969 983 995 1007 1019 1029 1043 1045 1067 1077

1091 1101 1113 1121 1137 1151 1163 1165 1177 1199

1202