I’ve written before about Empress Teishi, the ill-fated first wife of Emperor Ichijō, and patron of Sei Shonagon who wrote poem 62 of the Hyakunin Isshu (よを). Her family lost a power-struggle to a rival faction of the Fujiwara clan, and under pressure Ichijō took a second wife from the winning faction: Empress Shoshi. Teishi was sidelined, and although she did give birth to an heir, she soon died from illness and presumably humiliation and stress.
While watching the historical drama about Lady Murasaki, it showed Teishi’s untimely death, and revealed that she had left a final deathbed poem to her beloved husband. The poem really exists and is actually recorded in an imperial anthology, the lesser-known Goshūishū (後拾遺), number 536:
| Japanese | Romanization | Rough Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 夜もすがら | Yo mo sugura | If you should remember |
| 契りしことを | Chigirishi koto wo | that vow we made |
| 忘れずは | Wasurezu wa | in the deep of night, |
| 恋ひむ涙の | Koimu namida no | then I long to see |
| 色ぞゆかしき | Iro zo yukashiki | the color of your tears… |
In the drama, Emperor Ichijo and Teishi are portrayed as being sincerely in love, yet ultimately they are a victim of politics and forced apart more and more over time. The vow alluded to here was portrayed in the drama as a promise by Emperor Ichijo to always love Teishi no matter what.
Later, Teishi was buried (not cremated in typical Buddhist fashion) at a temple called Roku-haramitsu-ji, near an area of Kyoto called Toribeno no Misasagi (鳥戸野陵). Legend says that on the night of her funeral it snowed. Emperor Ichijo, who was unable to attend, was said to have stayed up all night mourning for her at the palace. Later he composed a poem for her, preserved in the Eiga Monogatari, which is as follows:
| Japanese | Romanization | Rough Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 野辺までに | Nobe made ni | My heart yearns |
| 心ばかりは | Kokoro bakari wa | for you all the way |
| 通へども | Kayoe domo | in Toribeno, |
| わが行幸とも | Waga miyuki tomo | and yet I worry if |
| 知らずやあるらん | Shirazuya aruran | you are aware of my coming. |
Later, Sei Shonagon who retired from the Court, was said to have taken up residence near Toribeno no Misasagi, particularly near a temple named Sennyu-ji. You can see some photos of these places in the video posted here. It was looking back in her later years that Sei Shonagon wrote the Pillow Book as a subtle memorial to her beloved patron, looking back fondly on happier days together.
Sources used:
- https://note.com/fumitaka_imase/n/n86f3c0f9517c
- https://ameblo.jp/sakakikunihiko/entry-12860824531.html
- https://dictionary.sanseido-publ.co.jp/column/makura49
Places mentioned:
The Hyakunin Isshu 