was a Japanese waka poet of the mid-Heian period. One of his poems was included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. He left a private waka collection, the Sanekata-shū.
Sanekata was a great-grandson of Fujiwara no Tadahira, "and commander of the bodyguard."[1] He was raised by his uncle, .[2]
He was reportedly a lover of Sei Shōnagon,[1] and exchanged love poems with many women.[2]
He was appointed governor of Mutsu Province, and he died while in service there.[1] [2]
He died in 998.[2]
Sixty-seven of his poems were included in imperial anthologies from the Shūi Wakashū on,[1] [2] and he was listed as one of the Late Classical Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry.[2]
The following poem by him was included as No. 51 in Fujiwara no Teika's Ogura Hyakunin Isshu:
| Japanese text[3] | Romanized Japanese[4] | English translation[5] |
かくとだに えやはいぶきの さしも草 さしも知らじな 燃ゆる思ひを | Kaku to dani e ya wa ibuki no sashimo-gusa sa shimo shiraji na moyuru omoi wo | Can I let you know what consumes me? Unknown to you, my heart blazes like red hot moxa aflame with love for you. |
A private collection of his poetry, the, survives.[1]