Lady Ise

Lady Ise (伊勢 or 伊勢の御息所 Ise no miyasudokoro) (c. 875 – c. 938) was a female Japanese poet in the Imperial court's waka tradition. She was born to Fujiwara no Tsugukage of Ise Province, and eventually became the lover of the Prince Atsuyoshi and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.

Her poems were emblematic of the changing styles of the time, and 22 of them were included in the Kokin Wakashū.

She is not to be confused with Ise no Taifu, a later poet with a similar name.

One of her poems was included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

 Hanging from the branches of a green
 Willow tree,
 The spring rain
 Is a
 Thread of pearls. (Composed on the topic "Thread of Pearls" )

 Even for a time
 Short as a piece of the reeds
 In Naniwa's marsh,
 We must never meet again:
 Is this what you are asking me? -(from the Hyakunin Isshu)

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