Otomo no Yakamochi - Otomo no Yakamochi

A representative poet and official from the final period of the Manyoshu. The son of a traveler. As a young boy, he lived in Dazaifu with his father around 727 (Jinki 4), and returned to Kyoto in 730 (Tenpyo 2). Around 737, he became an Udoneri. In 745 (Tenpyo 17), he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank. The following March, he became Kunai no Shofu. In July, he was appointed Ecchu no Kami. In 751 (Tenpyo Shoho 3), he returned to Kyoto as Shounagon. In 754, he became Hyobu no Shoyu. He also served as Hyobu no Daifu and Uchuben, but in 758 (Tenpyo Hoji 2), he was demoted to Inaba no Kami. He subsequently held the posts of Shinbu Taifu, Satsuma no Kami, and Dazai Shoni. After a long life in the provinces, he was promoted to Shoyu of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in June 770 (Hōki 1), Sachuben and Chumu Daifu in September, and in October, for the first time in 21 years, to Shogoi (Senior Fifth Rank). He held various posts and became Ukyo no Taifu and Togu no Daifu in April 781 (Ten'ō 1), and in April 785 (Enryaku 4), Chunagon Jusanmi and Harumiya no Daifu, Mutsu Ansatsushi, and Chinjufu Shogun, and died in August of the same year. He was probably in his post, Taga Castle (Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture), at the time of his death. He was 68 or 69 years old. He was often embroiled in political struggles in his efforts to restore the name of the prestigious Otomo clan, and as a government official he was treated poorly until near the end of his life. Even after his death, he was implicated in a treason case and was expelled from the government until 806 (Daido 1).

He composed the most works of any of the Man'yoshu, totalling 472 poems, including 46 choka, 425 tanka (including one collaborative work), and one sedo-ka (ballad). He also composed one Chinese poem and a letter in the form of a preface to a poem. His poetry-writing career spanned 28 years, from around 732 until 759, the year after he was appointed as the governor of Inaba, but can be divided into three periods. The first period was a period of study before he became Etchu-no-kami in 746, and consisted of love poems and nature poems. His diverse relationships with women, including Sakanoue no Oiratsume, who later became his wife, Kasa no Iratsume, and Kino Iratsume, as well as his later elegant and sensitive grasp of nature can already be seen. The second period was the five years he spent as Etchu no Kami. Although it was a short period, he was spiritually most fulfilling and prolific, as he harbored a deep longing for his homeland, experienced the scenery of foreign lands, had a close friendship with his subordinate, Otomo Ikenushi, and was aware of his role as a provincial governor. The third period was from his return to Kyoto until he became Inaba no Kami. Although he produced few works and many banquet songs, he established a unique realm of poetry that could be said to be the pinnacle of Manyo lyricism. He was heavily involved in the compilation of the Manyoshu, and one of his achievements was the collection of Sakimori uta (warrior songs) during his third period as Hyobu no Shoyu. He consciously accepted and studied the long history of Manyo waka poetry, and continued to pursue it, pioneering a realm of unparalleled elegance and delicacy in waka poetry, and in many ways this aesthetic sense and attitude toward observing nature were pioneers of Heian period waka poetry.

[Tatsuo Hashimoto]

If I cast it aside and look at the crescent moon, I may recall the frown on the face of someone I saw at first sight (1st series)
On a bright spring day, the skylarks rise, and I feel sadness in my heart, thinking of myself alone (3rd season)

"Selected Japanese Poets 5: Otomo no Yakamochi" by Kenkichi Yamamoto (1971, Chikuma Shobo )" "Otomo no Yakamochi" by Shigeo Kitayama (1971, Heibonsha) " "Poets of the Court 2: Otomo no Yakamochi" by Tatsuo Hashimoto (1984, Shueisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

『万葉集』末期の代表歌人、官人。旅人(たびと)の子。少年時の727年（神亀4）ごろ父に伴われ大宰府(だざいふ)で生活し、730年（天平2）帰京。737年ごろ内舎人(うどねり)。745年（天平17）従(じゅ)五位下。翌3月宮内少輔(くないのしょうふ)。7月越中守(えっちゅうのかみ)として赴任した。751年（天平勝宝3）少納言(しょうなごん)となって帰京。754年兵部(ひょうぶ)少輔。さらに兵部大輔、右中弁を歴任したが、758年（天平宝字2）因幡守(いなばのかみ)に左降された。以後、信部大輔(しんぶたいふ)、薩摩守(さつまのかみ)、大宰少弐(しょうに)などを歴任。長い地方生活を経て770年（宝亀1）6月民部少輔、9月左中弁兼中務(ちゅうむ)大輔、10月、21年ぶりで正五位下に昇叙した。諸官を歴任して781年（天応1）4月右京大夫(うきょうのたいふ)兼春宮(とうぐう)大夫となり、785年（延暦4）4月中納言従三位(じゅさんみ)兼春宮大夫陸奥按察使(みちのくのあんさつし)鎮守府将軍とみえ、同年8月没。没時はおそらく任地多賀城（宮城県多賀城市）にいたと思われる。年68または69歳。名門大伴家の家名を挽回(ばんかい)しようとして政争に巻き込まれることが多く、官人としては晩年近くまで不遇で、死後も謀反事件に連座して806年（大同1）まで官の籍を除名されていた。

　作品は『万葉集』中もっとも多く、長歌46、短歌425（合作1首を含む）、旋頭歌(せどうか)1首、合計472首に上る。ほかに漢詩1首、詩序形式の書簡文などがある。作歌活動は、732年ごろから因幡守として赴任した翌年の759年までの28年間にわたるが、3期に区分される。第1期は746年越中守となるまでの習作時代で、恋愛歌、自然詠が中心をなす。のちに妻となった坂上大嬢(さかのうえのおおいらつめ)をはじめ、笠女郎(かさのいらつめ)、紀女郎(きのいらつめ)らとの多彩な女性関係と、早くも後年の優美、繊細な自然把握がみられる。第2期は越中守時代の5年間で、期間は短いが、望郷の念を底に秘めつつ、異境の風物に接し、下僚大伴池主(いけぬし)との親密な交遊を通し、さらには国守としての自覚にたって、精神的にもっとも充実した多作の時代である。第3期は帰京後から因幡守となるまでで、作品数は少なく宴歌が多いが、万葉の叙情の深まった極致ともいうべき独自の歌境を樹立した。『万葉集』の編纂(へんさん)に大きく関与し、第3期の兵部少輔時代の防人歌(さきもりうた)の収集も彼の功績である。長い万葉和歌史を自覚的に受け止めて学ぶとともにこれを進め、比類のない優美・繊細な歌境を開拓するが、この美意識および自然観照の態度などは、平安時代和歌の先駆をなす点が少なくない。

［橋本達雄］

ふり放(さ)けて三日月見れば一目見し人の眉引(まよびき)思ほゆるかも（第1期）
うらうらに照れる春日に雲雀(ひばり)あがりこころ悲しも独りし思へば（第3期）

『山本健吉著『日本詩人選5　大伴家持』（1971・筑摩書房）』▽『北山茂夫著『大伴家持』（1971・平凡社）』▽『橋本達雄著『王朝の歌人2　大伴家持』（1984・集英社）』

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