Nights of love unforgotten in mourning tears of a curious hue.
夜もすがら | Yo mo sugara |
契りしことを | chigirishi koto wo |
忘れずは | wasurezuwa |
恋しき涙の | koishiki namida no |
色ぞゆかしき | iro zo yukashiki |
Empress Teishi,
Consort of Emperor Ichijō
The above poem was written by Fujiwara no Teishi 藤原定子 (also pronounced as Sadako; 977–1001), the first Empress Consort of Emperor Ichijō (一条天皇 Ichijō tennō; 980−1011, reigned 986−1011). She was the eldest daughter of Middle Chancellor (中関白 Naka no kanpaku) Fujiwara no Michitaka 藤原道隆 (953−995) and Takashina no Kishi 高階貴子 (also read as Takako; ?−996; Hyakunin Isshu 54); aunt of Fujiwara no Michimasa 藤原道雅 (992−1054; Hyakunin Isshu 63); and mother of Emperor Ichijō’s three first-born children: Imperial Princesses Shūshi (脩子内親王 Shūshi naishinnō; 997−1049) and Bishi (媄子内親王 Bishi naishinnō; 1001−1008), and Imperial Prince Atsuyasu (敦康親王 Atsuyasu shinnō; 999−1019).
In early 990, at around the age of thirteen, Teishi entered the imperial palace, was soon bestowed Lower Grade of Junior Forth Rank (従四位下 jushii no ge) and a title of junior consort (女御 nyōgo). Later that same year she was elevated to an Empress (中宮 chūgū) and until the passing of her father in 995, she was the undisputed first lady of the inner palace. From 993 she was served by Sei Shōnagon 清少納言 (b. 965? − ?; Hyakunin Isshu 62), who described Teishi and her best years in the well-known Heian period (平安時代 Heian jidai; 794−1192) classic Makura no sōshi 枕草子 (The Pillow Book), which remains one of the most vivid contemporary accounts of Teishi.
However, following the sudden death of Teishi’s father Middle Chancellor (Naka no kanpaku) Michitaka in 995, Teishi's brothers Fujiwara no Korechika 藤原伊周 (974−1010) and Fujiwara no Takaie 藤原隆家 (979−1044) were unable to maintain control of the highest governmental positions, family fortunes rapidly declined, and Teishi was soon left without political backing. Her standing within the imperial palace dwindled and in 996, caught up in political turmoil, Teishi went as far as to cutting her hair and becoming a nun, therefore renouncing the secular world.
Soon after, however, she gave birth to the first imperial princess of Emperor Ichijō, was later summoned back into the imperial palace and bore two more imperial children. But the fortunes of Teishi and her family kept declining as Teishi's uncle Fujiwara no Michinaga 藤原道長 (966–1027) usurped power and early in the year 1000 Teishi's title of chūgū was changed to kōgō 皇后 (also translated as Empress), while the former title was given to her younger cousin, Michinaga's eldest daughter Fujiwara no Shōshi 藤原彰子 (also read as Akiko, later known as Jōtōmon-in 上東門院; 988–1074). Thus the long-standing system of the emperor having a single empress was broken and Teishi’s standing was fully diminished. Less than a year later, right after giving birth to Imperial Princess Bishi, Teishi passed away.
Of the hue of your tears, I am curious...
The poem of Empress Teishi cited above in Japanese originally opened the tenth book (Laments) of fourth imperial collection of Japanese poetry, Goshūishū 後拾遺集 (Later Collection of Gleanings; 1086). There it was included with a headnote, which indicates it as one of Teishi’s death poems and reads:
During the time of Retired Emperor Ichijō, after the Empress passed away, a letter bound by a string, which originally held the curtains of Empress’s sleeping chamber, was found, and thus the emperor made an expression indicating a wish to see it. Among the three poems written down was
If you have not forgotten
the vows exchanged
through the nights,
I wish to know the hue of your tears
when you remember me.
The poem is one of Teishi's eight compositions included in imperial collections and perhaps the one that was valued the most. It was cited in numerous classical prose works and included in several collections of exemplary poetry.
Among the works of prose, the most notable one is Eiga monogatari 栄花物語 (A Tale of Flowering Fortunes; 11th century), where the poem is found in the 7th chapter “Toribeno” 鳥辺野, which describes the late years of Teishi and even borrows its title from the location where Teishi was buried. Among the exemplary collections of poetry, Korai fūteishō 古来風躰抄 (Notes on Poetic Style Through the Ages; 1197) of Fujiwara no Shunzei 藤原俊成 (1114−1205; Hyakunin Isshu 83) is well-known, but the poem is also found in Fujiwara no Teika’s 藤原定家 (1162−1241; Hyakunin Isshu 97) 13th century collection Hyakunin Shūka 百人秀歌 (Superior Poems of a Hundred Poets), which predates the famous Hyakunin Isshu but with it shares all but three poems. One of the poems differenciating Hyakunin Isshu and Hyakunin Shūka is this composition by Empress Teishi, which only found in Hyakunin Shūka. The absence of this poem from Hyakunin Isshu remains a topic of scholarly debate.
Illustrations:
Chōyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi 超訳百人一首 うた恋い, dir. Kasai Ken‘ichi カサヰケンイチ, TYO Animations, 2012. / Edited by author of the blog.