The third poem in our series dedicated to women is another personal favorite:
| Japanese | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 忘らるる | Wasuraruru | Forgotten by him, |
| 身をば思はず | Mi wo ba omowazu | I do not think of myself. |
| ちかひてし | Chikaite shi | But I can’t help worry |
| 人の命の | Hito no inochi no | about the life of the man who |
| をしくもあるかな | Oshiku mo aru kana | swore so fervently before the gods! |
The author, Ukon (右近, dates unknown), takes her sobriquet after her father’s position in the Court as Lesser Captain of the Right Bodyguards, or ukon-e no shōshō (右近衛少将). She served as a lady in waiting to Empress Onshi. Apparently she was a busy woman. Like her father, she is said to have had a number of romantic liaisons, including Atsutada (poem 43), Asatada (poem 44), and Prince Motoyoshi (poem 20) among others. Her tryst with Atsutada is mentioned in a later text called the Tales of Yamato. Ukon also actively participated in poetry contests.
Professor Mostow explains that there are historically two interpretations to this poem. One interpretation is that she wrote the letter to her cold lover, conveying a mean, sarcastic tone. My new book favors this theory, and implies that the lover who spurned her was none other than Fujiwara no Atsutada mentioned above.
The other explanation is more of a private letter to herself. This second meaning then sounds less harsh in tone, and more tragic.
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