Japanese poet of the ninth and tenth century

Japanese poet of the ninth and tenth century

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Heian court was served by the poet Mibu no Tadamine between 898-920. Thus one can imagine the flows of internal Japanese culture and the impact of the Middle Kingdom (China) on this esteemed poet from bygone days.

Indeed, the Nara Period (710-794) and Heian Period (794-1185) entrenched high culture. Hence, Mibu no Tadamine lived and breathed the richness of Japanese high culture. Similarly, the richness of the Middle Kingdom impacted his mindset and poetry.

He wrote elegantly:

The white snow
Has fallen, drifted high around
The mountain home;
Might even he who lives there
Be buried in melancholy?

Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism all impacted strongly on his thinking. Likewise, the earlier Nara Period set the tone for further cultural and philosophical development during the Heian era.

In another article I wrote, “The four court poets of Ki no Tsurayuki, Ki no Tomonori, Oshikochi no Mitsune, and Mibu no Tadamine all helped to compose the famous Kokinshū. Sadly, Ki no Tomonori passed away before full completion. However, with the guidance of Ki no Tsurayuki, the Kokinshū (an exquisite collection of Japanese poetry) would leave a lasting legacy.”

In another lovely poem by Mibu no Tadamine he wrote:

In a mountain village
The autumn, especially,
Is lonely.
The braying of the deer
Continually awakens me.

Little is known about the life of Mibu no Tadamine apart from the poetry he left behind and serving the Heian court. However, this in itself opens his world. This concerns the impact of Japanese high culture and the influence of the Middle Kingdom upon his thinking.

http://www.wakapoetry.net/kks-xvi-835/

http://www.wakapoetry.net/kks-iii-163/

http://www.wakapoetry.net/kks-iv-214/

http://www.wakapoetry.net/gss-xvi-1178/

Art by Sawako Utsumi – http://sawakoart.com

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/art-of-buddhism-and-shintoism-and-two-paths-in-the-snow-sawako-utsumi.html Art of Buddhism and Shintoism and Two Paths in the Snow

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/exiled-buddhist-cleric-nichiren-in-the-snow-sawako-utsumi.html – Exiled Buddhist Cleric Nichiren in the Snow

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/buddhist-cleric-nichiren-in-exile-and-homage-to-yoshitoshi-sawako-utsumi.html Buddhist Cleric Nichiren in Exile and Homage to Yoshitoshi

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/buddhist-cleric-nichiren-and-bleak-winter-in-exile-sawako-utsumi.html Buddhist Cleric Nichiren and Bleak Winter in Exile