Lady Ise

Not to be confused with Ise no Taifu.

Lady Ise (伊勢; c. 875 – c. 938),^[1] also known as Ise no Miyasudokoro (伊勢の御息所), was a Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. She was born to Fujiwara no Tsugukage [ja] of Ise Province, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi [ja] and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.^[2] She also had a daughter with Prince Atsuyoshi called Nakatsukasa.^[3]

13th century Satake 36poets

Ise by Kanō Tan'yū, 1648

Her poems were emblematic of the changing styles of the time, and 22 of them were included in the Kokin Wakashū.^[4]

One of her poems was included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

Poems

Japanese	Rōmaji	English translation
青柳の 枝にかかれる 春雨は 糸もてぬける 玉かとぞ見る	Aoyagi no Eda ni kakareru Harusame wa Ito motenukeru Tama ka to zo miru	Hanging from the branches of a green Willow tree, The spring rain Is a Thread of pearls.[5]
難波潟 みじかき芦の ふしのまも あはでこの世を 過ぐしてよとや	Naniwa-gata Mijikaki ashi no Fushi no ma mo Awade kono yo o Sugushite yo to ya	Even for a time Short as a piece of the reeds In Naniwa's marsh, We must never meet again: Is this what you are asking me?