1. Hisashi Nakamura & Ria Ulleri
Japanese Women in
Tanka Poetry
Hisashi Nakamura & Ria Ulleri
Anglo-Japanese Tanka Society

2. What is Tanka. Empress Iwa no Hime (d. 347) Ono no Komachi (ca
What is Tanka? Empress Iwa no Hime (d.347) Ono no Komachi (ca. 850) Izumi Shikibu (ca ) Princess Shikishi ( )

3. Tanka 短 歌　　Short Poem 5 7
syllabic units

4. Of the sea and the pale sky Trembles in the haze.
The far meeting point
Of the sea and the pale sky
Trembles in the haze.
The warm sleeping dunes exhale
The remains of summer.

5. Laden with the rusty dust Of the passing years
Stifled by the air
Laden with the rusty dust
Of the passing years
The dead cranes in the shipyard
Idly dangle their cables.

6. Year No. of poems First Anthology after 759 4,500
1st Imperial Anthology ,111
8th Imperial Anthology ,978

7. Influence of Tanka No Theatre The Tea Ceremony Ceramic Art Haiku
British & American Imagist Poets

8. Yugen Subtle and profound atmosphere
Infinite tranquil space with lingering suggestiveness
Avoiding detailed description

9. Even a body without a heart Can feel this sad beauty;
Monk Saigyo (1118 – 1190)
Even a body without a heart
Can feel this sad beauty;
Snipe take wing from the marsh
In the autumn dusk.

10. Cormorant fishing – Maybe they are poling Through the shallows.
Monk Jakuren (1139? – 1202)
Cormorant fishing –
Maybe they are poling
Through the shallows.
Swinging and tangling
The brazier flares.

13. No Theatre

16. The Traditional Sense of Beauty
Cherry Blossoms
&
Crimson Leaves

19. Golden Tea Room (Hideyoshi 1537 – 1598)

20. As far as one can see, No cherry blossoms Or crimson leaves-
A thatched hut by a bay
In the autumn dusk.
Fujiwara no Teika (1162 – 1241)

21. The Tea Ceremony
Less is More

23. Tea Bowl

24. A bamboo vase for one flower

25. Empress Iwa no Hime Wife of Emperor Nintoku Proclaimed Empress 314 AD
Left Emperor Nintoku AD
Died AD

26. Burial Place of Empress Iwa no Hime

27. Burial place of Iwa no Hime

28. Burial place of Emperor Nintoku

29. Burial place of Emperor Nintoku

30. Exchanges of Poems in January 334 AD
Empress Iwa no Hime
Emperor Nintoku

31. In case my bowstring should snap.
Emperor Nintoku
On my oath as a noble
I’d like to place
A spare alongside
In case my bowstring should snap.

32. Empress Iwa no Hime If it were clothes It would be fine
To put on one over another.
But your idea is terrifying
Of laying futon side by side.

33. Four Famous Tanka PoemsBy
Empress Iwa no Hime

34. And the days have passed. Shall I search the mountains,
My Lord has departed
And the days have passed.
Shall I search the mountains,
Going forth to meet him,
Or wait and wait for him?

35. Rather, high on the mountain,
No! I would not live,
Longing for you.
Rather, high on the mountain,
A rock for my pillow,
I prefer to die.

36. Just as I am
I shall wait for my lord
Till on my black hair,
Trailing unconfined,
The frost shall fall.

37. As the morning mist trails
Over the ears of rice
In the autumn field,
I know not when or where
My love will clear away.

38. 21 September 342 While Empress Iwa no Hime was away
Emperor Nintoku brought Princess Yata
into the palace as his consort.
Empress Iwa no Hime left Emperor Nintoku in 342.
She died in 347.
Princess Yata became the Empress.

39. Empress Iwa no Hime
A jealous woman?
A woman of pride?

40. Ono no Komachi
( ca. 850 )

41. Komachi

42. Was it because I went to sleep Thinking always of him
That I caught a glimpse of him?
Had I known it a dream
I would not have awoken.

43. Passion rises within me; A flame running through my breast
When I cannot meet him
On a moonless night
Passion rises within me;
A flame running through my breast
Sets my heart on fire.

44. Without showing a change in colour
The thing that fades
In this world
Is the flower
Called the human heart.

45. The colour of the cherry blossom
Has faded vainly
In the long rain
While in idle thoughts
　　　　I have spent my life.

46. That my body will end in pale green;
Alas!
How sad to think
That my body will end in pale green;
After all,
　　　 A mist over the fields.

47. Smoke by Catherine Scriven York St John University College
Alas!
How sad to think
That my body will end in pale green;
After all,
A mist over the fields.
Ono no Komachi

56. Gender Formation in Poetry The First Imperial Anthology – 905
Some flowering plants were indirectly compared to women
Only male poets wrote poems which included these plants

62. The Image of Komachi in the First Imperial Anthology
Beautiful
Pitiable
Not strong
Like a noble lady who is suffering from a sickness

63. Komachi
The first female image created by male poets as part of the gender formation in Japanese poetry.

64. Akita
Akita
Tokyo

65. Komachi Festival

70. Komachi

71. Izumi Shikibu
( ca. 970 – 1030 )

72. Izumi Shikibu one of the ladies-in-waiting of Empress Akiko
notorious for her love affairs
the author of The Diary of Izumi Shikibu
considered to be the finest poet of the time

73. An affair with Prince Tametaka starts
First marriage First child
An affair with Prince Tametaka starts
June Prince Tametaka dies at the age of 26
April An affair with Prince Atsumichi starts
1007 Prince Atsumichi dies at the age of 27
Writes the Diary of Izumi Shikibu
Second marriage
Loss of her first child

74. The Diary of Izumi Shikibu
based on her affair with Prince Atsumichi between April 1003 and January 1004
depicts
the inner solitude and aching void
of a female heart

75. For my black hair’s disarray I throw myself down,
Without a thought
For my black hair’s disarray
I throw myself down,
Already longing for the one
Who ran his fingers through it.

76. Since even my pillow does not know,
I shall not speak.
Tell no one
What you truly saw-
A spring night’s dream.

77. On the bamboo leaves
A fine ice fall
Patters and patters.
How bitter
To try to sleep alone!

78. Moon on the mountain rim.
From one dark path
Into another
Again I may stray.
Light the long way,
　 Moon on the mountain rim.

79. Just glimpsing the lonely clouds,
In the evening,
Just glimpsing the lonely clouds,
The feeling rises in me
Never to gaze
　　　　　 For too long.

80. Tormented by my thoughts
My soul struggles
And escapes:
A firefly
Over the marsh.

81. The dead return tonight, You are not here. Is the place where I live
Although I’ve heard
The dead return tonight,
You are not here.
Is the place where I live
　 A homeland without a soul?

82. Not to let even the smoke die down I break twigs And feed the flames
In my loneliness,
Not to let even the smoke die down
I break twigs
And feed the flames
In this winter mountain home.

83. York St John University College
Laura Morgan
York St John University College

89. Izumi Shikibu A highly professional career woman
Respected by both men and women as the finest poet of the time
Taken into Empress Akiko’s confidence

90. Izumi Shikibu
Life
Tanka
Love
To write

91. Princess Shikishi
Art Work
Susan Kruse
York St John

92. Princess Shikishi 1149 - 1201 A daughter of Emperor Goshirakawa
Sent to Kamo Shrine in Kyoto to serve as a virgin, consecrated for 10 years till she was 21 years old
Remained unmarried all though her life
Became a nun in 1190
Died at the age of 53

97. Political & Social Background
Princess Shikishi was born in 1149
1156 Civil War
1159 Civil War
1192 Samurai Government was established
Princess Shikishi died in 1201

98. The Transient Nature of Human Existence
Civil wars
Earthquakes
Huge fires
Devastating storms
Starvation

99. Beating Clothes Clothes were made soft or shiny by beating them on a wooden or stone block.

100. Boxwood Pillow Boxwood was often used to make a support on which a small pillow was placed

101. Cord of my soul It was believed that a cord tied the soul to the body.
Therefore, “cord of my soul” in effect
means life itself since the separation of
the soul and body means death.

102. The long night’s sleep the “long night’s sleep” is the same as
In Buddhist teaching
the “long night’s sleep”
is the same as
the “long night’s darkness”
which is a spiritual darkness caused by earthly desires.

103. Does not feel the coming of spring; Only the slow dropping of gems
Deep in the mountains
The pine branch door
Does not feel the coming of spring;
Only the slow dropping of gems
From the melting snow.

104. From somewhere in the clouds, A voice- The cuckoo is sobbing.
Are his tears still falling?
A passing shower in the early evening.

105. The clear moon shines cold Near the mountain edge.
The night has worn away.
The clear moon shines cold
Near the mountain edge.
And faintly from the far village of Toochi,
Someone beating clothes.

106. There is no corner left unlit; The moonlight in the garden.
As the wind blows cold
Leafy shadows clear up
Night by night.
There is no corner left unlit;
The moonlight in the garden.

107. Spent gazing at your blossoms Is long past,
When this day
Spent gazing at your blossoms
Is long past,
You, at least, do not forget me,
Plum tree by the eaves.

108. There’s not one who knows. Do not let my pent up tears overflow
Of this love of mine
There’s not one who knows.
Do not let my pent up tears overflow
As I lie here,
My dear boxwood pillow.

109. Not knowing where I am bound, For there is no wake to follow,
Guide me over
As I row my boat,
Not knowing where I am bound,
For there is no wake to follow,
Breeze on the boundless ocean.

110. Forgetting that the days are passing With my heart concealed,
Unaware, I sigh
As the night falls.

111. If you must break, break now. For if I live on
Cord of my soul!
If you must break, break now.
For if I live on
My power to keep this hidden
May not endure.

112. Grieving that you are cold-hearted. If you come, let it be
I know I cannot live
Until tomorrow
Grieving that you are cold-hearted.
If you come, let it be
Before this night falls.

113. The crowing of the rooster at dawn Pierces me to the heart,
Here on my pillow,
Heavy with thoughts
Of the long night’s sleep.

114. In the stillness of each dawn I am filled with sadness
Looking afar
In the stillness of each dawn
I am filled with sadness
That the world has not awoken
From the long night’s sleep.

115. Broken by the sound of the breeze That plays on the bamboo leaves
Near the window,
A dream even shorter
Than my fleeting sleep.

116. The Tempest Shakespeare 1611
We are such stuff as dreams are made on,
And our little life is rounded with a sleep.

117. Anglo-Japanese Tanka Society