Uma no naishi (馬内侍)

Uma no naishi (year of birth and death unknown) was a female poet in the mid-Heian period. Her father was MINAMOTO no Tokiaki, but her biological father is thought to have been MINAMOTO no Muneakira, Tokiaki's elder brother. She is regarded as one of the Chuko sanjurokkasen (medieval 36 Immortal Poets) and one of the Nyobo sanjurokkasen (36 Immortal Lady Poets).

She served under Empress Saigunyogo Kishi (consort of Emperor Murakami), the Emperor Enyu Chugu Koshi (Empress of Emperor Enyu), Imperial Princess Saiin Senshi, Higashisanjoin FUJIWARA no Senshi (the Emperor Enyu Nyogo), and the Emperor Ichijo's Empress FUJIWARA no Teishi. She had romantic relationships with court nobles from Kenmon (powerful family lineage) including FUJIWARA no Asateru, FUJIWARA no Koretada, FUJIWARA no Michitaka and FUJIWARA no Michikane, and she enjoyed a brilliant court life.

Her waka poems were selected for chokusen wakashu (anthologies of poems collected by Imperial command) when and after 'Shui Wakashu' (Collection of Gleanings of Japanese Poems) was compiled.
She privately compiled 'Uma no naishi shu.'

[Original Japanese]