Gosen Wakashu. Manuscript fragment
Gosen Wakashu (後 撰 和 歌集 - “The Late Compilation of Japanese Songs”, abbreviated as “Gosen Shu”) is an anthology of waka poetry compiled in the middle of the 10th century ( 951 ) by order of Emperor Murakami (tenno Murakami).
Compiled by a committee of five poets and critics called the “Five Pear Pavilion” (梨 壺 の 五 人 Nasitsubo no gonin) led by Onakatomi Yoshinobu:
- Onokatomi no Yoshinobu (922–991)
- Kiyohara no Motosuke (908–990)
- Minamoto-no Shitage (911–983)
- Ki-no Tokibumi (flourished c. 950)
- Sakanoue no Motiki (flourished c. 950)
The anthology includes 1426 poems. It primarily included poems intended for inclusion in the Kokinshu anthology, but for some reason rejected by the compilers. The anthology is interesting in large prosaic passages preceding some poems.
Among the authors of the anthology:
- Ms. Wukon
- Emperor Tenji
- Minamoto no Hitoshi
- Ono no Komati
- Osikoti no Mitsune
- Fujiwara no Atsutada
- Fujiwara no Asatada
- Fujiwara no Takamitsu
- Fujiwara no Toshiyuki
- Fujiwara no Kanesuke
- Harumichi no Tsuraki et al.