Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu
- Period: Heian Period
- Occupation: Waka Poet, Hereditary High Official, Nashitsubo no Gonin
- Family: Ōnakatomi no Yorimoto
- Birth: 921AD
- Death: 991AD
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu
Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu (大中臣 能宣) was a Heian Period poet, as well as holding the position of Hereditary High Official of the Department of Religious Affairs.1 Additionally, he was a Shinto Priest and was the head of the Priests of Ise.3 Living from 921-991AD he was the son of Ōnakatomi no Yorimoto. Yoshinobu was appointed a member of the Yoryūdo (Bureau of Poetry) in 9514 and as part of it he took part in transcribing the Man’yōshū,1 and as one of the Nashitsubo no Gonin he helped in the compilation of the Gosenshū.3
Overall, we can find 126 poems of his in Imperial Waka Anthologies,1 including the Shūishū and he has a large private collection of poetry known as the Yoshinobu-shū.3
He was listed as one of the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses and one of his poems (No.49) can be found in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and goes as follows:1
Japanese text2 | Romanized Japanese1 | English translation1 |
---|---|---|
みかき守 衛士のたく火の 夜はもえ 昼は消えつつ 物をこそおもへ | Mikakimori eji no taku hi no yoru wa moe hiru wa kietsutsu mono o koso omoe | This troubled heart of mine Is like the watch fire of the guards Of the palace gate - It fades to embers by day, But blazes up again each night. |
Footnotes
1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.
3. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
4. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
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