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Primary sourceBookc. 1013

Wakan Rōeishū

Fujiwara no Kintō · c. 1013

An anthology mixing Chinese and Japanese poems compiled by Fujiwara no Kintō, the courtier who teased Murasaki Shikibu in her diary, reflecting the shared learning of her court circle.

Its compiler Fujiwara no Kintō teased Murasaki Shikibu in her own diary, linking this anthology to her court circle.

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A long horizontal handscroll of calligraphy on multiple panels of differently colored paper, including grey-blue, pale yellow, pink, and deep red sheets, with brushed columns of Japanese text running across the whole length.
Fujiwara no Kintō (compiler), Wakan Rōeishū, c. 1013.

About this source

What it is

The Wakan Rōeishū ('Collection of Japanese and Chinese Poems for Singing') is an anthology of Chinese poems and Japanese waka meant to be sung, compiled by the courtier Fujiwara no Kintō around 1013. It brings together works by Chinese poets such as Bai Juyi alongside Japanese poets such as Ki no Tsurayuki.

Why it matters

Its compiler, Fujiwara no Kintō, is known to history partly because he teased Murasaki Shikibu, calling her 'our little Murasaki' in her own diary. The anthology shows the blend of Chinese and Japanese learning shared by the court circle Murasaki belonged to, and the kind of literary culture she drew on in her own writing.

Look closer

  • Why might Heian courtiers value knowledge of Chinese poetry alongside Japanese waka?
  • What does it suggest that poems in Chinese and Japanese were placed together, matched by topic?
  • What can a playful personal nickname like 'our little Murasaki' tell us about court relationships?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Murasaki Shikibu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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