Fujiwara no Kintō

• • Period: Heian Period
  • Occupation: Poet, Caligrapher, Statesman.
  • Family: Fujiwara no Yoritada (father) Fujiwara no Sadayori (son) Fujiwara no Teishi (sister) Fujiwara no Junshi (sister)
  • Birth: 966AD
  • Death: 1041AD

Fujiwara no Kintō

Fujiwara no Kintō (藤原 公任) was a renowned member of the Fujiwara Clan living from 966-1041AD.¹² He was the son of Fujiwara no Yoritada¹² and had a son by the name of Sadayori.³ He was also known in his lifetime as Shijō Dainagon.¹

During his life his was a stateman and poet¹ and also held the position of Office of Major Counsellor.³ He was also renowned for his calligraphy and as a musician.¹

Later in his life, after the death of his daughter, he enters religion and left Kyoto to the north to live in a valley. His home then became a ‘mecca’ for the best poets and minds of the time and they defered to him in poetic matters.³

His life is connected with many forms of literature. He is seen mentioned in the books of Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon, as well as the Eiga Monogatari, Konjaku Monogatari and Ōkagami. Additionally more than 100 of his poems can be found in Imperial Anthologies.¹²

One his most famous compilations was his list of the Thirty Six Poetic Geniuses,¹²³ with other publications fully, or partly by him being entitled:

• Kintōshū, his personal poetry collection containing 385 poems.¹²
• Nyoihōshū, ‘Collection of Buddhist Teasures,’ containing 775 poems.¹
• Waka kuhon, ‘Levels of Excellence in Waka,’ a poetry treatise classifying poems in order of preference.¹
• Shinsen zuinō, ‘The Essence of Poetry, Newly Selected,’ anthology setting forth his ideals of ‘deep feelings, beauty of effect, and an engaging touch of novelty in conception.’²
• Shūi waka-shū, 20 scrolls poetry expansion of the earlier Shuishō.¹²
• Wakan rōeishū, ‘Collection of Japanese and Chinese Songs for Singing.’ which includes 216 Japanese poems and 587 Chinese couplets.¹² He was the sole editor of this.³

One of his poems was included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (No. 55) and goes as follows:

It is said it was written when a group of courtiers visited an old waterfall.

The first line of the version from the Shuishū reads: taki no ito wa ‘the waterfall’s thread.’⁴

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
3. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
4. Carter, S.D. (1991) “Traditional Japanese Poetry: An Anthology.” California, Stanford University Press.
5. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.

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