Hyakunin Isshu: Meet the Poets
Minamoto no Toshiyori Ason

Meaning

I prayed to the storm wind of Hatsuse — but I never prayed for it to grow fiercer. Why has this person become so cold to me?

Commentary

The speaker prayed at Hatsuse Temple (Hase-dera, famous as a place for love petitions) that his love would be returned. The beloved grew even colder. He addresses the "mountain wind of Hatsuse" — both the literal wind and a metaphor for divine response — with indignant irony: he asked for warmth, not frost.

Minamoto no Toshiyori was one of the most innovative poets of the late Heian era, dominant in the poetry world despite holding only modest official rank. He championed a bold, unconventional style against the conservative school. His son Shun'e (poem 85) was also a notable poet.

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