Tag Archives: Ama-no-hashidate

KYS IX: 550

During the period when Izumi Shiku had accompanied Yasumasa to Tango, when there was a poetry match in the capital and Handmaid Koshikibu was selected as one of the poets, Lord Sadayori came to her chamber at the palace and went on at her, asking, ‘How are your poems coming along? Will you be sending them to your mother in Tango? Has your messenger not returned yet?’ and really seemed very unsettled about everything, so she composed this as a playful way of preventing him from going himself.

おほえ山いくのの道のとほければまだふみもみずあまのはしだて

oFoeyama
ikuno no miti no
toFokereba
mada Fumi mo miezu
ama no Fasidate
In Ōeyama
The path to Ikuno
Lies far away, so
I’ve not set foot upon it, or had a letter from
Ama-no-Hashidate!

Handmaid Koshikibu

A kuzushiji version of the poem's text.
Created with Soan.