Fujiwara no Yoshitsune

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

'Simply moving and elegant'