Sano no Chigami no Otome
Sano no Chigami no Otome (Japanese: 狭野茅上 娘子, c.700) was a Japanese poet during the Nara period, whose love poems appear in the Man’yōshū,[1] the oldest existing anthology of Japanese vernacular poetry.[2] A low-ranking palace attendant, she was also known as Sano no Otogami no Otome (狭野弟上 娘子).[1]
The Man'yōshū features 63 love poems she exchanged with her lover, Nakatomi no Yakamori.[3] He was sent into exile to Echizen province after they were discovered having a clandestine affair while she was in service at Saigūryō, the Bureau of the Princess Imperial Deputy of the Grand Shrine at Ise.[4][3] The court ladies attached to the office were prohibited from having relationships with men.[4]
She is credited with writing 23 of the love poems,[4] which appear in Book XV.[5] Sano no Chigami is ranked third among women poets featured in Man'yōshū, by number of poems contributed.[6] Her poems are arranged together with the verses by Nakatomi no Yakamori, in the sōmonka or "inquiry and answer" format.[4] Characterized as "intense and deeply moving", her poetry is generally considered more "openly revealing" and somewhat superior to his.[4]
In her most famous poem (15:3274), Sano no Chigami “expresses her desire to burn up the road he must take from her and so prevent his departure.”[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Tokyo and New York: Kōdansha. 1993. pp. 1311–1312. ISBN 4-06-931098-3.
- ^ Horton, H. Mack (2016). Shirane, Haruo; Suzuki, Tomi; Lurie, David (eds.). 5 - Man’yōshū. Cambridge University Press. pp. 50–85. doi:10.1017/CHO9781139245869.007.
- ^ a b Huber, Kristina Ruth (1992). Women in Japanese Society. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 354. ISBN 0-313-25296-3.
- ^ a b c d e Hisamatsu, Senichi (1976). Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Literature. Kōdansha International. pp. 26–27. ISBN 0-87011-253-8.
- ^ a b Miner, Earl; Odagiri, Hiroko; Morrell, Robert E. (1985). The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature (1988 ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 224. ISBN 0-87011-253-8.
- ^ Li, Lu (December 1996). "Nukata no Okimi: A Bright Star in the History of Waka—The Poems and the Poet". Review of Japanese Culture and Society. 8: 15–22. JSTOR 42801188.