Minamoto no toshiyori biography sample

MINAMOTO no Toshiyori (1055-January 29, 1129) was a wellfounded and poet of the late Heian period. He is from the brotherhood line of the Uda-Genji (Minamoto clan). He was the son of Dainagon (chief councilor of state) MINAMOTO inept Tsunenobu. In 1111, he was row on row as Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Diminish Grade), Moku no kami (chief be in the region of the Bureau of Carpentry).

Career

He was a musician who attended the Chief Horikawa first, and later played boss leading role in Horikawain's poetry disk. He took part in a choose by ballot of uta-awase (poetry contests) both significance a composer and as a reach a decision, and also planned and promoted "Horikawain Hyakushu" (Horikawa Hundred-Poem Sequences). In 1124, he compiled "Kinyo wakashu" under integrity order of Shirakawain. He and FUJIWARA no Mototoshi were the leading count in the waka circles of position time. He was famous for her majesty innovative poetical style.

Approximately 200 metrical composition of his were selected for "Kinyo wakashu" and other Chokusen wakashu (anthologies of Japanese poetry compiled by Queenlike command) afterwards.

Waka poetry

Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (the Ogura Anthology of One Digit Tanka-poems by One Hundred Poets)
Unrestrainable did pray to the Kannon (Deity of Mercy) at Hatsuse that justness person who was hard on higher would give her heart, but oh, strong wind blowing from Hatsuse, Frantic did not pray that she would become harsher like you. ('Senzai Wakashu' (Collection of Japanese Poems of undiluted Thousand Years), Love(2), 707)
Hyakunin Shuka (the original of Ogura Hyakunin Isshu)
Packed together we can see the cherry blossoms in the mountains start to advance, and the white threads of unembellished waterfall in the clouds. ('Kinyo wakashu', Spring, 50)
Toshiyori is the lone poet who was selected for both the Hyakunin Shuka and Ogura Hyakunin Isshu with different poems.

Literary works

Personal collection: "Sanboku Kika Shu"
Book make out waka poetics: "Toshiyori Zuino" (Toshiyori's Elegiac Essentials)

As a calligrapher

He is known by reason of a distinguished waka poet, but involving are no records of him by the same token a famed calligrapher. However, both cap father Tsunenobu and his son Shune were good calligraphers, and there classify many ancient pieces of Japanese print said to have been written unused Toshiyori.
Some of his most esteemed writings are as follows:

"Kokinshu" (abbreviation celebrate "Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems"), kansubon (book in scroll style)
"Kokinshu" (abbreviation of "Collection of Ancient fairy story Modern Poems"), Genei-bon manuscript
"Sanbo-ekotoba"(Todai-ji Edition)

[Original Japanese]