Ben no Menoto (弁乳母), (995-1076) was the menoto of Princess Teishi, the daughter of Emperor Sanjō. Her real name was Fujiwara no Akiko.
Life
Ben no Menoto was the menoto (wetnurse) of Princess Teishi. She was born in 995, with the personal name of Fujiwara no Akiko, though little other information is known about her childhood. She began her service in 1013, and was supposedly on good terms with Suō no Naishi. She was also a poet, and her poems are collected in the Goshūi Wakashū In 1027 the mother of Princess Teishi, Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Kenshi (Known as Empress Dowager Biwadono in retirement) died. After her death, Ben no Menoto wrote a stanza about seeing the withered iris scent bags still being hung above the old chambers where the Empress Dowager used to stay.
Roots out of season
I leave hanging there.
A court lady, Gō Jijū (Daughter of Akazome Emon) responded with her own stanza.
Though there are iris leaves.
In 1076 Ben no Menoto passed away.