Hyakunin Isshu No.75 of Yoga Promenade
The poet is Fujiwara-no Mototoshi.
There is some story behind the poem. At that time, for a priest to get promoted, it was important to be chosen as a preacher at Fujiwara clan's memorial service. Mototoshi had asked Fujiwara-no Tadamichi, the boss of Fujiwara’s clan, to select a son of his for the role. Tadamichi's answer was “Shimeji-ga-hara.” Tadamichi was a good poet (he is the poet No.76), so he referred an old Japanese poem that says, “Even if your heart burns like the mugwort in Shimeji-ga-hara field, as long as I am in the world, rely on me (Mugwort is often used in Japanese poetry to correspond to the word burn, because the plant is used for moxibustion).” However, even after October, when the memorial service was to be held, the son was not given the role. Mototoshi resented this and composed this poem. It says, “I believed in the promise and lived relying on words like the dew on mugwort, but this autumn has already passed.”
Hyakunin Isshu No.75 of Yoga Promenade
The poet is Fujiwara-no Mototoshi.
There is some story behind the poem. At that time, for a priest to get promoted, it was important to be chosen as a preacher at Fujiwara clan's memorial service. Mototoshi had asked Fujiwara-no Tadamichi, the boss of Fujiwara’s clan, to select a son of his for the role. Tadamichi's answer was “Shimeji-ga-hara.” Tadamichi was a good poet (he is the poet No.76), so he referred an old Japanese poem that says, “Even if your heart burns like the mugwort in Shimeji-ga-hara field, as long as I am in the world, rely on me (Mugwort is often used in Japanese poetry to correspond to the word burn, because the plant is used for moxibustion).” However, even after October, when the memorial service was to be held, the son was not given the role. Mototoshi resented this and composed this poem. It says, “I believed in the promise and lived relying on words like the dew on mugwort, but this autumn has already passed.”