Tanka Poetry by Past Emperors

Commentary by Mutsuo Shukuya Post No 2
I noted it in the previous essay that there are several aspects of composition used in Fujiwara's collection. One of them is to praise the most prosperous period of the Imperial Family both in name and reality. And furthermore, I explained this by introducing the tanka which illustrate it. That is to say, the tanka in this Collection began with those of Emperors Tenchi and Jito.

Both of these tanka were composed under the standard concept of composing aesthetic tanka, which I discussed above, and they express the pleasure and grave attitude towards the restoration of authority in the Imperial Palace. And I mentioned that these tanka remind me of the poem named "Pippa's song" by the English poet, Robert Browning (1812-89), who composed this poem in 1841. In those days, Great Britain, where he was born, was the Kingdom which dominated the whole European world. So, I noted that the tanka by Emperors Teichi and Jito seem to be similar to this poem by Robert Browning.

This time I would like to introduce a poem by the Emperor which was composed at the most prosperous period of the Imperial Family both in name and reality. That is, it is a poem by Emperor Koko：884-887 (830-887);

015 Emperor Koko

Ki mi ga ta me
ha ru no no ni i de te
wa ka na tsu mu
wa ga ko ro mo de ni
yu ki wa fu ri tsu tsu

When I go into
the meadows to gather fresh
vegetables for you
the snow has begun falling
and I notice flakes on my sleeves.

In this poem, the author seems to have tried to express how he himself makes an effort for his friend or lover to gather fresh vegetables for him/her, even though his sleeves are covered with snow. When some ceremonies are opened, in most cases, they hand a bunch of flowers to others who they want to celebrate or cheer up.

Flowers, which are in full bloom, are said to be the best gift; they give the best sprit to inspire a human's heart. In this poem, the pleasure and grave attitude towards the restoration of authority in the Imperial Palace of the author are expressed.

Next, I would like to discuss other poems by famous poets. Teika Fujiwara (1162-1241 A.D.) compiled this collection in the year 1235 during the Kamakura period when the Emperor himself had lost actual political power, because the Kamakura Shogunate held it in place of each Emperor. Teika Fujiwara had already established the standard concepts for composing aesthetic tanka, which I discussed in my lecture, "Classical Tanka Composition." But even before then, there were many tanka poems which were composed under the standard concepts for composing aesthetic tanka.

So, I would like to introduce such poets as Akahito Yamabe (?-736?), Yakamochi Otomo (718-785), each of whom are very famous poets in the anthology, Manyoshu (759) and Nakamaro Abe (701-770), whose tanka is printed poets in the anthology, Kokinshu(905).

004 Akahito Yamabe

Ta go no u ra ni
u chi i de te mi re ba
shi ro ta he no
Fu ji no ta ka ne ni
yu ki wa fu ri tsu tsu

When I look upward
standing beside Tago Bay,
the snow is falling
on the peak of Mt. Fuji,
which is all dyed perfect white.

Reference: (12) Tanka in December（2004）
http://homepage3.nifty.com/PLABOT/plimer_course72.html

In this poem the author seems to have tried to express the view of Mt. Fuji, which is seen by everybody to be beautiful and solemn. In fact, Japanese people have been awed by the magnificence of Mt. Fuji covered with snow. This tanka is also composed on the theme, “The snow which falls on the mountain”.

006 Yakamochi Otomo

Ka sa sa gi no
wa ta se ru ha shi ni
o ku shi mo no
shi ro ki wo mi re ba
yo zo fu ke ni ke ru

Frosts on the bridge built
to the palace which faces
the bright Milky Way
where magpies stretch their wing tips
let me know it's getting late.

In this poem, the author seems to have tried to express his awareness of its getting so late that frosts have covered the bridge to the palace, referring to the legend that Vega walked across the Milky Way where magpies stretch their wing tips.

007 Nakamaro Abe

A ma no ha ra
fu ri sa ke mi re ba
Ka su ga na ru
Mi ka sa no ya ma ni
i de shi tsu ki ka mo

Whenever I watch
the full moon here in China,
it reminds me of
the moon which I used to see
high above Mt. Mikasa.

In this poem, the author seems to have tried to express his longing for his home country, Nara, in Japan whenever he watches the full moon in China. The moon which he watched must have been so beautiful. This author composed the above when he was in China and furthermore was not able to return to his native country, Japan.

These tanka above were composed in the former era, during which the Imperial Family was the most prosperous both in name and reality. At last in this commentary I would like to introduce the tanka poem by Tadahira Fujiwara (880-949), who had the highest position in the bureaucracy. He showed strong alliance to the Emperor even though he held such a high place in the bureaucracy. He was called Teishiko and made an effort to initiate political reform called "Engi-no-Ji" and got the highest positions, called "Sessho" and "Kanpaku" during the term of Emperor Shuzaku (930-946).

Actually his high position in the bureaucracy continued into the former term of Emperor Murakami (946-967). He was the 9th descendant of Kamatari Fujiwara (614-669). By the way, Teika Fujiwara (1162-1241 A.D.) was the 18th descendant and the author of this commentary, Mutsuo Shukuya(1943- ) is his 50th descendant.

Kamatari -Fuhito--…..Tadahirra--Morosuke--Kaneie—Michitaka--………….Mutsuo
1st 2nd 9th 10th 11th 12th 50th
∟Michinaga--…Teika
12th 18th

026 Tadahira Fujiwara

Wo gu ra ya ma
mi ne no mo mi ji ba
ko ko ro a ra ba
i ma hi to ta bi no
mi yu ki ma ta na mu

Loving crimson leaves,
which cover the whole peak of
grand Mt. Ogura!
I'd like to ask you to leave
yourselves as you are
until I come here again
along with the Emperor.

The author, Tadahira Fujiwara seems to have composed: this when he followed Emperor Uda（the 59th, term 887-897）sightseeing to the Oi river, the Emperor told him that he would like to let his son, Emperor Daigo see this splendid scenery. So, in this tanka poem he asked the crimson leaves, which cover the whole peak of grand Mt. Ogura to stay as they are until he came there again along with Emperor Daigo in order to keep his promise to Emperor Uda.

In this poem the author, Tadahira Fujiwara speaks to the crimson leaves as if he talked with human beings and asked them to leave themselves as they were then. This technique of tanka composition is called "Gijin-ho" or 'personification'. And he tries to express how faithful to the Emperor he himself is. In those days when he was alive, less than 300 years had passed since the Emperor Tenchi but the authority of the Emperor in the Imperial place seems to have never been lost because such an individual as Tadahira Fujiwara was alive.

The Fujiwara family itself had been a typical clan, which was faithful to the Emperor. This poem was the best way to prove how faithful to the Emperor members of his family were.

But an individual who lost this faithful spirit was to rise in the Imperial Place. This was Michinaga Fujiwara (966-1028). The following tanka by him shows his ambition to rule everything beyond the Emperor.

The full moon seems to
leave itself just as it is
in the sky I watch,
as if I will never lose
this position forever.

On the other hand, the tanka by Tadahira Fujiwara shows the best faithful spirit, like Komei Shokatsu who was the most faithful individual in China about 1800 years ago.

But in Japan, the period in which the inferiors supersede their superiors had arrived in those days. That is to say, Michinaga Fujiwara had the power to rule instead of the Emperor and others such as the bureaucracy, who should be faithful the Emperor and soldiers, who should be faithful to the bureaucracy, tried to follow the system expressed above.

But Michinaga and his descendants were to pay a high price instead of retaining the actual political power in the Imperial Palace. They lost their mission to keep in the Imperial Palace. This succeeded to the descendants of Emperor Kazan, who was compelled to yield his throne to another, who was under the influence of Michinaga. That is the Shirakawa King family, which died out after the Meiji Period.