A mid-Heian poet said to be the son of Fun'ya no Yasuhide, one of the Six Poetic Geniuses. He held minor posts and almost nothing else is recorded of his life; only three of his poems appear in imperial anthologies, though he participated in the poetry contests of Emperor Uda's court. His Hyakunin Isshu poem, from the Gosenshū, pictures dewdrops scattered from autumn grasses by the wind as pearls flung loose from an unstrung necklace, a vivid image admired for its visual clarity.
白露に 風の吹きしく 秋の野は
つらぬきとめぬ 玉ぞ散りける
Shiratsuyu ni kaze no fukishiku aki no no wa / tsuranuki tomenu tama zo chirikeru
In the autumn field, where the wind keeps sweeping over the white dew, it looks as if unstrung jewels are scattering everywhere.