Izumi Shikibu

[3]: 4, 7, 9 [4] As is standard for Heian period women, her name is a composite of "Izumi" from her husband's charge (任国, ningoku) and her father's official designation of master of ceremony (式部, shikibu).

In the beginning, before her marriage to Michisada, she is believed to have been the companion (some accounts say wife) of a man named Omotomaru at dowager Queen Shoko's court.

[3]: 14 Further testimony of the scandal caused by her successive affairs with the Princes Tametaka and Atsumichi can be found in two historical tales (rekishi monogatari) about the period, A Tale of Flowering Fortunes (or Eiga Monogatari), c. mid-eleventh century, and The Great Mirror (or Ōkagami), c. late eleventh century.

The Eiga Monogatari includes this poem, which accompanied Yasumasa's offering of jewels for a Buddha figure "made in memory of the Empress Dowager Yoshiko.

[7][8] 刈藻かき臥猪の床のゐを安み     さこそねざらめ斯らずもがな karu mo kaki fusu wi no toko no wi wo yasumi sa koso nezarame kakarazu mo ganaloosely: Trampling the dry grass the wild boar makes his bed, and sleeps.

(Goshūi Wakashū 14:821)黒髪のみだれも知らず打臥せば     まづかきやりし人ぞ戀しき kurokami no midaremo shirazu uchifuseba madzu kakiyarishi hito zo kohishikiloosely: My black hair is unkempt; unconcerned, he lies down and first gently smooths it, my darling!

(Goshūi Wakashū 13:755)長閑なる折こそなけれ花を思ふ心の     うちに風はふかねど nodoka naru ori koso nakere hana wo omou kokoro no uchi ni kaze wa fukanedoloosely: "There is not even a moment of calmness.

"([1])亡人のくる夜ときけど君もなし     我が住む宿や魂無きの里 naki hito no kuru yo to kikedo kimi mo nashi wa ga sumu yado ya tamanaki no satoloosely: They say the dead return tonight, but you are not here.

(Goshūi Wakashū 10:575)Upon seeing her daughter Koshikibu no Naishi's name on her Imperial robes she received after her death: 諸共に苔のしたには朽ちずして     埋もれぬ名をみるぞ悲しき morotomo ni koke no shita ni ha kuchizu shite udzumorenu na wo miru zo kanashikiloosely: Beneath the moss, imperishable, her name of high renown: seeing it is a great sadness.