Lady Ise (伊勢 or 伊勢の御息所 Ise no miyasudokoro (c. 875–c. 938) ) was a female Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. Her grandfather Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu was also an important waka poet. She was born the Fujiwara no Tsugikage of Ise, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.

Her poems were emblematic of the changing styles of the time, and 173 of them were included in the revolutionary Kokin Wakashū.

Quote

Hanging from the branches of a green

Willow tree,

The spring rain

Is a

Thread of pearls. (Composed on the topic "Thread of Pearls" )

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? -(from the Hyakunin Isshu)

References