Minamoto no Tōru



Minamoto no Tōru (源融) was a Japanese poet and statesman. He was born the son of Emperor Saga and a member of the Saga Genji clan. He is sometimes mentioned as the model for Hikaru Genji in important Japanese literary classic The Tale of Genji.

Under his title Minister of the Left of Kawara (河原左大臣), he is the author of poem 14 in the Hyakunin Isshu poetry anthology:

Here is another translation:
 * The dye with hare’s-foot-fern, of Michinoku—who else would have made me feel as disturbed?

The poet is also famous for making a replica of the uta-makura Shiogama, a poetic place name, in his garden.

His tomb resides at the Seiryō-ji, a Buddhist temple situated on what was once Saga Moor in Kyoto.

We also see two of his poems included in the Gosen Wakashū.