Ukon (poetess) (右近 (歌人))

Ukon (year of birth and death unknown) was a poetess of the mid-Heian period. Her father was FUJIWARA no Suetada, Ukone no shosho (Minor Captain of the Right Division of the Inner Palace Guards).

She was a lady-in-waiting for FUJIWARA no Onshi, the empress of the Emperor Daigo, and she had intimate relationships with FUJIWARA no Atsutada, FUJIWARA no Morosuke, FUJIWARA no Asatada, and MINAMOTO no Shitago. She contributed her poems to uta-awase (poetry contests) such as the Dairi uta-awase (Imperial Palace Poetry Contests) in 960 and 962, the Dairi senzai awase (Imperial Palace Garden Contests) in 966, etc., and played a major role in waka circles during the reign of the Emperor Murakami.

Some of her poems were selected for "Gosen Wakashu" (Later selected collection of Japanese poetry), "Shui Wakashu" (Collection of Gleanings of Japanese Poems), and "Shin chokusen wakashu" (New Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry).

Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (the Ogura Anthology of One Hundred Tanka-poems by One Hundred Poets)
No. 38: I no longer care about my sorrow because I'm sunk into oblivion, but I hold only your life dear because of being afraid that you, who forgot me after such a solemn vow, might get your just deserts. ('Shui Wakashu' Love-4, 870)

[Original Japanese]