This is a reference to the death in 923 of the Crown Prince, Yasuakira 保明. His sudden death at the age of 20 was, at the time, taken to be a divine punishment on the court by the vengeful spirit of Sugawara no Michizane 菅原道真 who had died in exile some twenty years earlier.

Harukami’s Daughter 玄上女, was in service to the Prince, and sent this poem to Lady Taifu 大輔.