The Ogura Hundred Poets was completed during the Kamakura period. Fujiwara no Teika compiled them by taking one poem each from 100 of the best poets in chronological order from Emperor Tenji to the Retired Emperor Juntoku to decorate the sliding doors at the Ogura mountain villa, the summer home of the general and poet Utsunomiya Yoritsuna. Many of selected poems were ornamental in nature, because they were meant to be used as decoration. Seventy-nine male poets! Twenty-one female poets! I am particulary attracted to the works of female poets! You can feel the seasons and modesty in way that can't be found in modern poetry! - Kanade Ōe
Poems are displayed in three forms: Subber's translation, Alternative text translation and Roman-ji/Kanji text.
31-syllables style Tanka poem doesn't have official individual title other than its author's name. In this wiki page, the names shown next to numbers are made up by the writer of this article for the sake of convenience.
Woodblock print images are used under Creative Commons license of David Bull.
After the three years of interregnum, the 16th emperor of Japan, Emperor Nintoku, finally assumed the Imperial Throne. The poem was written for celebrating the reign of the emperor and wishing his reign would be flourished.
Actually this poem has nothing to do with Ogura 100 Poems. It is from Kokin Wakashu poem anthology which was compiled about 300 years prior to Ogura.
In Heian period , this Naniwa-zu poem was considered as the first poem that any poet should learn as a starter. Hence today, it is used as the opening poem for Competitive Karuta match.
The flower here refers to plum blossoms, which bloom prior to the advent of spring. The coming spring implies the beginning of new era. Isn't it the most appropriate poem for the grand opening of Chihayafuru story?
This poem is supposed to have been written by Emperor Tenji, but it is believed that this was edited from an anonymous poem in the Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves. A paddy shack is a small cabin for farmers. When the farmers rest under the rough roof of sedge and strew, They discover that their sleeves are wet with dew. So Fujiwara no Teika may have started with this poem to convey the idea of an ideal emperor who understand the hard work of the farmers. - Episode 6
Emperor Tenji, aka Prince Naka no Oe, is known for the revolution rising against Soga clan, including the assasination of the old ruler Soga no Iruka. The incident was successful, and he later firmed the foundation of long-lasting Japanese Imperial reign. This poem proves that he was highly respected as a tender-hearted good ruler despite of the brutal incident of his younger age. Maybe the name of Oe Kanade is taken from his alternative name?
The Emperor Tenji is enshrined in Oumi Jinguu Shrine in Shiga Prefecture. Celebrating the Number 1 of Ogura 100 Poems, the shrine hosts the annual National Karuta Competition which all the Karuta players dream of participating at. The highlight of the tournament is, of cource, the title match for Master and Queen. The very beginning of Chiahayafuru manga Vol.1 starts with the scene Chihaya fighting the Queen title match! How long we need to wait until the actual story will come?
This is a landscape poem about the beautiful contrast of verdurous mountains and pure-white robes. The green of young leaves is the signature color for early summer, which comes after the pink of cherry blossom season.
And of course, a good kimono coordinator like Kanade never misses the seasonal senses.
The color of Moegi-iro brings to mind the leaf bud of early summer. In Heian era, It was favored as a color for young people.
Japanese phrase "新緑の候" ("the season of verdure" "the season of fresh greenly") indicates the season around March. At the age of Empress Jitoh, there was a palace ceremony of Koromogae (Updating Wardrobe) in this season. The ladies-in-waiting packed their winter clothes, and they hung their summer clothes out for airing. Seeing the white robes hung on Mount Kaguyama, the Empress Jitoh imagined the beautiful scenery was like a work of heavenly ladies, for the legend said that the Mount of Ama-no-Kaguyama in Nara Prefecture had fallen from the heaven. (Ama-no- means "heavenly".)
Kana-chan recites this poem at the beginning of Chihayafuru anime episide 6. It's not only because she was hanging a towel on her head (lol), but maybe the mangaka is trying to tell the advent of new season, with the meassage of "we are moving to the next stage."
Empress Jitoh was a daughter of the Emperor Tenji. She is also known as her childhood name of Princess Unono Sarara, which sounds very anime-ish cutesy name for today's standard. She decided to enthrone herself after being bereaved of both her husband, Emperor Tenmu, and her prince.
The established manga artist Machiko Satonaka has been writing the dramatic biography of the Empress as her lifework.
I believe that this poem is about passionate love. Did you know that Nijo no Kisaki was in love with Ariwara no Narihira before she married the emperor? This is a very famous story. This poem was displayed on a folding screen in the palace. Some accounts say that Nijo no Kisaki was the one who requested the poem. I like how Narihira concealed his passion for her in a scenec rendering since he wasn't able to forget her. Chihayaburu is a pillow word (epithet) for gods that impries great force. Mizu kukuru can be interpreted as "water goes under red leaves" or "water looks like being tie-dyed", but I believe that the crimson leaves represent a love that never faded even after the separation. - Episode 6
How the story is so famous? After Lady Fujiwara no Takaiko married the Emperor and became Nijo no Kisaki (Empress of Nijo), the author and ex-lover Ariwara no Narihira tried to exile with her... an elopement with Empress! However his unprecedented attempt was failed and the empress was brougnt back to the palace. We don't know whether he was punished or not, but it is considered that this incident had held back on his promotion. This anecdote caused people to see him as anti-establishment handsome nobleman, and he became the hero of some old love novels like The Tales of Ise (10th century). Even famous The Tale of Genji (10th century) is said to be heavily influenced by it.
Tatsuta River is a stream in Nara prefecture, where the capital was there around his age. The name of Tatsuta came from the goddess of autumn Tatsuta-hime who is said to be a tomboy just like Chihaya. "I've never heard" part can be interpreted as that it is unheard of for tomboyish Tatsuta to do a feminine behavior like dyeing.
Kana-chan 's first card. This poem suits her for not only it begins with Ōe Mountain, but for this poem's meaning. It is the blend of beautiful scenery, poetic art and noble pride of woman.
The auther, Lady Koshikibu no Naishi was the daughter of Izumi Shikibu, one of the Old Thirty-six Poetry Immortals. Inheriting her mother's poesy, Koshikibu's talent had been recognized since her youth. Some people was even jealous of her talent, suspecting that her mother might be ghost-writing for her.
One day, during when her parents were stationed in far Tango Prefecture as the officials, Koshikibu was invited to a poetry party of the Palace in Kyoto. Just before it began, the host of the party, Fujiwara no Sadayori, mocked her, asking "Has your messenger to your mother in Tango already come back? Tango is so far that I've got worried if your mother's letter (of ghostwritten poems) arrives in time."
Instead of bearing or raging, Koshikibu replied with an artful poem. Literally, it tells the longing for visiting the famous scenery of Ama no Hashidate (The Heaven's Bridge) in Tango, which is beyond Mount Oe and Ikuno plane.
The road to Mount Oe and Ikuno's plain are so very far. Thus I have not yet ever step in The Heaven's Bridge.
However, if you interpret it using rhetoric technique of Kake-kotoba(Pivot Words, phonological double-meaning), it becomes the response to Sadayori.
The road to Mount Oe, which is on the way to Tango, is so very far. Thus I have never seen The Heaven's Bridge in Tango. How could I have seen the letter that you mean?
Being ashamed by the brilliant poem, Sadayori ran away form the party despite that he was due to make a replying poem by the etiquette.
Unfortunately, she passed away at her age of 26. She left many good love poems, and it seems she later became a kind of idol among young women of that age.
Abbot Gyouson was born as a child of noble family in the Capital of Nara. Facing his father's death at his age of 12, he entered the priesthood and became seroious ascetic monk who underwent hard ascetic practices. One day during the practice, he stumbled across a beautiful mountain cherry tree in a deep mountain. The cherry blossoms reminded him of nostalgic memories he had experienced in his days at Capital. For being isolated old man, he asked the tree if it could yearn for him as he yearned for the cherry blossoms and its memories.
The scene of Kanade's traditional kimono clothing shop in Chihayafuru anime episode 6 was not in the original manga version. Kana-chan reciting this poem while looking at kimonos by herself is awesome rendition on adding a great flaver to the story! This poem may represent Kanade's heart; the feel of isolation and the love for traditional things, like no one other than kimonos share her distress.
This is a poem about how a woman was able to successfully ward off a playboy's advances!
A highly artful and rhetorical poem with lot of double-meaning phrases.
Oto ni kiku= Hearing the sound of waves, hearing rumors
Takashi = The Shore of Takashi, much-talked
Kakeji = Not let something wet, Not give heart to someone
Sode no Nuremo- = wet one's sleeves by waves, wet one's sleeves by tears
Using these rhetorics, the short 31-syllable poem becomes very rich in content.
" I know the fame of your pick-up lines well like the famous waves of Takashi's Shore. They are attractive like the restless waves of the shore, right? When they visit the shore, they would be careful not to let their sleeves wet by waves. Then I too shall be careful not to let my sleeves wet by my tears." Better next time, pretty boy!
Actually, the auther, Lady-in-Waiting Kii, was 70 years old when she wrote this poem at a poetry party. The theme of the party was "Exchanging Love Poems", a kind of role-playing love game that ladies and gentlemen exchange love poems each other and then enjoy reading them.
In the poem session, Lady Kii's partner was 29 years old handsome gentleman Fujiwara no Toshitada. His poem was a passionate one;
人知れぬ 思いありその 浦風に 波のよるこそ 言はまほしけれ
To tell the truth, I'm giving my heart to you. Like sea waves break on Ariso's Shore with night breezes, I want to visit your room at nighttime more than once.
Recieving this artful and rhetorical poem, Lady Kii answered, or declined gracefully to be precise, with witty, more artful and more rhetorical poem, while sharing the same topic.
Imagine the smile of a pretty old woman and the bitter smile of a handsome young man. How cute!
A nature poem which implicitly expresses the vow of parting lovers, who swear they will eventually meet again. As Kanade quoted it in Episode 10, this may be the theme poem of the relationship between Chihaya and Arata. It must be more than coincidence that this is Chihaya's very first card she won at her first Karuta game against Arata.
It's from Ten Thousand Leaves. The poem was written by Emperor Tenji's wife (concubine), Lady Nukata. It tells the story of when her former husband, Prince Oama, snuck into her husband's lands and waved to her. Lady Nukata was so happy to see him. But she worried that someone might see them together. The human heart never changes... -Episode 12
Actually the poem doesn't mention anything about sunset. Kana-chan lively imagined the sunset scenery from "crimson gromwell field" phrase. Gromwell is the material plant of purple dyestuff, which was very precious. Thus the gromwell field was staked out as the Emperor's property at that age. Lady Nukata and her former husband were secretly meeting at the treasured field of her present husband, who happen to be the Emperor of the nation. This must be one of the most forbidden love one can imagine!
Kana-chan said in episode 12 that the human heart never changes from ancient Japan to today. The intriguing is that the theme of this poem is also "never-changing love." By reciting this poem, she is telling that her sight of the fact that karuta cards are poetry won't change even after she learns how to play it as a game and as a sport.
Chihaya also recited this poem when she arrived at Oumi Jingu Station in Shiga Prefecture. There may be two meanings; One, she is feeling the 1400-years history of Oumi and the connection between ancient people and present her. Two, her feeling for Arata has never changed even now.
Lady Nukata is an unique historical figure. Her official record was only one line; "Lady Nukata was Load Kagami's daughter who married with Prince Oama, and had Princess Tōchi." However she left many poems that eloquently tell her dramatic life. Actually the fact that she was a concubine of Emperor Tenji is just a scholar's conjecture based on this poem and the answer poem by Prince Oama. Somehow she is popular among old culture fangirls (like Kanade), and some mangaka including Michiko Satonaka and Waki Yamato wrote her biography manga.
Arata's poem is number 57. It goes like this:
Meguri aite
Mishi ya sore to mo
Wakanu ma ni
Kumo-gakure ni shi
Yowa no tsuki kana
And the meaning:
Meeting on the path:
But I cannot clearly know
If it was he,
Because the midnight moon
In a cloud had disappeared.
The judge who reads the yomifuda has the whole poem, but the players just have the last half of the poem, so when the hear the first syllable of the poem by the Dokushu, they need to quickly recognize and take or knock out the torifuda!!:P
I think the description about Emperor Tenji is somewhat misleading. Soga clan was just a de facto ruler that took power in the Imperial court, and Prince Naka no Oe took it back to the Imperial family by assassinating Soga no Iruka. So it's technically not a "revolution", though there's no doubt that he did play a significant role in the Japanese political history.
You are completely right! The reason why I used the word "revolution" was that I was too lazy to find an appropriate word for Japanese word Kaishin of Taika no Kaishin. Maybe it should be "political reform" or something...
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