Fujiwara no Kinto - Fujiwara no Kinto

Japanese: 藤原公任 - ふじわらのきんとう

Year of death: 1041.2.4
Year of birth: Kōhō 3 (966)
A scholar and nobleman in the mid-Heian period. Known as Shijo Dainagon. He was the eldest son of Kanpaku Yoritada, and his mother was Ikuko, the daughter of Imperial Prince Daiakira, son of Emperor Daigo. His older sister, Junko, was the Empress of Emperor En'yu. After serving as Kurodo no tomo, he became a councilor at the age of 27, and in 1009, at the age of 44, he became Gon Dainagon. During this time he held positions such as Kebiishi betto and Kodouga no miyadaifu. In his later years, he became a monk at Gedatsuji Temple in Hase, north of Kyoto, and retired to this place. The site of his mountain villa is still known as "Roei-dani" (Royal Tale Valley). He was close to Fujiwara no Michinaga, and often attended poetry contests and entertainment hosted by Michinaga, where he would perform waka poetry. In particular, during a trip to Saga in the autumn of 999, Fujiwara no Yukinari famously lamented the disappearance of the Daikakuji waterfall, composing the following poem: "The sound of the waterfall has long since ceased, but its name can still be heard flowing." This is recorded in the Gonki by Fujiwara no Yukinari. His talent was not only outstanding in waka poetry, but also in Chinese poetry, as can be seen from the story of Mifune (Daikyo). He was a representative cultural figure of the era, a man of confidence and strong emotions. There are many anecdotes about waka poetry, such as Fujiwara no Nagayoshi, who died of illness from the heartache of being criticized by Kinto for his poetry, and Fujiwara no Noriaki, who was instead praised by Kinto, and who placed a poem about this in a brocade bag as a family heirloom. Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu were also in awe of his talent. He was one of the Four Counselor. He was also well versed in court etiquette and wrote Kitayamasho, one of the three major books on court etiquette in the Heian period. Many of his works are in the private anthology "Shui-sho", the poetry texts "Shinsen Zui-nou" and "Waka Kyupon", and the anthology of excellent poems "Thirty-six People". About 90 of his poems have also been included in imperial anthologies of waka poetry.

(Oboriya Hisashi)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：長久2.1.1(1041.2.4)
生年：康保3(966)
平安中期の学者,公卿。四条大納言と称される。関白頼忠の嫡男で母は醍醐天皇皇子代明親王の娘厳子。同母姉の遵子は円融天皇の皇后。蔵人頭を経て27歳で参議,寛弘6(1009)年44歳で権大納言に至った。その間に検非違使別当,皇太后宮大夫などを歴任。晩年に洛北長谷の解脱寺で出家し,この地に隠棲。その山荘跡はいまも「朗詠谷」と称されている。藤原道長と親しく,道長主催の歌合や遊興にはよく出席し和歌を披露した。なかでも長保1(999)年秋の嵯峨遊覧では大覚寺の滝がなくなったのを惜しみ,「滝の音はたえて久しくなりぬれど名こそ流れてなほ聞えけれ」と詠じたことは有名で,藤原行成が『権記』に記すところである。和歌のみならず漢詩にもすぐれていたことは三船の故事(『大鏡』)からもわかる。この時代を代表する文化人で自信家で感情の強い人であった。公任に歌を非難されたため心痛のあまり病死した藤原長能,逆にほめられ,そのことを記した詠草を錦の袋に入れて家宝とした藤原範永など和歌に関する逸話が多い。清少納言や紫式部もその才に畏怖した。四納言のひとり。有職故実にも通じ平安時代の三大故実書のひとつ『北山抄』を著した。私選集の『拾遺抄』,歌学書の『新撰髄脳』『和歌九品』,秀歌選の『三十六人撰』など作品が多い。勅撰和歌集にも90首ほどとられている。<参考文献>小町谷照彦『藤原公任』

(朧谷寿)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Fujiwara no Kusuko - Fujiwara no Kusuko

>>: Fujiwara no Kimiyuki - Fujiwara no Kimiyuki