Ki No Tsurayuki

Ki No Tsurayuki (紀貫之) is a Japanese poet of the time of Heian born towards 872 and died towards 945. It is one of the principal compilers and writer of the Kokin Wakashū (old and modern Anthology of waka).

Life and work

Tsurayuki occupies a place priviliégiée in the literature of the time of Heian (794 - 1185). All at the same time poet, criticism and essay writer, it is with him mainly that the care was entrusted to write the first imperial anthology, the Kokin wakashū , decided on order of the emperor Daigo in 905 and completed towards 914 or 920. Its poems of a great sensitivity appear in great number in this collection ansi that in that which was later exclusively devoted to him, the collection of Tsurayuki ( Tsurayuki shū ). It is not only by the orinigale composition Kokin wakashū and by its poems that it appears of innovator, it also was essential in the literature in prose with the Journal of Tosa ( Tosa nikki ), the oldest existing diary who opened the way with the literature of women, the narrator being presented to it in the form of a lady of the Court.

Iconographic representation

Since the portraits going back from until the time to Edo, Tsurayuki is always represented vêtu of the formal dress ( sokutai ) composed of a full and long coat of black color (here with reasons for imagination) related to a clothing with handle and long drag ( shitagasane ) sweeping the ground. It holds in its hands the stick of ceremony ( shaku ). One can notice in these various portraits an evolution in the installation and the costume going of an attitude motionless and strict (Satake version or Agedatami version) towards a relaxed installation, as it is here the case, Tsurayuki taking nonchalamment support on the shaku .

Translation of the poem:

Musubuteno

Shizuku neither nigoru

Yama No I No

Akademo hito nor

Wakare nurukana

water draining my hands

Disorder clearness

Of the well of the mountain,

Without being wearied one of the other

It was however necessary to separate

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