Ben no Menoto
Ben no Menoto | |
|---|---|
弁乳母 | |
| Born | Fujiwara no Akiko 藤原明子 c. 995 |
| Died | 1076 |
| Occupation | Menoto |
| Spouse | Fujiwara no Kanetsune |
| Children | Fujiwara no Akitsuna |
| Father | Fujiwara no Junji |
| Relatives | Fujiwara no Nagako (Granddaughter) |
| Family | Fujiwara Clan |
Ben no Menoto (弁乳母), (995-1076) was the menoto of Princess Teishi, the daughter of Emperor Sanjō. Her real name was Fujiwara no Akiko.
Life
Ben no Menoto was the menoto (wetnurse)[1] of Princess Teishi. She was born in 995, with the personal name of Fujiwara no Akiko, though little other information is known about her childhood.[2] She began her service in 1013, and was supposedly on good terms with Suō no Naishi. She was also a poet, and her poems are collected in the Goshūi Wakashū[3] In 1027 the mother of Princess Teishi, Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Kenshi (Known as Empress Dowager Biwadono in retirement) died.[4] After her passing, Ben no Menoto wrote a stanza about seeing the withered iris scent bags still being hung above the old chambers where the Empress Dowager used to stay.[5][6]
Roots out of season I leave hanging there.
A court lady, Gō Jijū (Daughter of Akazome Emon[7]) responded with her own stanza.[5][6]
Though there are iris leaves.
In 1076 Ben no Menoto passed away.[2]
Poetry
| Japanese[3] | Rōmaji[3] | English[3] |
|
白川の近きわたりにちる花は梢に懸る波かとぞみる |
Shirakawa no chikaki watari ni chiru hana wa kozue ni kakaru nami ka to zo miru |
The flowers that fall at the approach of the Shirakawa River |
References
- ^ "Book 34: The Star that Awaits the Night – Takeshi Watanabe". Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ a b Royston, Clifton Wilson (1974). The Poetic and Poetry Criticism of Fujiwara Shunzei (1114-1204). University of Michigan.
- ^ a b c d 日本人名大辞典+Plus, デジタル版. "弁乳母(べんのめのと)とは？ 意味や使い方". コトバンク (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ 小項目事典, デジタル版 日本人名大辞典+Plus,ブリタニカ国際大百科事典. "藤原妍子(ふじわらの けんし)とは？ 意味や使い方". コトバンク (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Kenko; Chomei (2013-12-05). Essays in Idleness: and Hojoki. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-195787-6.
- ^ a b Kenko, Yoshida (2009-01-01). Essays in Idleness. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-60520-805-3.
- ^ 犬養廉 (1986). 和歌大辞典 (in Japanese). 明治書院. ISBN 978-4-625-40029-2.