Otomo no Tabito - Otomo no Tabito

Japanese: 大伴旅人 - おおとものたびと

Year of death: 7/25/731 (8/31/731)
Year of birth: Tenchi 4 (665)
An aristocrat of the Nara period. A poet of the Manyoshu. He was the first son of Otomo no Yasumaro, a nobleman during the Jinshin War (672), and the father of Yakamochi and Shomochi. His mother was probably Kose no Otome, just like his younger brother Tanushi. After the capital was moved to Heijo-kyo, Yasumaro established his residence in Saho, and was called "Saho Dainagon-kyo," and so the family that continued to Tabito and Yakamochi is called the Saho Dainagon family. This was the most influential family of the Otomo clan during the Nara period. He first appears in the Shoku Nihongi in 710 as Shogoi Jo Sa Shogun. After serving as Nakatsukasakyo, he became Chunagon in 718, and was promoted to Shosanmi when Emperor Shomu ascended to the throne in 724. The poem "Composed to present an order from Middle Counselor Otomo no Lord on a visit to Yoshino Imperial Villa in the late spring moon" (Man'yoshu, Volume 3) is thought to have been composed while accompanying the Emperor on a trip shortly thereafter. This is the first known appearance of the traveler's works, but at present only one long poem is present, and the other 70 or so poems, including his other presumed works, are all short poems, and it is noteworthy that they are all written in the four years after he took up his post as Middle Counselor and Dazai no Sochi. He was appointed Dazai no Sochi around the 5th year of the Jinki era. In 730, he was promoted to Middle Counselor and returned to Kyoto. The following year he was promoted to Junior Second Rank, but passed away in the autumn. A poem titled "Serving at an Early Spring Banquet" is recorded in the Kaifu-mo, and is dated to the 67th year of the year. The fact that he reluctantly went west as Dazai no Sochi in his old age, and lost his wife Otomo no Iratsume soon after taking up his post, as well as his literary exchange with Yamanoue Okura, the governor of Chikuzen Province, became the impetus for his prolific writing in his later years. A vigorous poetic activity developed, centering around travelers, along with Okura, the novice priest Mansei (Kasamaro), and even Dazaifu officials, which has come to be called the "Chikushi poetry circle" in recent times. In his later years, he stood out for his personality in expressing his own feelings about life, and in the Manyoshu, we can see the process in which tanka gained a new lyricism. It is also important to note that he actively adopted the expressions of Chinese poetry and prose, and created a world of elegance in his poetry, such as by co-writing the preface and group of poems (volume 5) of "Playing on the Matsuura River," which was modeled after the early Tang Dynasty fantasy novel "Yusenkutsu." He should also be remembered as a poet who created full-scale short poem series, including "Thirteen Poems in Praise of Wine" (volume 3), during a time when choka poetry was in decline. <References> Gomi Tomohide, "Manyoshu Authors and Works," Ito Hiroshi, "Manyoshu Poets and Works," Vol. 2

(Norio Haga)

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

Japanese:

没年：天平3.7.25(731.8.31)
生年：天智4(665)
奈良時代の貴族。『万葉集』の歌人。壬申の乱(672)のときの功臣大伴安麻呂の第1子で,家持,書持の父。母は,弟の田主と同じく巨勢郎女か。安麻呂が,平城京遷都後,佐保に居宅を構え,「佐保大納言卿」などと呼ばれたことをもって,旅人,家持へと続くこの家を,佐保大納言家と称する。奈良時代,大伴氏のなかで,最も有力な家柄であった。和銅3(710)年正五位上左将軍として,『続日本紀』に初めてみえる。中務卿を経て,養老2(718)年中納言となり,神亀1(724)年聖武天皇即位の際に,正三位に昇叙。「暮春の月芳野離宮に幸す時に中納言大伴卿勅を奉りて作る歌」(『万葉集』巻3)は,その直後の行幸に供奉しての作らしい。旅人の作品と判明しているもののうちの初出となるが,長歌は当面の1首のみで,他の推定作を含む七十余首は,すべて短歌であり,しかも中納言兼大宰帥として赴任したのちの4年間に偏ることが注意される。その大宰帥任官は,神亀5年ごろか。天平2(730)年大納言に昇進して帰京。翌年従二位に進んだが,秋に薨じた。『懐風藻』に「初春宴に侍す」と題する詩が録され,年67とある。老齢で不本意な大宰帥として西下し,着任早々に妻の大伴郎女を失ったこと,また,筑前国守山上憶良との文学的な交流が,晩年の多作の契機となっている。旅人を中心に,憶良,沙弥満誓(笠麻呂),ひいては大宰府官人らを加えて,旺盛な作歌活動が展開されるに至り,近時これを「筑紫歌壇」と呼ぶ。晩年の自身の生活感情をしみじみと表出する性格が際立ち,『万葉集』において,短歌が新たな抒情性を獲得してゆく過程を,この歌人にみて取ることができる。漢詩文の表現を意欲的に摂取し,唐初の伝奇小説『遊仙窟』に倣った「松浦河に遊ぶ」序と歌群(巻5)を合作するなど,歌における風雅の世界を創造していることも見落とせない。また,長歌の衰退期にあって,「讃酒歌十三首」(巻3)をはじめ,短歌による本格的な連作を編み出した歌人としても記憶されるべきである。<参考文献>五味智英『万葉集の作家と作品』,伊藤博『万葉集の歌人と作品』下

(芳賀紀雄)

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