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The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon
Cat: HIS
Pub: 2014
#: 2312b
Sei Shonagon; translated by Meredith McKinney
23y22u
Résume
Remarks
>Top 0. Introduction:
- Sei Shonangon (c966-c1025) lived at the height of the Heian period.
- The story essentially begins and ends with here relationship with Empress Teishi (977-1000). She has entered Teishi's court as a gentlewoman in either the spring or autumn of 993, around ten years older than the Empress. Her service at court presumably came to an end with Teishi's death seven years later. Of Sei Shonangon's subsequent life nothing is known.
- During the Heian period, the real power lay in the hands of the Fujiwara family. The aim was to provide form their own immediate family the woman who would become the mother of the future Emperor. Thus Teishi's position rested precariously on the continued power of her father Michitaka.
- But less than two years later in 995, Michitaka died of illness. His brother Michikane became Regent, but when he died in an epidemic a mere seven days later, Michinaga at last attained his goal, and his days of power extended until his death in 1027.
- For Teishi, Michitaka's death was more than a personal sorrow; her position at court was now deeply insecure. Her chief protector, her brother Korechika, was disgraced and effectively exiled with their younger brother Takaie in 996.
- In 1000, Michinaga established his 10-year old daughter Shoshi as the first Empress. Teishi, still at court but her position now threatened on all sides, died at the end of the year, two days after childbirth.
- Although Sei Shonagon was profoundly affected by these events, they are almost entirely absent from her Pillow Brook. Her gaze is determinedly, almost perversely, fixed on the delights to be found in court life; if sorrow momentarily clouds her sky, it is there only to provide the backdrop for some delightful event that relieves it with laughter.
- The confined life of the women at court was only relieved by the intense pleasure of occasional expeditions. the high-lights were viewing the splendid procession for the annual Kamo Festival, and the imperial processions when the Emperor left the palace, but religious events such as the popular salvation Lotus Discourses could also cause great excitement. However, high-ranking ladies always remained hidden from view within their carriages, and observed the world through the haze of fine reed blinds.
- The heightened awareness of taste and aesthetic sensibility is everywhere apparent in the court culture that Sei Shonagon so livingly documented.
- Nothing revealed a person's degree of sensibility more clearly than the art of poetry. Wittily nuanced messages, generally containing a poem, flew constantly between members of he court and sometimes beyond. Sei Shonagon was a masterful practitioner of the art of witty repartee and poetic exchange, and revealed in recording her finest moments.
- The Chinese language belonged to the sphere of men: their public and official writing, of both prose and poetry, was conducted in Chinese, and their education was largely devoted to the Chinese classics. Sei Shonagon, typically, knew far more than most and enjoyed seeing her negotiate he difficult challenge of cleverly responding to a Chinese allusion in a suitably way.
- Teishi evidently took pleasure in Sei Shonagon's company, and certainly enjoyed teasing her by pretending to test her love. Sei Shonagon was in fact a precious asset for Teishi.
- The final section provides its own explanation for how The Pillow Book came into being.
- Palace Minister Korechika one day presented to the Empress a bundle of paper. 'What do you think we could write on this?' Her Majesty inquired. 'They are copying Records of the Historian over at His Majesty's court.' 'This should be a "pillow", then,' I suggested. 'Very well, it's yours,' declare Her Majesty, and she handed it over to me.
- The key word okashi, which is woven throughout as a strong motif. Perhaps the best English translation is 'amusing' that which entertains, intrigues, delights, pleasures and beguiles. And more spirited 'delightful' has been chosen in the translation; or frequently substituted by such as 'charming' or 'lovely'.
- Sei Shonagon was consciously setting out to present Teishi's court as forever bathed in the rosy glow of okashi as an antidote to the historical facts and as a way of salvaging Teishi's sad tale for posterity.
- The classical Japanese language does not need, and very seldom has, a specified subject to the verb. Is it I, or you, or we, or perhaps she, who is experiencing this? The question will often seem irrelevant, is it enough that the experience exists as we read, and that by reading we too experience it.
- Translation of the poetry: In order to crate at least some semblance of what English readers feel to be poetry, the translation was divided into five lines, corresponding to the syllabic 5-7-5-7-7 demarcations of the original waka. But translating of Sei Shonagon's poetry generally lies in clever punning.
- The Pillow Book is written in a language that became the epitome of classical beauty or subsequent ages, which have always looked back to the glories of Heian culture with reverent nostalgia.
0. 序文:
藤原兼家
-- 道隆953-995
--伊周974-1010
--定子977-1001
-- 道兼
--隆家979-1044
-- 道綱
--隆円980-1015
-- 道長--彰子
--原子980-1002
--三女 ? -- ?
ー御匣殿 ? -1002
- 966: 清少納言 (c966-c1025): 父清原元輔(908-990)59の時の娘として誕生。(道長も同年出生)
- 曽祖父は清原深養父; 勅撰和歌集に15首入集。
- 981:<16歳>橘則光と結婚。
- <17歳>で則長を出産。後離婚したが998まで交流あり。1000に定子崩御後、宮仕えをやめた。
- 枕草子は、一条天皇の中宮定子(977-1000) 990中宮の女房として、主に定子との関連の随筆が多い。清少納言は定子より10歳年上。
- 986: 6/23花山天皇落飾。一条天皇(7)践祚。6/24兼家摂政。7/20道隆権大納言。元輔肥後守。
- 989: 2/23道隆内大臣。12/20摂政兼家太政大臣
- 990: 1/5天皇元服(11)。2/11定子入台(14)女御。5/5内大臣道隆関白。7/2兼家薨(69)。10/5女御定子中宮。10/26生母高階貴子正三位
- 991: 9/7道兼(31)内大臣、道長(26)権大納言、伊周(18)権中納言、通綱(37)参議。9/16詮子落飾、東三条院
- 992: 8/26伊周(19)権大納言
- 993: <28>中宮(17)の御所(登花殿)に初出仕し (第184段参照)
。3/23道隆次女原子入内。4/22摂政道隆関白。
- ７年後定子の崩御後に退去したが、その後の状況不明。
- 平安時代は、藤原家の権力下にあり、その一族の娘が入内し、外戚となった后の父が実質権力者。定子の場合は、藤原道隆(摂政関白)
- 994: 8/28源重信左大臣、道兼右大臣。伊周(21)内大臣、道頼(24)権大納言
- 995: 1/19原子女御。4/10入道前関白道隆(43)が薨。4/27弟の道兼が関白となるが、5/8感染症で薨。5/8左大臣源重信(74)薨。6/11/道頼(25)薨。兼家の五男の権大納言道長(30)内覧。6/19道長右大臣、氏長者。1027薨まで権力掌握。7/24内大臣伊周と右大臣道長仗座に争。8/2中納言隆家従者が右大臣道長従者を殺害。8/29藤原行成蔵人頭。
- 定子にとっては父道隆の薨は、個人的悲哀にとどまらず宮廷内の基盤が損なわれた。
- 996: 1/16内大臣伊周･中納言隆家の従者、花山法皇を射る。4/24内大臣伊周(23)太宰府権帥、中納言隆家(18)伊豆権守へ左遷。4/24通綱(42)中納言。4月清少納言、中宮方と不和、里居。5/1中宮落飾。7/20道長左大臣、顕光右大臣。10月道隆室高階貴子薨。12/16中宮(21)第一皇女脩子出産。
- 997: 4/5伊周･隆家大赦。5/1日食。6-7月清少納言、定子に従い、職曹司に戻る。
- 999: 3/7富士山噴火。11/1左大臣道長女彰子入内(12)11/7女御。
- 1000:(長保2) 2/25彰子中宮。定子皇后となり、立場が弱体化し、その年末に次女出産後2日崩御24歳で短い生涯を閉じた。
- 清少納言は、中宮の最盛期とその後の悲運の時代に書かれたが、'をかし''めでたし'の語に代表される才気に富む中宮に対する明るい賛美に溢れており、政治的な暗い背景については、意図的に書かれていない。
- 清少納言が定子のもとに出仕してから１年半後の995(長徳1)4/10に定子の父関白道隆が病没し、この後継者争いが定子の運命を決した。第一弾は、道隆の長男伊周(内大臣)と弟道兼が、一条天皇の生母三条院詮子のよって道兼が関白となったが、僅か10日後の5/8病薨した。第二弾は伊周と四男道長となった、5/11に道長が選ばれ内覧右大臣となった。996 (長徳2)には、道長によって太宰府権帥に、その弟の隆家は、出雲権守に左遷され失脚。中宮定子も宮中から里邸の二条の宮へ移る。清少納言も道長方と女房たちから敵視され、しばらく里に籠もる。996/7には、道長は左大臣に昇進。997(長徳3)に大赦によって伊周・隆家は入京するが、昔日の面影はなくなった。999(長保1)11/7に大進生昌の家で、敦康親王を出産する。これより先に11/1に入内した彰子は女御となる。1000(長保2)/2月に、定子は皇后、彰子は中宮となる。同年12/15に第二皇女媄子出産の翌12/16に24歳で崩御。
- 1001: 1/29 法興院にて故皇后定子の御法会。この頃清少納言、宮仕え辞去。
- 紫式部日記の記事:
- 清少納言こそ、したり顔にいみじうはべりける人。さばからいさかし立ち、真名かきちらしてはべるほども、よく見れば、まだいとたらぬこと多かり。かく、ひとにことならむと思ひこのめる人は、かならず見劣りし、行末うたてのみはべれば、艶になりぬく人は、いとすごうすずろなるをりも、もののあはれにすすみ、をかしきことも見すぐさぬほどに、おのづからさらうまじくあだなるさまにもなるにはべるべし。そのあだになりぬる人のはて、いかでかはよくはべらむ。
- '枕'の意味:
- 1) 備忘録：枕元の備忘録としての草子
- 2) 題詞: 歌枕・名辞の章段が多い
- 3) 秘蔵本: 秘蔵の草子
- 4) 枕詞: しきたへ(敷妙)の; 史記たへの枕
- 5) 四季: 史記→四季の春夏秋冬を記述
- 6) 中宮定子への敬慕: 道長全盛下で、道隆一族(中関白家)の記述を歴史に残す。それ故、一族衰退や道長批判には敢えて触れない (いみじき心ばせ)。
- 伝本:
- 三巻本、能因本、堺本、前田本。三巻本が各系統の中で最も古態に近いとされ、教科書等に採用。
>Top 1. In spring, the dawn: [1]
- In spring, the dawn - when the slowly paling mountain rim is tinged with red, and wisps of faintly crimson-purple cloud float in the sky.
- In summer, the night - moonlit nights, of course, bet also at the dark of the moon, it's beautiful when fireflies are dancing everywhere in a mazy flight. And it'd delightful too to see just one or two fly through the darkness, glowing softly. Rain falling on a summer night is also lovely.
- In autumn, the evening - the blazing sun has sunk very close to the mountain rim, and now even the crows, in threes and fours or twos and threes, hurrying to their roost, are a moving sight. Still more enchanting is the sight of a string of wild geese in the distant sky, very tiny. And oh how inexpressible, when the sun has sunk, to hear in the growing darkness the wind, and the song of autumn insects.
- In winter, the early morning - if snow is falling, of course, it's unutterably delightful, but it's perfect too if there 's a pure white frost, or even just when it's very cold, and they hasten to build up the fires in the braziers and carry in fresh charcoal. But it's unpleasant, as the day draws on and the air grows warmer, how the brazier fire dies down to white ash.
1. 春はあけぼの [1]
- 春はあけぼの。やうやう白くなりゆく、山ぎは少しあかりて、紫だちたる雲の細くたなびきたる。
- 夏は夜。月のころはさらなり。闇もなほ、蛍(yíng)の多く飛びちがひたる。また、一つ二つなど、ほのかにうち光りていくもをかし。雨など降るもをかし。
- 秋は夕暮れ。夕日のさして、山の端いと近うなりたるに、烏(wū)の寝所へ行くとて、三つ四つ、二つ三つなど飛び急ぐさへあはれなり。まいて、雁(yàn)などの連ねたるが、いと小さくみゆるはいとをかし。日入りはてて、風の音、虫の音など、はた言ふべきにもあらず。
- 冬はつとめて。雪の降りたるは、言ふべきにもあらず。霜の白きも、また、さらでもいと寒きに、火など急ぎおこして、炭もてわたるもいとつきづきし。昼になりて、ぬるくゆるびもていけば、火桶の火もしろき灰がちになりて、わろし。
- だつ: がかった、ぽい
- さら, 更: もちろん
- をかし: <招(を) く; 風情がある、すてき
- さして: 殊に、まして
- まいて: 況いて; まして
- つとめて: 早朝
- つきづき: 付き付きし; ふさわしい
>Top 2. Times of year [2]
- Time of year - The first month; the third, fourth and fifth months; the seventh, eighth and ninth; the eleventh and twelfth - in fact every month according to its season, the year round, is delightful.
2. ころは [2]
- ころは、正月、三月、四月、五月、七、八、九月、十一、二月、すべてをりにつけつつ、一年ながらをかし。
>Top 3. It breaks my heart to think : [4]
- It breaks my heart to think of parents sending a beloved son into the priesthood. Poor priests, they're not the unfeeling lumps of wood that people make them for. They're despised for eating that dreadful monastic food, and their sleeping arrangements are not better. A young priest must naturally be full of curiosity, and how could he resist the forbidden urge to peep into a room, especially if there's a woman in there ? But this is criticized as disgraceful too.
- Exorcist priests have an even harder life. If they ever nod off, exhausted from their long labours, people complain that they do nothing but sleep. How constrained and miserable this must make them feel!
- Well, this is how things used to be, anyway. These days, in fact, priests lead a much easier life.
3. 思はむ子を [5]:
- 思はむ子を法師になしたらむこそ、心苦しけれ。ただ木の端などのやうに思ひたるこそ、いといとほしけれ。精進物のいとあしきをうち食ひ、寝ぬるをも、若きは、ものもゆかしからむ。女などのある所をも、などか忌みたるやうに、さしのぞかずもあらむ。それをもやすからず言ふ。まいて、験者などは、いと苦しげなり。困じてうちねぶれば、「ねぶりをのみして」などもどかる、いと所せく、いかにおぼゆらむ。これ昔の事なめり。今はいとやすげなり。
- 法師ばかり羨ましからぬものはらじ。人には木の端のやうに思はるるよと清少納言が書けるも、げにさることぞかし; 徒然草
- 木の端: 情をはなれた木石のような非情
- こうじて: 極じて; ひどく疲れて
>Top 4. The Emperor's cat: [7]
- The Emperor's cat had received the fifth rank, and was given the appropriate title-name 'Myobu'. It wasa a charming crature, and the Emperor was quite devoted to it. One day its carer, Muma no Myobu, found it lyingbasking on the veranda. 'How vulgar!' she scolded. 'Back you come inside.' But the cat continued to lie there asleep in the sun, so she decided to give it a fright. 'Okinamaro!' she cried to the dog. 'Here, boy! Come and get Myobu!' The foolish dog couldn't believe its ears, and came rushing over, whereupon the terrified cat fled inside through the blind.
- The Emperor was at that time in the Breakfast Room, and he witnessed this event with astonishment. He tucked the cat into the bosom of his robe, and summoned his men. When the Chamberlains Tadataka and Narinaka appeared, the Emperor ordered them, 'Give Okinamaro a thoruugh beating and banish him to Dog Island! Bequick about it!' Everyone gatheered and a noisy hunt ensued. The emperor went on to chastise Muma no Myobu, declaring that he woulr replace her as Myobu's carer as she was completely untrustworthy, and thenceforth she no longer appeared in his presence. Meanwhile, they rounded up the dog, and had the gurads drives it out.
- We all pitied the poor thing. 'Oh dear,' we said, 'and to think how he used to swagger about the plce as if he owned it.' 'Remember how on the third of the third month the Secretary Controller decked him out with a garland of willow and peach-flower comb, and tied a branch of cherry blossom on his back? Who'd have guessed then that he'd meet with such fate?' 'And the way he always attended Her Majesty at meal times. How we'll mis him!' Then around noon three or four days later, we heard a dog howling dradfully. What dog could be howling on and on like this? We wondered, and as we listed dogs gathered from everwhere to see what was afoot.
- One of the cleaning women came running in. 'Oh, it's dreadful! Two of the Chamberlains are beating the dog! It's bound to die! His Majesty banished it, but apparently it came back, so they're teaching it a lesson.' Alas, poor creature! It was Okinamaro. 'It's Tadataka and Sanefsa doing it,' someone said. We sent someone to stop them, but at that point the dog finally ceased its howling. 'It's dead,' came the report, 'so they've thrown it outside the guardhouse.' That evening as we were sorrowing over poor Okinamaro, up staggered a miserable trembling creature, terriblyu swollen and looking quite wretched. Can it be Okinamaro? We wondered. What other dog could be wandering around at this hour in such a state? We called his name, but he didn't respond. 'Itt's him,' some of us declared, while others maintained that it wasn't, till Her Mjesty said, 'Send for Ukon. She would recognized him.' We duly did so, and when she came Her Majesty showed her the dog and asked if it was idded Okinamaro. 'There's certainly a likeness,' replied Ukon, 'but this dog loooks simply revolting. And you only have to say his name and Okinamaro bounds happily up but this dog doesn't respond al all. It must be a different dog. And they dis say they'd killed him and thrown out the corpse, didn't they? How could he have survived after two men had beaten him like that?' This moved Her Majesty to fresh sorrow.
- It grew dark. We gave the dog some food, but it didn't eat it, so we decided that it was indeed a diffrent dog and left it at that. The next morning, Her Majesty had performed jher ablutions and had her ahir combed, and I was holding the mirror for her to check that all was in order when I spied that dog, still there, crouching at the foot of a pillar. Seein it I said aloud to myself, 'Oh poor Okinamaro, what a terrible beating he got yesterday! It's so sad to thing he must be dead. I wonder what he'll be reborn as next time. How dreadful he must have felt!' At this the dog began to temble, and thears simply poured from its eyes. How extraordinary! I realized it was indeed Oknamaro! It was pitiful to recall how he'd avoided revealing himslef the night before, but at the same time the whole thing struck me as quite marvellous. I set down the mirror and said, 'So yuou're Okinamaro, are you? and he threw himself on the ground, whimpering and weeping. Her Majesty laughed with relief, and sent for Ukon and told her the story. There was a grat deal of laughter over it all, and the Emperor herad and came in to see what was happening. He laughed tooo, and observed, 'Isn't is odd to think a dog would have such fine feelings.' His gentlewomen alsso heard of it and gathered round, and this time when we called the dog he got up and came. 'His poor face is all swollen!' I cried. 'I do wish I could do something for it.' 'Now you're wearing your heart on your sleeve,' everyone teased me. Tadataka heard from the table Room, and sent saying, 'Is it really him? I must come and have a look.' 'Oh dear no, how awful!' I declared. 'TRell him it's nor Okinamaro at all!' 'He's bound to be found out sooner or later,' came Tadataka's reply. 'You can't go on hiding him forever.'
- Well, in due course Okinamaro was pardoned, and everythin returned to normal. Now has there ever been such a delgihtful and moving moment as when Okinamaro began to tremble and wep at those pitying words of mine? Humans may cry when someone speaks to them symathetically - but a dog?
4. 上にさぶらふ御猫は [7]:
- 上に さぶらふ御猫は、かうぶりにて命婦のおとどとて、いみじうをかしければ、かしづかせたまふが、端にいでて臥したるに、乳母の馬の命婦、「あな正無なや。入りあまへ」と呼ぶに、日のさし入りたるに、眠りてゐたるを、おどすとて、「翁丸、いづら。命婦のおとど食へ」と言ふに、まことかとて、しれものは走りかかりたれば、おびえ惑ひて御簾の内に入りぬ。
- 朝がれひのお前に、上おはしますに、御覧じていみじう驚かせたまふ。猫を御ふところに入れさせたまひて、をのこども召せば、蔵人忠隆、なりなか参りたれば、「この翁丸打ちてうじて、犬島へつかはせ、ただ今」と果せらるれば、集まり狩り騒ぐ。馬の命婦をもさいなみて、「乳母替へてむ。いとうしろめたし」と仰せらるれば、御前にも出でず。犬は狩りいでて、滝口などして追ひつかはしつ。
- 「あはれ、いみじうゆるぎありきつるものを。三月三日、頭の弁の柳かづらせさせ、桃の花をかざしにささせ、桜腰にさしなどしてありかせたまひしをり、かかる日見むとは思はざりけむ」などあはれがる。「おもののをりは、必ず向かひさぶらふに、さうざうしうことあれ」など言ひて、三四日になりぬる昼つかた、犬いみじう鳴く声のすれば、なぞの犬かく久しう鳴くにかあらむ、と聞くに、よろづの犬とぶらひ見に行く。
- 御厠人なる者走り来て、「あないみじ。犬を蔵人ふたりして打ちたまふ。死ぬべし。犬をながさせたまひけるが、帰りまゐりたるとて、てうじたまふ」と言ふ。心憂のことや、翁丸なり。「忠隆・実房なんど打つ」と言へば、制しにやるほどに、からうじて鳴きやみ、「死にければ、陣の外に引き捨てつ」と言へば、あはれがりなどする、夕つ方、いみじげに腫れ、あさましげなる犬の、わびしげなるが、わななきあれば、「翁丸か。このごろかかる犬やはありく」と言ふに、「翁丸」と言へど、聞きも入れず。「それ」とも言ひ、「あらず」とも口々申せば、「右近ぞ見知りたる。呼べ」と見せさせたまふ。「似ては侍れど、これはゆゆしげにこそはべるめれ。また、『翁丸か』とだに言へば、喜びてまうで来るものを、呼べど寄り来ず。あらぬなめり。それは、『打ち殺して捨てはべりぬ』とこそ申しつれ。ふたりして打たむには、はべりなむや」など申せば、心憂がらせたまふ。
- 暗うなりて、物食はせたれど食はねば、あらぬものに言ひなしてやみぬるつとめて、御けづり髪、御手水など参りて、御鏡を持たせさせたまひて御覧ずれば、さぶらふに、犬の柱のもとにゐたるを見やりて、「あはれ、きのふ翁丸をいみじうも打ちしかな。死にけむこそあはれなれ。何の身にこのたびはなりぬらむ。いかにわびしき心地しけむ」とうち言ふに、このゐたる犬の震ひわななきて、涙をただ落としに落とすに、いとあさましきは、翁丸にこそはありけれ。「昨夜は、隠れ忍びてあるけりなり」と、あはれに添へてをかしきこと限りなし。
- 御鏡うち置きて、「さは、翁丸か」と言ふに、ひれ伏していみじう鳴く。御前にもいみじうおぢ笑はせたまふ。右近の内侍召して、「かくなむ」仰せらるれば、笑ひののしるを、上にも聞こしめして渡りおはしましたり。「あさましう、犬なども、かかる心あるものなりけり」と笑はせたまふ。上の女房なども、聞きて参り集まりて、呼ぶにも今ぞ立ち動く。「なほこの顔などの腫れたる。もののてをせさせばや」といへば、「つひにこれを言ひあらはしつること」など笑ふに、忠隆聞きて、台盤所の方より、「さとにやはべらむ。かれ見はべらむ。」と言ひたれば、「あな、ゆゆし。さらに、さるものなし」と言はすれば、「さりとも、見つくるをりもはべらむ。さのみもえ隠させたまはじ」と言ふ。
- さて、かしこまり許されて、もとのやうになりにき。なほあはれがられて震ひ鳴きいでたりしこそ、よに知らずをかしくあはれなりしか。人などこそ人に言はれて泣きなどはすれ。
- かうぶり: 冠; 五位
- おとど: 大殿; 様
- まさなや: 良くない
- しれもの: 愚か者
- 頭の弁: 蔵人の頭; 藤原行成
- おもののをり: 中宮のお食事
- 御厠人: 下級女官
- 昨夜: よべ
- おぢ: 怖ぢ
- もののて: 手当
- かしこまり: おとがめ; 996の伊周流罪事件との類推
>Top 5. The sliding panels that close off the north-east corner: [20]
- The sliding panels that close off the north-east corner of the Seiryoden, at the norther end of the aisle, are painted with scene of rough seas, and terrifying creatures with long arms and legs. We have a fine time complaining about how we hate coming face to face with them whenever we open the door from the Empress's room.
- On this particular day, a large green porcelain vase had been placed at the foot of the nearby veranda railing, with a mass of absolutely gorgeous branches of flowering cherry, five feet long or more, arranged in it with the flowers spilling out over the railing. His Excellency Korechika, the Grand Counsellor, arrived around noon. He was wearing a rather soft and supple cloak in the cherry-0blossom combination, over deep violet gathered trousers of heavy brocade and white under-robes, and he had arranged the sleeves of his wonderfully glowing deep scarlet-purple damask cloak for display. The emperor was present, so His Excellency placed himself on the narrow veranda outside the door to converse.
- Inside the blinds, we gentlewomen sat with our cherry-blossom combination Chinese jackets worn draped loosely back from the shoulders. Our robes were a fine blend of wisteria and kerria-yellow and other seasonal combinations, the sleeves all spilling out on display below the blinds that hung from the little half-panel shutters.
- Suddenly, from the direction of the Imperial Day Chamber came the loud pounding of the attendants' feet as they arrived to deliver His Majesty's meal. The sound of the cry 'Make way!' reverberating through the scene of this gloriously serene spring day was utterly delightful. Then the Chamberlain arrived to report that he had delivered the last try and the meal was in place, and His Majesty departed by the central door.
- Korechika saw His Majesty on his way along the corridor, then returned to seat himself by the vase of blossoms once more. Her Majesty now moved aside her standing curtain and came out to the edge of the threshold near him to talk, and all those present were simply overcome with the sheer splendour of the scene. At this point Korechika languidly intoned the lines from the old poem:
- 'The months and years may pass,
but let this remain unchanging
as Mount Mimuro...
- - and most enchanting it was, for seeing her splendour we did indeed long for Her Majesty to continue just like this for a thousand years.
- No sooner had those in charge of serving the Emperor's meal called the men to remove the trays than His Majesty returned.
- Her Majesty now turned to me and asked me to grind some ink, but I was so agog at the scene before me that I could barely manage to keep the inkstick steady in its holder. Then Her Majesty proceeded to fold a piece of white paper, and said to us, 'Now I want each of you to write here the first ancient poem that springs to mind.'
- I turned for help to the Grand Counsellor, who was sitting just outside. 'What on earth can I write?' I begged him, but he only pushed the paper back to me, saying, 'Quick, write something down yourself for Her Majesty. It's not a man's place to give advice here.'
- Her Majesty provided us with the inkstone. 'Come on, come on,' she scolded, 'don't waste time racking your brains. Just quickly jot down any ancient poem that comes to you on the spur of the moment. Even something hackneyed will do.' I've no idea why we should have felt so daunted by the task, but we all found ourselves bushing deeply, and our minds went quite blank. Despite their protestations, some of the senior gentelwomen managed to produce tow or three poems on spring themes such as blossoms and so forth, and then my turn came. I wrote down the poem:
- With the passing years
My years grow old upon me
yet when I see
this lovely flower of spring
I forget age and time.
- but I changed 'flower of spring' to 'your face, my lady'.
- Her Majesty ran her eye over the poems, remarking, 'I just wanted to discover that was in your hearts, '
- 'In the time of Retired Emperor Enyu,' she went on, 'His Majesty ordered the senior courtiers each to write to write a poem in a bound notebook, but it proved fearfully difficult, and some of them begged to be excused from the task. The Emperor reassured them that it didn't matter whether their calligraphy was skilful or otherwise, nor whether the poem was appropriate to the occasion, and finally after a great deal of trouble they all managed to produce something. Our present Regent, who was Captain Third Rank at the time, wrote the following poem:
- "As the time that swells
in Izumo's Always Bay
so always and always
oh how my heart swells and fills
deep with love to think of you."
- but he changed the last line to read "deep with trust in you, my lord", and His Majesty was full of praise for him.'
- When I heard this, I felt a sudden swear break out all over me. I do think, though, that that poem of mine isn't the sort of thing a young person could have come up with. Even people who can usually turn out a fine poem found themselves for some reason at a loss that day, and several made mistakes in their writing.
- There was also the occasion when Her Majesty placed a bound book of Kokinshu poems in front of her, and proceeded to read out the opening lines of various poems and ask us to complete them. Why on earth did we keep stumbling over the answers, even for poems we'd engraved on our memories day in and day out? Saisho only managed about ten. Others cold produce only five or six, and really, you'd thing they could simply have admitted that they couldn't recall them. But no, they kept agonizing over the task. 'But we can't be so rude as to refuse point-blank to answer,' they wailed, 'when Her Majesty has been so good as to put the question to us', which I found rather amusing.
- Her Majesty then read out the complete poem for each of those that nobody had been able to answer, marking them with bookmark, and everyone groaned, 'Oh of course I knew that one! Why am I being so stupid today?' Some of us had copied out the Kokinshu many times, and should really have known it all by heart.
- 'As I'm sure you are all aware,' Her Majesty began, 'the lady known as the Senyoden Consort, High Consort in the reign of Emperor Murakami, was the daughter of the Minister of the Left, of the Smaller Palace of the First Ward. When she was still a girl, her father gave here the following advice: "First, you must study calligraphy. Next, you must determine to outshine everyone in your skill on the seven-string kin. And you must also make it your study to commit to memory all the poems in the twenty volumes of the Kokinshu,"
- 'Now the Emperor had learned of this, so one day, when he was kept from his usual duties by an abstinence, he took a copy of the Kokinshu to the High Consort's quarters, and set up a standing curtain between them. She found this unusual behaviour rather odd, and when he opened a book and began asking her to recite the poem that so-and-so had written o such-and-such a date and occasion, she was intrigued to realize what he was up to - though on the other hand, she would also have been dreadfully nervous that there might be some which she would forget or misquote. He called in two or three of his gentelwomen who were well-versed in poetry, and had them extract the answers from her, and keep count of her mistakes with go counters. It must have been a wonderful scene to witness. I do envy them all, even the people who were merely serving on this occasion.
- 'Well, he pressed her to go on answering, and she went through them making not a single mistake, though she cleverly gave just enough of each poem to show she knew it, and didn't try to complete them. His Majesty decided he would call a halt just as soon as she made a mistake, and as she went on and on he even began to get rather irritated, but they reached the tenth volume and still she hadn't made a single slip. 'This has been quite futile,' he finally declared, and he put a marker in the book and retired to another room to sleep. All very wonderful it was.
- 'When he awoke many hours later, he decided that I would never do to leave the matter hanging, and moreover it had better be done that day, since she might refresh her memory with another copy of the work if he left it till tomorrow. So he produced the remaining ten volumes, had the lamps lit and proceeded to work his way through the rest of the poems until long into the night. But she never made a single mistake.
- 'Meanwhile, word was sent to her father that the Emperor had returned to her quarters and that the test was continuing. The Minister flew into a panic with worry that she might fail the t est; he ordered numerous sutras to be said for her, while he placed himself facing he direction of the palace and spent the entire night in heartfelt prayer. Altogether a fascinating and moving story,' Her Majesty remarked in conclusion.
- His Majesty too heard the tale with admiration. 'I wouldn't be be able to manage more than three or four volumes myself,' he remarked. 'In the old days, even the most inconsequential people were impressive. You don't hear such stories these days, do you,' everyone agreed, and all the Empress's gentlewomen, and those who served the Emperor and were permitted to visit the Empress's quarters, gathered round and began talking. It was indeed a scene to fill the heart with ease and delight.
5. 清涼殿の丑寅のすみの [21]:
- 清涼殿の丑寅のすみの、北の隔てなる御障子は、荒海の絵、いきたるものどもの恐ろしげなる、手長･足長などをぞかきたる、上の御局の戸を押しあけたれば、常に目に見ゆるを、憎みなどして笑ふ。
- 匂欄のもとに青きかめのおおきなるを据ゑて、桜のいみじうおもしろき枝の五尺ばかりなるをいと多くさしたれば、匂欄の外まで咲きこぼれたる、昼つかた、大納言殿 [藤原伊周]、桜の直衣の少しなよらかなるに、濃き紫の固紋の指貫、白き御衣ども、上には濃き綾のいとあざやかなるを出だして参りたまへるに、上のこなたにおはしませば、戸口の前なる細き板敷にゐたまひて、物など申したまふ。
- 御簾の内に、女房、桜の唐衣どもくつろかに脱ぎたれて、ふぢ・やまぶきなどいろいろ好ましうてあまた小半蔀(こはじとみ)の御簾よりもおしいでたるほど、昼の御座のかたには、御膳参る足音高し。
- 警蹕(けいひち)など「おし」と言ふ声聞こゆるも、うらうらとのどかなる日のけしきなど、いみじうをかしきに、果ての御盤取りたる蔵人参りて、御膳奏すれば、中の戸より渡らせたまふ。
- 御供に廂より、大納言殿、御送りに参りたまひて、ありつる花のもとに帰りゐたまへり。宮の御前の御几帳押しやりて、長押のもとにいでさせたまへるなど、なにとなくただめでたきを、さぶらふ人も思ふことなきここちするに、
- 「月も日も変はりゆけども久にふる
三室の山の」
- といふ言を、いとゆるるかにうちいだしたまへる、いとをかしう覚ゆるにぞ、げに千歳もあらまほしき御ありさまなるや。
- 陪膳仕うまつる人の、をのこどもなど召すほどもなく渡らせたまひぬ。「御すずりの墨すれ」と仰せらるるに、目はそらにて、ただおはしますをのみ見奉れば、ほとど継ぎ目も放ちつべし。白き色紙おしたたみて、「これに、ただ今覚えむ古きこと一つづつ書け」と仰せらるる、外にゐたまへるに、「これはいかが」と申せば、「とう書きて参らせたまへ。をのこは言加へさぶらふべきにもあらず。」とて、さし入れたまへり。御すずり取りおろして、「とくとく、ただ思ひまはさで、難波津もなにも、ふと覚えむことを」と責めさせたまふに、などさは臆せしにか、すべて、面さへあかみてぞ思ひ乱るるや。
- 春の歌、花の心など、さ言ふ言ふも、上臈二つ三つばかり書きて、「これに」とあるに、
- 年ふればよはひは老いぬしかはあれど
花をし見れば物思ひもなし
- といふことを、「君をし見れば」と書きなしたる、御覧じ比べて、「ただこの心どものゆかしかりつるぞ」と仰せらるる。
- ついでに、「円融院[一条天皇の父]の御時に『草子に歌一つ書け』と、殿上人に仰せられければ、いみじう書きにくう、すまひ申す人々ありけるに、『さらにただ、手のあしさよさ、歌のをりに合はざらむも知らじ』と仰せらるれば、わびて皆書きける中に、ただ今の関白殿 [藤原道隆]、三位の中将と聞こえける時、
- 塩の満ついつもの浦のいつもいつも
君をば深く思ふはやわが
- といふ歌の末を、『頼むはやわが』と書きたまへりけるをなむ、いみじうめでさせたまひける」など仰せらるるにも、すずろに汗あゆるここちぞする。年若からむ人、はたさもえ書くまじきことのさまには、などぞ覚ゆる。例いとよく書く人も、あぢきなう皆つつまえて、書き汚しなどしたるあり。
- 古今の草子を御前に置かせたまひて、歌どもの本を仰せられて、「これが末いかに」と問はせたまふに、すべて、夜昼心にかかりて覚ゆるもあるが、け清う申し出でられぬはいかなるぞ。宰相の君ぞ[藤原重輔の娘]十ばかり、それも覚ゆるかは。まいて、五つ六つなどは、ただ覚えぬ由をぞ啓すべけれど、「さやはけにくく仰せごとをはえなうもてなすべき」と、わび口惜しがるもをかし。知ると申す人なきをば、やがて皆読み続けて、夾算せさせたまふを、「これはしりたることぞかし。などかうつたなうはあるぞ」と言は嘆く。中にも古今あまた書き写しなどする人は、皆も覚えぬべきことぞかし。
- 「村上の御時[天暦の治]に、宣耀殿の女御と聞こえけるは、小一条の左の大臣殿[藤原師尹]の御女におはしけると、たれかは知り奉らあらむ。まだ姫君と聞こえける時、父大臣の教へ聞こえたまひけることは『ひとつには御手を習ひたまへ。次には琴の御琴を、人よりことにひきまさらむとおぼせ、さては古今の歌二十巻を皆うかべさせたまふを御学問にはせたまへ』となむ聞こえたたまひける、と聞こしめしおきて、
- 御物忌みなりける日、古今をもて渡らせたまひて、御几帳を引き隔てさせたまひければ、女御、例ならずあやし、とおぼしけるに、草子を広げさせたまひて、『その月、何のをり、その人のよみたる歌はいかに』と問ひ聞こえさせたまふを、かうなりけり、と心得たまふもをかしきものの、ひが覚えをもし、忘れたる所もあらばいみじかるべきこと、とわりなうおぼし乱れぬべし。そのかたにおぼめかしからぬ人、二三人ばかり召し出でて、碁石して数おかせたまふとて、しひ聞こえさせたまひけむほどなど、いかにめでたうをかしかりけむ。御前にさぶらひけむ人さへこそうらやましけれ。
- せめて申させたまへば、さかしう、やがて末まではあらねども、すべて、つゆたがふことなかりけり。いかでなほ少しひがごと見つけてをやまむ、となたきまでにおぼしめしけるに、十巻にもなりぬ。『さらに不用なりけり』とて、御草子に夾算さして大殿ごもりぬるもまためでたしかし。ひと久しうありて起きさせたまへるに、
- 『なおはこのこと、勝ち負けなくてやませたまはず、いとわろし』とて、下の十巻を『あすにならば、ことをぞ見たまひあはする。』とて、『けふ定めてむ』と、大殿油参りて、夜ふくるまでよませたまひける。されど、つひに負け聞こえさせたまはずなりにけり。
- 上渡らせたまひて、『かかること』など、殿に申しに奉られたりければ、いみじうおぼし騒ぎて、御誦経などあまたせさせたまひて、そなたに向きてなむ念じ暮らしたまひける、すぎずきしうあはれなることなり」など語りいでさせたまふを、
- 上も聞こしめし、めでさせたまふ。「われは三巻四巻をだにえ見果てじ」と仰せらる。「昔はえせ者なども皆をかしうことありけれ。このごろは、かやうなることや聞こゆる」など、御前にさぶらふ人々、上の女房、こなた許されたるなど参りて、口々言ひいでなどしたるほどは、まことにつゆ思ふことなくめでたくぞ覚ゆる。
>Top 6. Dispiriting things: [22]
- A dog howling in the middle of the day. the sight in spring of a trap for catching winter fish. Robes in the plum-pink combination, when it's now the third or fourth month. An ox keeper whose ox has died. A birthing hut where the baby has died. A square brazier or a hearth with no fire lit in it. A scholar whose wife has a string of daughters. A household that doesn't treat you hospitably, though you're there because of a directional taboo - this is particularly dispiriting if it happens to be at one of the season changes.
- A letter from the provinces that arrives without any accompanying gift. You might say the same for a letter sent from inside the capital, but this would contain plenty of things you wanted to hear about and interesting news, which makes it a very fine thing to receive in fact. You might say the same for a letter sent from inside the capital, but this would contain plenty of things you wanted to hear about and interesting news, which makes it a very fine thing to receive in fact. You've taken special care to send off a beautiful, carefully written letter, and you're eagerly awaiting the reply - time passes, it s seems awfully long in coming, and then finally your own elegantly folded or knotted letter is brought back, now horribly soiled and crumpled and with no sign remaining of the brush stroke that sealed it. 'There was no one in', you're told, or "They couldn't accept it on account of abstinence." This is dreadfully dispiriting.
- A carriage is sent off to fetch someone you're sure is going to come. You wait, and finally there's the sound of the carriage returning. 'It must be her,' you think, and everyone in the house goes out to see - but the driver is already dragging the carriage back into tis shed. He drops the shafts with a noisy clatter. 'What happened?' you ask. 'She's going somewhere else today, so she won't be coming,' he replies offhandedly, then he hauls out the harness and off he goes.
- An exorcist priest comes to quell a spirit that has possessed a member of the household. With a confident air he hands the medium the rosary and the other paraphernalia to induce possession, and sets about his incarnations in a high, strained, cicada-0like chant. But there's no sign of the spirit shifting, and the medium fails to be possessed by the guardian Deity. Everyone who's gathered to pray, men and women both, begins to find this rather odd. The exorcist chants on until the change of watch two hours later, when he finally stops, exhausted. 'Get up,' he says to the medium as he retrieves the rosary. 'The spirit just won't budge', and running his hand back from his forehead over his bald head he declares, 'Oh dear, the exorcism was quite futile.' Whereupon he lets out a yawn, leans back against some nearby object and falls asleep. It's truly awful for him when someone not especially important comes over to him, though he's feeling dreadfully sleepy, and prods him awake and forces him into a conversation.
- Then there's the house of a man who has failed to receive a post in the recent Appointments List. Word had it that he was certain to get one this year, and all his former retainers, who have scattered far and wide or are now living off in the country-side somewhere, have gathered at his house in anticipation. His courtyard is crammed with the coming and going of their carriages and the tangle of their shafts; if he sets off on an excursion they all jostle to accompany him; and they eat, drink and clamour their way through the days as they wait - but as the last day dawns, there's still no knock at the gate. 'How odd,' they think, and as they sit straining to catch the sound, they hear the cries of the outriders as the court nobles emerge from the palace at the close of the Appointments ceremonies. The underlings who have spent a chilly night shivering outside the palace waiting to hear the news come trudging back dejectedly, and no one can even bring himself to ask them what happened. When some outsider inquires, 'What appointment did your master receive?' they always reply evasively, 'Oh, he's the former Governor of So-and-so.' All those who really rely on him feel quite devastated. As morning comes, a few among the people who've been packed in together waiting begin to creep stealthily away. Those who've been may years in his service, however, can't bring themselves to leave his side so lightly. It's terribly touching to see them weaving solemnly about as they pace the room, hopefully counting on their fingers the Provincial Governorships due to come to the end of their term the following year.
6. すさまじきもの [23]
- すさまじきもの。昼ほゆる犬。春の網代。三、四月の紅梅の衣。牛死にたる牛飼ひ。ちごなくなりたる産屋。火おこさぬ炭櫃・地火炉。博士のうちつづき女子生せたる。方違へに行きたるに、あるじせぬ所。まいて節分なのはいとすさまじ。
- 人の国よりおこせたる文の物なき。京のをもさこそ思ふらめ、されど、それはゆかしき事どもをも書き集め、世にあることなどをも聞けばいとよし。人のもとにわざと清げに書きてやりつる文の返りごと、今はもて来ぬらむかし、あやしうおそきと待つほどに、ありつる文、立て文をも結びたるをも、いときたなげにとりなしふくだめて、上に引きたりつる墨など消えて、「あおはしまさざりけり」もしは、「御物忌みとて取り入れず」と言ひてもて帰りたる、いとわびしくすさまじ。
- また、必ず来べき人のもとに車をやりて待つに、来る音すれば、さならりと人々出でてみるに、車宿りにさらに引きいれて、轅ほうとうちおろすを「いかにぞ」と問へば、「今日は外へおはしますとてわたりたまはず」などうち言ひて、牛の限り引き出でて往ぬる。
- 験者の怪調ずとて、いみじうしたり顔に独銛や数珠など持たせ、せみの声しぼりいだしてよみゐたれど、いささかもさりげもなく、護法もつかねば、集まりゐ念じたるに、男も女もあやしと思ふに、時のかはるまでよみ困じて、「さらにつかず。立ちね。」とて数珠をとり返して、「あな、いと験なしや。」とうち言ひて、額よりかみざまにさくり上げ、あくびおのれうちして寄りふしぬる。いみじうねぶたしと思ふに、いとしも覚えぬ人とのおしここしてせめて物言ふこそいみじうすさまじけれ。
- 除目に司得ぬ人の家。今年は必ずとききて、早うありし者どものほかほかなりつる、田舎だちたる所に住む者どもなど、みな集まり来て、いで入る車の轅もひまなく見え、ものまうでする供に、我も我もと参りつかうまつり、物食ひ、酒飲み、ののしりあへるに、果つる暁まで門たたく音もせず、あやしうなど、耳立てて聞けば、前駆追ふ声々などして、上達部などみないでたまひぬ。もの聞きに、宵より寒がりわななきをりける下衆男、いともの憂げに歩み来るを、見る者どもはえ問ひにだにも問はず。ほかより来る者などぞ、「とのは何にかならせたまひたる」など問ふに、いらへには、「何の前司にこそは」などぞ必ずいらふる。まことに頼みける者は、いと嘆かしと思へり。つとめてになりて、ひまなくをりつる者ども、一人二人すべりいでて往ぬ。古き者どもの、さもえ行き離るまじきは、来年の国々、手を折りてうち数へなどして、ゆるぎありきたるも、いとほしうすさまじげなり。
- すさまじき; 興ざめ
- 網代: 秋〜冬のもの
- 紅梅の衣: 襲の色目; 表紅、裏紫
- 節分: 立春、立夏、立秋、立冬
- おこす遣す=遠方からこちら; やる遣る=こちらから向こうへ
- もの: みやげもの
- ふくだめ: ボサボサにする
- 轅ながえ: 長柄
>Top 7. Things that make your heart beat fast: [26]
- Things that make your heart beat fast - A sparrow with nestlings. going past a place where tiny children are playing. Lighting some fine incense and then lying down alone to sleep. Looking into a Chinese mirror that's a little clouded. A fine gentleman pulls up in his carriage and sends in some request. To wash your hair, apply your makeup and put on clothes that are well-scented with incense. Even if you're somewhere where no one special will see you, you still feel a heady sense of pleasure inside. On a night when you're waiting for someone to come, there's a sudden gust of rain and something rattles in the wind, making your heart suddenly beat faster.
7. 心ときめきするもの [27]:
- 心ときめきするもの。雀の子飼ひ。稚児遊ばする所の前渡る。よき薫き物たきて、一人臥したる。唐鏡の少し暗き見たる。よき男の車とどめて、案内問はせたる。頭洗ひ、化粧じて、香ばしう染みたる衣など着たる。ことに見る人なき所にても、心のうちはなほいとをかし。待つ人などのある夜、雨の音、風の吹きゆるがすも、ふと驚かる。
>Top 8. Things that make you feel nostalgic: [27]
- Things that make you feel nostalgic - A dried sprig of aoi (certain herbaceous plant). Things children use in doll play. Coming across a torn scrap of lavender, or grape, coloured fabric crumpled between the pages of a bound book. On a rainy day when time hangs heavy, searching out an old letter that touched you deeply at the time you received it. Last year's summer fan.
8. 過ぎにし方恋しきもの [28]:
- 過ぎにし方恋しきもの。枯れたる葵(kuí)。雛あそびの調度。二藍、葡萄染などのさいでの、押しへされて、草紙の中にありける、見つけたる。また、折からあはれなりし人の文、雨など降り徒然なる日、探し出てたる。去年のかはほり。
- 二藍: 紅と青藍で染めたもの
- えびぞめ: 葡萄染: 浅い紫
- さい: 布の端切れ
- こうもり蝙蝠: 扇子
>Top 9. Flowering Trees: [34]
- Flowering trees - The best among blossoms is the red plum, whether light or dark in colour. As for the cherry, the blossoms should be on slender branches, the petals large and the leaves deeply coloured. Wisteria blossoms are particularly impressive when they hang long and graceful, with richly coloured flowers. Around the time of the new moon at the end of the fourth month or early in the fifth, the sight of the orange tree's very white blossoms set amongst the deep green of the leaves, seen in early morning rain, is extraordinarily moving. With its brilliant glowing fruit, like balls of gold nestled among the flowers, it's quite as impressive as a flowering cherry drenched with the dews of dawn. You need only recall its close association with the hototogisu (a little cuckoo) and there is really no need to sing it prises further.
- The blossoms of the pear tree are generally considered to be horrid things, and they aren't brought into people's proximity, nor even used in some passing way such as attached to letters. The pear is used as a comparison when referring to the sight of an unattractive face, and truly the whole appearance, including the colour of the leaves, lacks beauty and appeal - yet the pear blossom is held in the highest esteem in China, and appears in Chinese poetry, so there must be something to it after all. And indeed, if you take a careful and sympathetic look at it, you may notice that just at the tips of the petals there is the barest hit of a rather lovely lustre. Yes, when you recall that the weeping face of the beauty Yang Guifei, when she met the Emperor's messenger, is compared in the poem to the pear, where it says she is like 'a spray of pear blossom, swathed in the spring rain', you realize that this is after all a rather special flower; in fact it's really quite marvellous and incomparable.
- The flowers of the paulownia, being purple, are particularly delightful. The great size of its leaves is most unpleasant - but alter all, this tree shouldn't be spoken of int eh same breath as other trees, for it has quite a different air about it by virtue of being the only tree in which the fabulous bird of Chinese fame chooses to perch. Ad how could it be spoken of in common terms, since its wood is made into stringed instruments and give forth all those wonderful sounds? It's an absolutely marvellous tree, in fact.
- The melia is an ugly tree, but its flowers are lovely. They have an unusual, sere sort of blossom, and I do like the way they're always in bloom for the fifth day of the fifth month.
9. 木の花は [35]:
- 木の花は、濃きもうすきも紅梅(hóngméi)。桜(yīng) ははなびら大きに、葉の色濃きが、枝細くて咲きたる。藤(téng)の花は、しなひ長く色濃く咲きたる、いとめでたし。四月のつごもり、五月のついたちのころほひ、橘(jú)の葉の濃く青きに、花のいと白う咲きたるが、雨うち降りたるつとめてなどは、世になう心あるさまにをかし。花の中より黄金の玉かと見えて、いみじうあざやかに見えたるなど、朝露にぬれたる朝ぼらけの桜に劣らず。ほととぎすのよすがとさへ思へばにや、なほさらにいふべうもあらず。
- 梨(lí)の花、よにすさまじきものにして、近うもてなさず、はかなき文つけだにせず。愛敬おくれたる人の顔などを見ては、たとひに言ふも、げに葉の色よりはじめて、あいなく見ゆるを、もろこしには限りなきものにて、文にも作る、なほさりともやうあらむとせめて見れば、花びらのはしに、をかしき匂ひこそ心もとなうつきためれ。楊貴妃の、帝の御使ひにあひて泣きける顔に似せて、「梨花一枝、春、雨を帯びたり」など言ひたるは、おぼろげならじと思ふになほいみじうめでたきことは、たぐひあらじと覚えたり。
- 桐(tóng)の花、紫に咲きたるはなほをかしきに、葉の広ごりざまぞ、うたてこちたければ、異木どもとひとしう言ふべきにもあらず。唐土に名つきなる鳥の、選りてこれをのみゐるらむ、いみじう心ことなり。まいて琴に作りて、さまざまなる音のいでくるなどは、をかしなど世の常に言ふべくやはある、いみじうこそめでたけれ。
- 木のさまにくげなれど、あふちの花いとをかし。かれがれに、さまことに咲きて、必ず五月五日にあふもをかし。
- 桜: 当時の桜は葉が先に出る
- しなふ: しなやかに
- 五月まつ花橘の香をかげば昔の人の袖の香ぞする; 古今読人しらず
- つごもり: 月籠もり; 月末
- けさ来鳴きいまだ旅なる郭公花橘にはからむ
- 梨花一枝春は雨を帯びたり; 長恨歌
- 鳳凰
- 栴檀
- かれがれ: 枯れ枯れ; 離れ離れとも⇔逢ふ
>Top 10. Trees that have no flowers [37]:
- Trees that have no flowers - The maple, the Judas tree, the white pine. The Chinese hawthorn seems a rather unrefined tree, but it startles with its rich-coloured red leaves showing so unseasonably in the midst of the astonishing green, at a time when all the flowering tees have shed their blossom and everything is a uniform spring green. Nothing need be said on the subject of the spindle tee. It's not really worth including here, but the clinging vine is a quite pitiable plant. The sakaki is very lovely in the shrine dances in the Provisional Festivals. Many are the trees in this world, but this one is very special for having been born to be offered to the gods.
- Even in large stands of camphor trees, no other tree is mixed with them. It's quite creepy to imagine how all that thick dark growth must feel, but when you think of the way its 'thousand branches' are used in poetry to refer to the thousand tangled feelings of a lover's heart, it's rather fascinating, and you wonder who first counted the branches to come up with that expression.
- Thy cypress doesn't grow near human habitation, but the song's words 'this palace with its many roofbeams' make it rather interesting. It's also touching to recall how it supposedly imitates the sound of the rain in the fifth month. The maple has a pretty way of sending out little fresh leaves with reddened tips, all spreading in the same direction, and its frail flowers that look like dried insects are also sweet.
- You neither see nor hear of the asuwa cypress hereabouts, but the branches of it apparently brought back by people who have been on the Mitake pilgrimage look terribly coarse, and you wouldn't want to touch them. Still, I do wonder why someone gave it such a foolish promise of a name. It make me dearly wish to know who this person was trying to convince. The privet is not a tree that should be considered alongside others, but its tiny delicate leaves are nice. The melia. the mountain orange. the mountain pear. The chinquipin is interesting because it's the only one of all the evergreens that is spoken of in poetry as never changing its leaves.
- The white oak is the least familiar of all the trees that grow deep in the mountains. It only comes to people's attention when the formal cloaks of the second and third ranks are being dyed, and even then it's only the leaves that are considered, so it can't be treated in any way as an interesting or wonderful tree, but it's deeply moving to be reminded of Hitomaro's poem - about how this tree becomes difficult to distinguish in the heaped snow that falls 'nowhere and everywhere', and the god Susanoo's sojourn in the land of Izumo. Whether it be plants, trees, birds or insects, I can never be insensible to anything that on some occasion or other I have heard about and remembered because it moved or fascinated me.
- The leaves of the yuzuriha are glossy and hang in dense clusters, and it has very showy red stems, which make it rather vulgar but interesting. It's quite invisible for most of the year, but it's moving to consider how on the last day of the year it comes into its own, if it's true that its leaves are used for holding the food of the dead. On the other hand, it's apparently also used in serving the 'tooth-hardening' food or New Year, which prolongs life. And then there's the poem from who knows how long ago, 'when autumn reddens the yuzuriha', which gives such a feeling of security.
- The oak is a wonderful tree, and it's awe-inspiring to know that there's a god in it who protects its leaves. I find it fascinating that the various officers of the Gate Watch are given in name.
- It's nothing to look at, but the hemp-pal, has a Chinese feel that makes it look out of place in the gardens of common people.
10. 花の木ならぬは [38]:
- 花の木ならぬは、楓。桂。五葉。たそばの木、しななき心地すれど、花の木ども散り果てて、おしなべて緑になりにたる中に、時もわかず、濃き紅葉のつやめきて、思ひもかける青葉の中よりさし出てたる、めづらし。まゆみ、さらには言はず。その物となれど、宿り木といふ名、いとあはれなり。榊、臨時の祭の、御神楽のをりなど、いとをかし。世に木どもこそあれ、神の御前の物と生ひはじめるむも、とりわきてをかし。
- 楠の木は、木立おほかる所にも、ことにまじらひ立てらず。おどろおどろしき思ひやりなど疎ましきを千枝にわかれて、恋する人のためにに言はれたるこそ、誰かは数を知りて言ひはじめくむと思ふにをかしけれ。
- 檜の木、またけ近からぬ物なれど、「みつばよつばの殿づくり」もをかし。五月に雨の声まなぶらむも、あはれなり。楓の木の、ささやかなるに、もえ出でたる、葉末の赤みて、同じ方にひろごりたる葉のさま、花もいとものはかなげに、虫などの枯れたるに似てをかし。
- あすは檜の木、この世に近くも見え聞えず、御嶽に詣でて帰りたる人などの、持て来める、枝さしなどは、いと手触れにくげに荒くましけれど、何の心ありて、あすは檜の木とつけけむ。あぢきなきかねごとなりや。誰にたのめたるにかと思ふに、聞かまほしくをかし。ねずもちの木、人並み並みになるべきにもあらねど、葉のいみじうこまかに小さきが、をかしなり。あふちの木、山橘、山梨の木。椎の木、常盤木はいづれもあるを、それしも、葉がへせぬためしに言はれたるもをかし。
- 白樫といふものは、まいて深山木の中にもいとけ遠くて、三位二位のうへの衣染むるをりばかりこそ、葉をだに人の見るめれば、をかしき事、めでたき事にとり出づべくもあらねど、いづくともなく雪の降りおきたるに見まがへられ、須佐之男命、出雲国におはしける御事を思ひて、人麻呂がうよみたる歌などを思ふに、いみじくあはれなり。をりにつけても、一ふしあはれともをかしとも聞きおきつるものは、草、木、鳥、虫も、おろかにこそおぼえね。
- 譲り葉のいみじうふさやかにつやめき、茎はいと赤くきらきらしく見えたるこそ、あやしけれどをかし。なべての月には、見えぬものの、師走のつごもりのみ、時めきて、亡き人の食物に敷くものにやと、あはれなるに、また齢を延ぶる歯固めの具にももてつかひたるは。いかなる世か、「紅葉せむ世や」と言ひたるもたのもし。
- 柏木いとをかし。葉守りの神のいますらむをかしこし。兵衛督、佐、尉などいふもをかし。
- 姿なけれど、すろの木、唐めきて、わるき家の物とは見えず。
- 桜: 当時の桜は葉が先に出る
- しなふ: しなやかに
- 五月まつ花橘の香をかげば昔の人の袖の香ぞする; 古今読人しらず
- つごもり: 月籠もり; 月末
- けさ来鳴きいまだ旅なる郭公花橘にはからむ
- 梨花一枝春は雨を帯びたり; 長恨歌
- 鳳凰
- 栴檀
- かれがれ: 枯れ枯れ; 離れ離れとも⇔逢ふ
>Top 11. Birds: [38]
- Although it comes from another land, the parrot is a very touching bird. It apparently mimics things people say. Then there's hototogisu, the water-rail, the snipe, the oystercatcher, the siskin and the flycatcher.
- The mountain dove is a very pure-hearted and touching bird - they say it can be comforted by showing it a mirror when it's longing for its mate. It's heart-breaking to imagine how they feel when they sleep separated for the night by a ravine. The crane is a most ostentatious-looking bird, but there's a magnificence in the way its cry reaches the very heavens. The red-headed sparrow, the male grosbeak and the wren.
- The heron looks quite horrible. The look in its eye is unpleasant, and indeed there's absolutely nothing lovable about it, but on the other hand it's charing to recall how they vie with each other 'and will not sleep alone'. Among the water birds, the mandarin duck is very touching in the way, for instance, the pair will change places on cold nights to brush the frost from each other's wings. The plover too is very interesting bird.
- The uguisu (bush warbler) is made out to be a wonderful bird in Chinese poetry, and both its voice and its appearance are really so enchanting that it's very unseemly of it not to sing inside the grounds of our 'nine-fold palace'. People die tell me this was so but I couldn't believe it, yet during my ten years in the palace I did indeed never once hear it. This despite the fact that the palace is near bamboo groves and there are red plums, which would make it a fine place for a uguisu to come and go Yet if you go out, you'll hear one singing fit to burst in a nondescript plum tree in some owly garden. It doesn't sing at night, so it's obviously rather a sleepyhead, but there's no correcting this fault now, I'm afraid. In summer and right through to the en of autumn it maunders on and on in a wavery old voice, and lower sorts of people change its name to 'flycatcher', which I find quite unfortunate and ludicrous. Though ming you, I probably wouldn't feel so outraged if it was some everyday bird like the sparrow. No doubt I feel this way because the uguisu is so well-loved for the fact that it sings in spring - after all, it appears in Japanese and Chinese poetry with the charming association of 'the changing of the year'。How delightful it would be if it only sang in spring. Yet surely, in the wold of humans, no one goes out of their way to run down a person who hasn't really made it in the world, or whose reputation is already on the wane. And no one would pause to savour the sight or the sound of some boring bird such as a kite or a crow. So really, it's precisely because the uguisu is supposed to be such a marvellous bird that one's perversely more aware of its failings.
- You've gone to watch the Return of the High Priests after the Kamo Festival, and when you draw up your carriage by Urin'in or Chisokuin Temples, you hear a hototogisu singing with all the irrepressible feeling of this special occasion - then lo and behold, from deep in the high trees an uguisu joins in, in beautifully skillful imitation. It's marvellous to hear them chorusing away together.
- No words can suffice to express all the delights of the hototogisu. But though it will draw attention to itself by singing very self-importantly, it then has an annoying way of lurking deep among the leaves of a deutzia or orange tree and making itself virtually invisible. You wake during the brief nights of the rainy season and lie there waiting, determined to be the first to hear the bird - then suddenly your heart is utterly transported with delight, as that dear, exquisite voice comes ringing through the darkness.
- Everything that cries in the night is wonderful. With the exception, of course, of babies.
11. 鳥は [39]:
- 鳥は、こと所のものなれど、鸚鵡(yīngwǔ)、いとあはれなり。人のいふらむことをまねぶらむよ。ほととぎす。くひな。しぎ。都鳥。ひわ。ひたき。
- 山鳥、友を恋ひて、鏡を見すればなぐさむらむ、心若う、いとあはれなり。谷へだてたるほどなど、心ぐるし。鶴(hè)は、いとこちたきさまなれど、鳴く声、雲井まで聞こゆる、いとめでたし。かしら赤き雀。斑鳩の雄鳥。たくみ鳥。
- 鷺(lù)は、いとみめも見ぐるし。なかこゐなども、うたてよろづになつかしからねど、ゆるるぎの森に一人は寝じとあらそふらむ、をかし。水鳥、鴛鴦(yuaānyāng) いとあはれなり。かたみにゐかはりて、羽の上の霜はらふらむほどなど。千鳥、いとをかし。
- 鶯(yīng)は、文などにも、めでたきものに作り、声よりはじめて、さまかたちも、さばかりあてにうつくしきほどよりは、九重のうちに鳴かぬぞいとわろき。人の「さなむある」といひしを、さしもあらじと思ひしに、十年ばかあいさぶらいひて聞きしに、まことにさらに音せざりき。さるは、竹近き紅梅も、いとよくかよひぬべきたよりなりかし。まかでて聞けば、あやしき家の見所もなき梅の木などには、かしかましきまでぞ鳴く。夜鳴かぬもいぎたなき心地すれども、今はいかがせむ。夏・秋の末まで老い声に鳴きて、「むしくひ」など、ようもあらぬ者は、なをつけかへていふぞ、口惜しく、くすしき心地する。それもだ雀(qiāo)などのやうにつねにある鳥ならば、さもあぼゆまじ。春鳴くゆゑこそはあらめ。「年たちかへる」など、をかしき事に、歌にも文にも作るなるは。なほ春のうちならましかば、いかにをかしからまし。人をも、人げなう、世のおぼえ、あなづらはしうなりそめにたるをば、そしりやはする。鳶(yuān)・烏(wū)などの上は、見入れ聞き入れなどする人、世になしかし。されば、いみじかるべきものとなりたればと思ふに、心ゆかぬ心地するなり。
- 祭のかへさ見るとて、雲林院・知足院などの前に車を立てたれば、ほととぎすもしのばぬにはあらむ、鳴くに、いとようまねび似せて、木高き木どものなかに、もろ声になきたるこそ、さすがにをかしけれ。
- ほととぎす(杜鹃dùjuān)は、なほさらにいふべき方なし。いつしかしたり顔にも聞こえたるに、卯の花・花橘などにやどりをして、はたかくれたるも、ねたげなる心ばへなり。五月雨の短き夜に寝覚めをして、いかで人より先に聞かむと待たれて、夜深くうち出でたる声の、らうらうじう愛敬づきたる、いみじう心あくがれ、せむ方なし。六月になりぬれば、音もせずなりぬる、すべていふもおろかなり。
- 夜鳴くもの、なにもなにもめでたし。ちごどものみぞさしもなき。
>Top 12. Refined and elegant things: [39]
- Refined and elegant things - A girl's over-robe of white on white over ale violet-grey. The eggs of the spot-billed duck. Shaved ice with a sweet syrup, served in a shiny new metal bowl. A crystal rosary. Wisteria flowers. Snow on plum blossoms. An adorable little child eating strawberries.
12. あてなるもの [40]:
- あてなるもの。薄色に白襲(いらがさね)の汗袗(かざみ) 。雁の子。削り氷のあまづらに入れて、新しきかなまりに入りたる。水晶の数珠。藤の花。梅の花に雪の降りかかりたる。いみじる美しき児の、いちごなど食ひたる。
>Top 13. Insects: [40]
- The bell cricket. The Cicada. Butterflies. Crickets. Grasshoppers. Water-weed shrimps, Mayflies. Fireflies.
- The bagworm is a very touching creature. It's a demon's child, and the mother fears it must have the same terrible nature as its parents, so she dresses it in ragged clothes and tells it to wait until she returns for it when the autumn wind blows. The poor little thing doesn't realize that its mother has deserted it, and when it hears the autumn winds begin in the eighth month, it sets up a pitiable little tremulous cry for her.
- The snap-beetle is also touching. Though it's a mere insect, it has apparently dedicated itself to the Buddhist Way, for it continually touches its forehead to the ground in prayer as it walks along. It's fascinating the way you find it wandering about in astonishingly dark places, making that clicking sound.
- Nothing is more unlovely than a fly, and it properly belongs in the list of infuriating things. Flies aren't big enough to make them worth bothering to hate, but just the way they settle all over everything in autumn, and their damp little feet when they land on your face ... And I hate the way the word is used in people's names.
- Summer insects are quite enchanting things. I love the way they'll fly round above a book when you've drawn the lamp up close to look at some tale. Ants are rather horrible, but they're wonderfully light creatures, and it's intriguing to see one running about over the surface of the water.
13. 虫は [41]:
- 虫は、鈴虫。蜩。蝶。松虫。きりぎりす。はたおり。われから。ひをむし。蛍。蓑虫、いとあはれなり。鬼の生みたりければ、親に似て、これもおそろしき心あらむとて、親のあやしき衣ひき着せて、「いま秋風吹かむをりぞ来むとする。待てよ」と言ひおきて、逃げていにけるも知らず、風の音を聞き知りて、八月ばからいになれば、「ちちよ、ちちよ」とはかなげに鳴く。いみじうあはれなり。
- 額づき虫、またあはれなり。さる心地に道心おこして、つきありくらむよ。思ひかげず暗き所などにほとめきありきたるこそをかしけれ。
- 蝿にこそにくき物のうちに入れつべく、愛敬なきものはあれ。人々しうかたきなどにすべき物のおほきさにはあらねど、秋などたくぁよろづの物にゐ、顔などに濡れ足してゐるなどよ。人の名につきたる、いとうとまし。
- 夏虫、いとをかしうらうたげなり。火近う取り寄せて物語など見るに、草子の上など飛びありくい、いとをかし。蟻はいとにくけれど、かろびいみじうて、水の上などをただ歩みに歩みありくこそをかしけれ。
- きりぎりす: コオロギ
- はたおり: キリギリス
- ひとむし：カゲロウ
- 生む: 生ませる
- ちち: 乳よ乳よ
- 人の名: 蝿伊呂泥はへいろね
- かろび: 軽び
>Top 14. In the seventh month when the wind blows hard: [41]
- In the seventh month when the wind blows hard and the rain is beating down, and your fan lies forgotten because of the sudden coolness in the air, it's delightful to take a midday nap snuggled up under a lightly padded kimono that gives off a faint whiff of perspiration.
14. 七月ばかりに、風いたう吹きて [42]:
- 七月ばかりに、風のいたう吹きて、雨などさわがしき日、おほかたいと涼しければ、扇もうち忘れたるに、汗の香少しかかへたる綿衣の薄きをいとよく引き着て、昼寝したるこそ、をかしけれ。
>Top 15. Unsuitable things: [42]
- Unsuitable things - Snow falling on the houses of the common people. Moonlight shining into such houses is also a great shame. So is meeting with a plain roofless ox cart on a moonlit night, or seeing a cart of this sort being drawn by an auburn-cloured ox.
- An ageing woman who is pregnant. It's disguising when she has a young husband, and even worse when she's in a temper over his going off to another woman.
- An old man who's nodding off, or a heavily beard old fellow popping nuts int his mouth. A toothless crone screwing up her face as she eats sour plums.
- A commoner wearing crimson skirted trousers These days you seem to see them wherever you look.
- The sight of the Deputy of the Gate Watch on night patrol. It's also unpleasant to see him dressed in informal hunting costume. That official red cloak that so frightens people is a fearsomely pretentious things. He's roundly despised, too, if anyone catches sight of him loitering near the ladies
- quarters. 'There could be someone suspicious in here,' he blusters, as he steps inside and settles down. And the way he'll sling his skirted trousers over the room's incense-perfumed standing curtain is simply beyond belief.
- It looks terrible when a handsome nobleman is a Board of Censors Officer. It was most unfortunate, for example, when Captain Yorisada held the position.
15. にげなきもの [43]:
- にげなきもの、下衆の家に雪の降りたる。まが、月のさし入りたるもくちをし。月の明かきに屋形なき車のあひたる。また、さる車にあめ牛かけたる。また老いたる女の、腹高くてありく。若き男もちたるだに見苦しきに、こと人のもとに行きたるとて腹たつよ。老いたる男の寝まどひたる。また、さように髭がちなる者の椎つみたる。歯もなき女の梅食ひて酸がりたる。下衆の、紅の袴着たる。このごろは、それのみあめる。
- ゆげ負佐の夜行姿。狩衣姿もいとあやしげなり。人におぢらるるうへの衣は、おどろおどろし。立ちさまよふも、見つけてあなづらはし。「嫌疑の者やある」と、とがむ。入りゐて空薫物のしみたる几帳に、うちかけたる袴など、いみじうたづきなし。
- かたちよき君達の、弾正の弼にておはする、いと見苦し。宮の中将などのさもくちをしかりしかな。
- にげなき: 不釣り合いなもの
- あめ牛: 飴色の牛
- 腹たかく: 妊婦
- たづきなし: てがかりがない
- 源頼定、弾正大弼
>Top 16. Horses: [47]
- Horses - In horses, very black ones with just a little white somewhere are special. Also those with chestnut markings, specked greys, strawberry roans with very white manes and tails - the expression 'wand paper-white' is indeed an appropriate one here.
- Black horses with four white feet are also charming.
16. 馬は [48]:
- 馬は、いと黒きが、ただいささか白き所などある。紫の紋つきたる。蘆毛。薄紅梅の毛にて、髪、尾などいと白き。げに木綿髪ともいひつべし。黒きが、蘆四つ白きも、いとをかし。
- 紫の紋つきたる蘆毛 あしげ
- 蘆毛: 白毛に黒･濃褐色が混じった毛
- ゆふかみ 木綿髪:
>Top 17. Oxen: [48]
- Oxen - An ox should have a tiny splash of white on its forehead, and the underbelly, legs and tail should all be white.
17. 牛は [49]:
- 牛は、額はいと小さく白みたるが、腹の下、足、尾野筋などはやがて白き。
>Top 18. Cats: [49]
- Cats should be completely black except for the belly, which should be very white.
18. 猫は [50]:
- 猫は、上のかぎり黒くて、腹いと白き。
>Top 19. Carriage runners and escort guards: [50]
- Carriage runners and escort guards should be trim, slightly on the thin side. This how serving men in general ought to be, especially when they're young. Very fat ones look as though they're half-asleep on their feet.
19. 雑色、随身は [51]:
- 雑色、随身は、すこしやせてほそやかなるぞよき。男は、なほ若きほどは、さる方なるぞよき。いたく肥えたるは、いねぶたからむと見ゆ。
- 雑色: 雑役の無位の職
- 随身ずいじん: 近衛府の侍
>Top 20. Waterfalls: [58]
- Waterfalls - Otonashi Falls. Furu Falls. It's moving to recall that the Cloistered Emperor once paid a visit there. Nachi Falls. I gather these are in Kumano. I find the thought of them very moving. Todoroki Falls. They must indeed thunder quite fearfully.
20. 滝は [59]:
- 滝は、音無の滝。布留の滝は、法皇の御覧じにおはしましけむこそめでたけれ。那智の滝は、熊野にありと聞くがあはれなるなり。轟の滝は、いかにかしがましくおそろしからむ。
- 和歌山県、京都市; 滝の音が聞こえない矛盾
- 奈良県天理市
- 和歌山県にある
- 熊野権現
- 音無の滝との対比
>Top 21. Rivers: [59]
- Rivers -Asuka River. It's moving to wonder how its deeps and shallows can shift as the poem says. Oi River, Otonashi River, Nanase River. Mimito River - I enjoy wondering just what sound its quick ear caught. Tamahoshi River, Hosotani River. Itsunuki River and Sawada River are reminiscent of old sailboard songs. Natori River - I'd like to know just what sort of 'name' it had. Yoshino River. the Plain of Amano River - I love that poem of Narihira's where he 'begs shelter form the Heavenly Weaving Maid'.
21. 河は [60]:
- 河は、飛鳥川。淵瀬も定めなく、いかならむと、あはれなり。大井川。音無川。七瀬川。耳敏川、またも何事をさくじり聞きけむと、をかし。玉星川。細谷川。五貫川、沢田川などは、催馬楽などの思ははするなるべし。名取川、いかなる名を取りたるたらむと、聞かまほし。吉野川。天の河原、「七夕つ女に宿借らむ」と、業平が詠みたるも、をかし。
- 世の中はなにか常なるあすか河昨日の淵ぞ今日は瀬になる、古今読人しらず
- 大堰川; 嵐山の麓を流れる
- 君恋ふと人知れねばや紀の国の音無し川の音だにもせぬ; 古今
- 京都を流れる
- ももしきの大宮近き耳敏川流れて君を聞きわたるかな; 古今; 耳が早いの意
- 陸奥の玉星川のたまさかに流れあふ瀬やあるとこそ待て; 夫木抄, 読人しらず
- まかねふく吉備の中山帯にせる細谷川の音のさやけさ; 古今
- =糸貫川; 岐阜市
- 沢田川袖つくばかりや浅けれど...
- 陸奥にありといふなる名取河なき名とりては苦しかりけり; 古今; 壬生忠
- 奈良県を流れる
- 狩り暮したなばたつめに宿からむ
天の河原に我は来にけれ, 在原業平
>Top 22. I do wish men: [60]
- I do wish men, when they're taking their leave from a lady at dawn, wouldn't insist on adjusting their clothes to a nicety, or fussily trying their lacquered cap securely into place. After all, who would laugh at a man or criticize him if they happened to catch sight of him on his way home from an assignation in fearful disarray, with his cloak or hunting costume all awry?
- One does want a lover's dawn departure to be tasteful. There he lies, reluctant to move, so that she has to press him to rise. 'Come on, it's past dawn,' she urges 'How shocking you are!' and his sighs reassure her that he really hasn't yet had his fill of love, and is sunk in gloom at the thought that he must leave. He sits up, but rather than proceeding to put on his gathered trousers he instead snuggles up to her and whispers a few more words from the night's intimacies; then there's a bit more vague activity, and somehow in the process his belt turns out to have been tied. Now he raises the lattice shutter an draws her out with him to the double doors, where he finally slips away, leaving her with assurances that he'll spend the day longing for their next meeting. She sits there watching as his firer disappears, filled with delightful memories.
- Then there's the man who suddenly remembers he has someone else to call on, leaps up briskly and starts flapping about getting himself ready to depart. There's rustle and a swish as he fastens the waist-strings of his trousers, then he rolls up the sleeves of his cloak or hunting costume and thrusts his arms in, tugs the belt good and tight, and next where's the sound of him kneeling down and settling his lacquered cap on his head, with a sharp tug to the strings to tighten the knot firmly. He's left his fan and wad of folded paper by the pillow overnight, and naturally the paper's all got scattered so now he must conduct a search for it - but the darkness prevents him from seeing, so there he is , noisily patting around here and there on the floor, muttering 'Where is it? Where's it go to?' till at last he finds it all, Now he flips open the fan and flaps it boisterously, tucks the paper into the bosom of his clothes, and with a brief 'Well, I'll be off then', out he goes.
22. 暁に帰らむ人は [61]:
- 暁に帰らむ人は、装束などいみじううるはしう、烏帽子の緒元結かためずともありなむとこそおぼゆれ。いみじくしどけなく、かたくなしく、直衣、狩衣などゆがめたりとも、誰か見敷いて笑ひそしりもせむ。
- 人はなほ、暁の有様こそ、をかしうもあるべけれ。わりなくしぶしぶに、起きがたけなるを、強ひてそそのかし、「明け過ぎぬ。あな見苦し」など言はれて、うち嘆く気色も、げに飽かずもの憂くもあらむかし、と見ゆ。
- 指貫なども、居ながら着もやらず、まづさし寄りて、夜言ひつることの名残、女の耳に言い入れて、なにわざすともなきやうなれど、帯など結ふやうなり。格子押し上げ、妻戸ある所は、やがてもろともに率て行きて、昼のほどのおぼつかなからむことなんども言ひ出でにすべり出でなむは、見送られて、名残もをかしかりなむ。
- 思ひいで所ありて、いときはやかに起きて、ひろめきたちて、指貫の腰こそこそとかはは結ひ、直衣、袍、狩衣も、袖かいまくりて、よろづさし入れ、帯いとしたたかに結ひ果てて、つい居て、烏帽子の緒、きと強げに結ひ入れて、かいすふる音して、扇、畳紙など、昨夜枕上に置きしかど、おのづから引かれ散りにけるを求むるに、暗ければ、いかでかは見えむ、「いづら、いづら」と叩きわたし、見いでて、扇ふたふたと使ひ、懐紙さし入れて、「まかりなむ」とばかりこそ言ふらめ。
>Top 23. Rare things: [71]
- Rare things - A son-in-law who's praised by his wife's father. Likewise, a wife who's loved by her mother-in-law. A pair of silver tweezers that can actually pull out hairs properly. A retainer who doesn't speak ill of his master. A person who is without a single quirk. Someone who's superior in both appearance and character, and who's remained utterly blameless throughout his long dealings with the world. You never find an instance of two people living together who continue to be overawed by each other's excellence and always treat each other with scrupulous care and respect, so such a relationship is obviously a great rarity.
- Copying out a tale or a volume of poems without smearing any ink on the book you're copying from. if you're copying it from some beautiful bound book, you try to take immense care, but somehow you always manage to get ink on it. Two women, let alone a man and a woman, who vow themselves to each other forever, and actually manage to remain on good terms to the end.
23. ありがたきもの [72]:
- ありがたきもの、舅にほめらるる婿。また姑に思はるる嫁の君。毛のよく抜くる銀の毛抜。主そしらぬ従者。つゆのくせなき。かたち・心・ありさますぐれ、世に経る程、いささかのきずなき。同じ所に住む人の、かたみに恥ぢかはし、いささかのひまなく用意したりと思ふが、つひに見えぬこそ難けれ。
- 物語・集など書き写すに、本に墨つけぬ。よき草子などは、いみじう心して書けど、必ずこそ汚げになるめれ。男・女をば言はじ、女どちも、契り深くて語らふ人の、末まで仲よき人難し。
>Top 24. Startling and disconcerting things: [92]
- Startling and disconcerting things - The way you feel when an ornamental comb that you're in the process of polishing happens to bump against something and suddenly snaps.
- An ox cart that's overturned. You've assumed that something of such enormous bulk must of course be thoroughly stable, and you're simply stunned to see it lying there, and deeply disconcerted.
- Someone bluntly saying things that are embarrassing and unpleasant for the other person. It's horribly startling and disconcerting to stay up all night waiting, certain that someone will come, then finally begins to give up thought of him as dawn breaks, and drift off to sleep - only to wake with a start when a crow caws suddenly just outside, and discover that it's broad daylight.
- Someone with a letter that 's to be delivered elsewhere shows it to a person who shouldn't see it. Someone pins you down and commences laying down the law about something that means absolutely nothing to you, without your being able to get a word in edgeways. Spilling something is always very startling and disconcerting.
24. あさましきもの [93]:
- あさましきもの。指櫛(さしぐし)すりて磨くほどに、物に突きさへて折れたる心地。
- 車のうち返りたる。さるおほのかなる物は、所せくやあらむと思ひしに、ただ夢の心地して、あさましうあへなし。
- ひとのために恥づかしうあしき事、つつみもなくいひいたる。かならず来なむと思ふ人を、夜一夜起き明かし待ちて、暁がたに、いささかうち忘れて寝入りにけるを、烏のいと近く、かかと鳴くに、うち見あげたれば、昼になりにける、いみじうあさまし。
- 見すまじき人に、ほかへ持て行く文見せたる。むげに知らず見ぬことを、人のさし向かひて、争はすべくもあらず言ひたる。ものうちこぼしたる心地、いとあさまし。
>Top 25. At the time of the Abstinence and Prayer of the fifth month: [94]
- At the time of the Abstinence and Prayer of the fifth month, when Her Majesty was residing at the Office of the Empress's Household, the space between the pillars in front of the Retreat Room was made over for use as a prayer area, which gave it quite a special fee.
- It had been overcast and tending to rain since the first day of the month. Some of us were sitting about a t a loose end, when I came up with the suggestion that it would be fun to go off on an expedition to hear the hototogisu (a little cuckoo). The others immediately leapt at the idea, so the outing was organized.
- Someone said that the hototogisu could be heard at the place called Something Point beyond the Kamo Shrine, with a name a bit like the bridge of the Tanabata story but not as pleasant. Someone else, however, maintained that it wasn't hototogisu but cicadas.
- Anyway, we decided to got there. On the morning of the fifth day we ordered on e of the officials to prepare a carriage. Since it was raining, we decided no one would object if we had it brought round to the streps for us via the northern guard gate, and four of us duly got in. The others were filled with envy and demanded that another carriage be ordered for them, but Her Majesty wouldn't hear of it, and off we went, heartlessly ignoring all their pleas.
- The was a noisy crowd of people up by the Riding Ground. 'What's going on?' we asked, and were informed that it was the main event of the mounted archery competitions. 'Please be so good as to stay and observe a little,' they urged us, so we halted the carriage to watch.
- We were told that everyone was there, from the Captain of the Left Palace Guards down, but there was no sign of them. Various low-ranking officials were standing there and there or wandering about. 'How boring,' we said. 'Quick, let's move on', and we went smartly on our way.
- The scene along the road we traveled was delightfully reminiscent of the Kamo Festival. The house of Lord Akinobu lay along this way, and we decided to take the opportunity to have a look at it, so we drew up our carriage and alighted. It was in the rustic style, bare and simple, and there was a deliberately old-fashioned air about it, with its standing screens illustrated with horses, its sliding doors of wicker-weave and its burr-reed blinds. The building itself, too, had a provisional feel to it. It was long and narrow, rather like a corridor, quite lacking in depth though charming for all that. And as for the hototogisu, they were indeed calling back and forth, so loudly in fact that they made almost too much of a din for comfort. We did feel sorry then that her majesty wasn't there to hear them, nor the others who'd so wanted to come with us.
- Our host declared that since we were in the country we must see some country things. He produced a bundle of something called 'rich heads', and called in some girls from nearby houses, lowly folk but quite neat and presentable, and got five or six of them to thresh the rice for us. Two of them also demonstrated some unfamiliar machine that revolved, singing as they worked it. We laughed with pleasure at how new and strange everything was, and all these distractions quite dispelled any thought of composing our hototogisu poems.
- Food and provided for us on meal-stands such as you see in Chinese paintings, but none of us was inclined to eat. 'It's rough country fare, I grant you,' Load Akinobu said apologetically, 'but I've found the visitors from the capital generally tend to clamour for dishes of this and that till the host is longing to escape. It's most uncharacteristic for guests to fail to touch their food like this', and he coaxed us along by pointing out that he himself had plucked the little fern shoots we were served.
- 'But how can we eat lined up here like so many maids before the table' I teased him - to which he replied, 'If that's the case, you should take the dishes down off the stands. Ladies of your station would be used to the face-down pose, no doubt.'
- In the midst of all this jollity and hospitality, a servant came in to report that it had begun to rain, and we hastened back to the carriage. 'Now's the time to compose our poems,' someone suggested, but I said, 'Oh, we might as well wait till we're on the road', and we all climbed in.
- Noticing masses of white deutzia blossom along the way, we got out men to pick great sprays of it, and threaded all the blinds and sides of the carriage with flowers, and thatched the roof and ridgepole with long stems of it, till the whole carriage looked just like a hedge of flowering deutzia attached to an ox. The men were full of laughter as they helped each other poke more sprays in here and there, with cries of 'There's a gap here!' 'And here's another!'
- We were hoping to meet some people along the way, but to our great disappointment all we came across was the odd worthless commoner and a lower priest or two. 'We really can't end the expedition like this,' I said as we were nearing the palace. 'We must at least make sure the story of this carriage of ours get told', so we stopped at the Ichijo mansion and sent a messenger to ask of Adviser Kiminobu was there, and to say that we'd just returned from hearing the hototogisu. 'I am on my way,' came his reply. 'Please wait, dear ladies.' The messenger added that they'd been lounging informally int eh retainers' quarters, but had leapt up and was hastening into his gathered trousers to greet us.
- We decided it wasn't really worth waiting, and off we went again - but as we were heading towards the Tsuchi Gate, Kiminobu came dashing up behind us crying 'Wait! Wait!', having somehow scrambled into his court clothes and still fastening his waist sash as he rand down the road. With him came three or four retainers, rushing along in bare feet. 'Quick!' we cried, urging our carriage as fast as it could got, but just as we reached the gate he arrived beside us, grasping heavily.
- He roared with laughter ant the sight of our carriage. 'This doesn't look like anything you'd find mere mortals riding in!' he exclaimed. 'Please come out and show yourselves.' The others who'd arrived with him were all highly amused too.
- 'Where are your poems? Come on, let's hear them,' he then demanded. 'Wail till we've told them to Her Majesty,' we replied and as we spoke it suddenly ban to rain in earnest. It's time like this,' Kiminobu complained 'when I particularly resent that fact that for some reason they build this gate without a roof, unlike all the others. But how can I go home now?' he continued. 'My only thought when I came running was whether I could catch you. I didn't pause to wonder about who might see me.. Still, I can't go any further looking like this ... 'Oh come on,' we cried. 'Come to the palace.' 'But how can I, wearing my lacquered cap?' 'Send someone to fetch your formal wear, the,' we suggested.
- It now began to absolutely pour, and our men, who had no rain-hats to shelter under, urged the ox along into the palace grounds as fast as it would go. Resigning himself, Kiminobu opened the umbrella that had been fetched from home for him, and turned and made his slow and dejected way back to the Ichijo mansion, turning constantly to look behind him as he went - a very different sight form when he had arrived. It was charming to watch him trailing mournfully along, in his hand a token spray of deutzia blossom plucked from our carriage.
- When we arrive back, Her Majesty asked what we'd seen. Everyone who'd wanted to come with us listened to our tale with expressions of envy and woe, but they all laughed when we got to the story of how Adviser Kiminobu had run along pursuing us down Ichijo Avenue.
- 'Well then, what of your poems?' Her Majesty inquired, and when we confessed our story, she said, 'This is a great shame. How will it be when the senior courtier ask to hear what you composed, and you have nothing all of interest to show them? If only you'd make your poems then and there, wen you heard the hototogisu. Your were obviously too constrained by wanting to create something pedantically correct. Well, you mus compose them now. I quite despair of you all!"
- This was all perfectly true, and we felt miserable. We were busy discussing what our poems should be, when a poem on the theme of his token spray of deutzia blossom arrived from Adviser Kiminobu, written on thin paper coloured in the detzia combination - I can't now recall the poem. this required an immediate reply, so we sent someone to fetch an inkstone from our rooms.
- 'Here, just use this and write your reply quickly,' Her Majesty said, passing us paper and writing implements on the lid of her own writing box. 'Saisho, you must write it,' I said. 'No, it has to be you,' said she, and as we were negotiating back and forth, the sky suddenly grew dark and the rain began to pour down, and then there was a terrible clap of thunder. We were beside ourselves with terror, and rushed about lowering the shatters, and so all thought of composing a reply quite slipped our minds.
- The thunder continued for a very long time, and by the time the storm was finally drawing to tis end, it was dark. No sooner had we all last sat down to see the reply to Kiminobu's poem than a number of people, including some court nobles, arrived to ask how we'd fared with thunderstorm, so we move out to the western aisle room to talk with them, and the poem was again forgotten. Then finally one of the others declared that it was the person to whom the poem was addressed who should make the reply, there the matter ended. It was ll very depressing - today really dis seem a day of bad karma for poetry. 'Well then, let's not even let it be known that we went off like that on the expedition today,' we decided with a laugh. 'Surely all of you who went could manage to create something together,' said Her Majesty, looking charmingly cross. 'Or is it that you're simply no inclined even to try?" 'But the whole thing has become a bore by now,' I replied. 'Good heaves, how can it be a bore!' exclaimed Her Majesty, but the matter was nevertheless left at that.
- Two days later, we were discussing the excursion when Her Majesty overheard Saisho asking me, 'What did you think of those little fern shoots that he said he'd plucked himself?' 'So that 's the sort of thing you recall, is it?' she said with a laugh, and seizing a stray piece of paper that was lying nearby, she wrote,
- It was the l little fern shoots
that I longingly recalled.
- 'Now make the first part of the poem,' she instructed me. I was delighted, and wrote,
- I went in search
of the hototogisu's song
but rather than that voice ...
- 'Well, you have fine nerve I must say!' said Her Majesty with a smile when she saw it. 'Why do you make this a poem on the subject of the hototogisu, only to belittle it like this?' Embarrassed, I threw myself into my self-defense. 'But it was never my intention to write this poem in the first place!' I declared. 'Whenever there's an occasion when people are composing, and Your Majesty instruct me to make a poem, my only impulse is to flee. Not that I don't understand the rules of syllable count, or that I make winter poems in spring, or write about plum blossom or cherry blossom in autumn, or anything of that sort. But after all, I come from a line of people with a name for good poetry, so I'd like it to be said that my poems are a bit better than the average. When I compose something, I want people to say later, " This was a particularly impressive poem composed on that occasion -just what you'd expect, consider her forebears." It's an offence to my late father's name, to fancy myself as a poet and put myself forward to make some plausible-sounding poem, when in fact what I write has nothing special to recommend it at all.'
- Her Majesty smiled and replied, 'Well, if that's how you feel, we shall leave it up to you, and not demand hat you compose anything.' 'This is a huge relief to me,' I replied gratefully. 'I won't worry myself over composing any more, then.'
This conversation took place at the time of the Tree Worms Night. Palace Minister Korechika was engrossed in making elaborate plans for the event.
- Late that night, a poetry topic was announced, and we ladies were asked to compose on it. Tension was thick in the air as everyone set about the agonizing business of bringing forth a poem, but I meanwhile settle down near Her Majesty and engaged her in conversation on quite different matters. Observing this, His Excellency Korechika said tersely, 'Why aren't you over there with everyone else composing your poem? Here, take the topic and set to work', and he handed it to me. 'The reason I'm not thinking of my poem,' I calmly replied, 'is that Her Majesty has told me that I don't need to, so I have chose not to compose one.' 'This is very peculiar,' His Excellency said. Turning to Her Majesty he continued, 'Can this be true? Why did you say this to her? It's unheard of!' To me he said firmly, 'Well, I don't know about other occasions, but on this occasion you must compose something. '
- For all his scolding, however, i paid him not the slightest notice. Everyone had finished their poems, and there were in the process of being weighted and judged, when Her Majesty tossed down a quick note and tossed it to me. It said.,
- And Is it then
the child of Motosuke
who sits tonight
choosing to hold herself aloof
from the poetic gathering?
- I was utterly delighted by it, and burst into laughter, which caused His Excellency to exclaim, 'What's this? What's this?' I replied with:
- 'It is only because
I am the child of that great man -
I this were not so
I would have been the very first
to provide my poem tonight. '
- 'Indeed,' I added to Her Majesty, 'if it weren't for the humility I feel, a thousand verses would spring from my lips.'
25. 五月の御精進のほど [95]:
- 五月の御精進(さうじ)のほど、[中宮]職におはしますころ、塗籠の前の二間なる所を、ことにしつらひたれば、例様ならぬもをかし。一日より雨がちに曇り過ぐす。つれずれなるを「郭公(ほととぎす)の声たづねに行かばや」といふを我も我もと出で立つ。
- 賀茂の奥に、なにさき[左京区松が崎]とかや、たなばたの渡る橋にはあらで、にくき名ぞ聞こえし。「その渡りになむ郭公鳴く」と人の言へば「それは蜩なり。」と言ふ人あり。そこへとて、五日のあしたに宮司に車の案内言ひて、北の陣より、五月雨はとがめなきものぞとて、さしよせて四人ばからい乗りて行く。うらやましがりて、「なをいまひとつして、同じくは」などいへど、まなと仰せらるれば、聞き入れずなさけなきさまにていくに、[左近の]馬場といふ所にて人おほくてさはぐ。「なにするぞ」と問へば「手番(てつが)ひにて、ま弓射るなり。しばし御覧じておはしませ」とて、車とどめたり。「左近中将、みな着きたまへ」と言へど、さる人も見えず。六位など立ちさまよへば、「ゆかしからぬ事ぞ。早く過ぎよ」と言はて、行きもて行く。道も[賀茂]祭のころ思ひ出でられてをかし。
- かくいふ所は、明順(あきのぶ)の朝臣の家なりける。「そこもいぜ見む」と言ひて、車寄せて下りぬ。田舎だち、事そぎて、馬の形かきたる障子、網代屏風、三稜草(みくり)の簾など、ことさらに昔の事をうつしたり。屋の様もはかなだち、廊めきて端近に、あさはかなれどをかしきに、げにぞかしがましと思ふばからいに鳴きあひたる郭公の声を、きちをしう、御前に聞しめさせず、さばからいしたひつる人々をと思ふ。
- 「所につけては、かかる事をなむ見るべき」とて、稲といふものを取り出でて、若き下衆どもの、きたなげならぬ、そのわたりの家のむすむなどひきもて来て、五、六人してこかせ、また見も知らぬくるべく物、二人して引かせて歌うたはせなどするを、めづらしくて笑ふ。郭公の歌よまむとしつる、まぎれぬ。唐絵にかきたる懸盤して物食はせたるを見入るる人もなければ、家の主、「いとひなびたり。かかるところに来ぬる人は、ようせずは主にげぬばかりなど、責め出だしてこそまゐるべけれ。むげにかくては、その人ならず」など言ひてとりはやし、「この下蕨は、手づから摘みつる」など言へば、「いかでか、さ女官などのやうに、つきなみてはあらむ」など笑へば、「さらば、取りおろして。例のはひぶしにならはせたまへる御前たちなれば」とて、まかなひさわぐほどに、「雨降りぬ」と言へば、いそぎて車に乗るに、「さてこの歌は、ここにてこそよまめ」など言へば、「さはれ、道にても」など言ひて、みな乗りぬ。卯の花のいいじう咲きたるを折りて、車の簾、かたはらなどにさしあまりて、おそひ、棟などに、長き枝を葺きたるやうにさいたれば、ただ卯の花の垣根を牛にかけたるぞと見ゆる。供なるをのこどもも、いみじう笑ひつつ、「ここまだし、ここまだし」と、さしあへり。
- 人も会はなむと思ふに、さらにあやしき法師、下衆の言ふかひなきのみたまさかに見ゆるに、いとくちをしくて、近く来ぬれど、「いとかくてやまむは。この車のありさまぞ、人に語らせてこそやまめ」とて、一条殿[故太政大臣藤原為光邸]のほどにとどめて、「侍従殿[為光の六男公信]やおはします。郭公の声聞きて、今なむ帰る」と言はせたる使、「『ただいままゐる。しはし、あが君』となむのたまへる。侍にまひろげて、おはしつる、、いそぎ立ちて、指貫奉りつ」と言ふ。「待つべきにもあらず」とて、走らせて、土御門さまへやるに、いつのまにか装束きつらむ、帯は道のままに結ひて、「しばし、しばし」と追ひ来る。供に、侍三、四人ばから、物もはかで走るめり。「とくやれ」と、いとどいそがして、土御門に行き着きぬるにぞ、あへぎまあどひておはして、この車の様をいみじう笑ひためふ。「うつつの人の乗りたるとなむ、さらに見えぬ。なほ下りて見よ。」など笑ひたまへば、供に走りつる人、ともに興じ笑ふ。
- 「歌はいかが。それ聞かむ。」とのたまへば、「今、御前に御覧ぜさせて後こそ」など言ふほどに雨まこと降りぬ。「などかこと御門御門のやうにもあらず、土御門しも、頭もなくしそめけむと、今日こそいとにくけれ」など言ひて、「いかで帰らむとうらむ。こなたざまは、ただ遅れじと」思ひつるに、一目も知らず走られつるを。あう行かむ事こそいとすさまじけれ」と’のたまへば、「いざ給へかし。内へ」と言ふ。「烏帽子にてはいかでか」「取りにやりたまへかしなど言ふに、まめやかに降れば、笠もなきをのこども、ただ引きにひき入れつ。一条殿より傘持て来たるをささせて、うち見返りつつ、こたみやゆるゆると物憂げにて、卯の花ばからいを取りておはするもをかし。
- さてまゐりたれば、ありさまなど問はせたまふ。うらみつる人々、怨じ心憂がりながら、藤侍従の、一条の大路走りつる語るにぞ、みな笑ひぬる。
- 「さていづら、歌は」と問はせたまへば、かうかうと啓すれば、「ときをしの事や。上人などの聞かむに、いかでか、つゆをかしき事なくてはあらむ。その聞きつらむ所にて、きとこそはよまましか。あまり儀式さだめつらむこそあやしけれ。ここにてもよめ。いと言ふかはなし」などのたまはすれば、げにと思ふに、いとわびしきを、言ひ合はせなどするほどに、藤侍従、ありつる花につけて、卯の花の薄様に書きたり。この歌おぼえず。これが辺しまづせむなど、硯取りに局にやれば、
- 「ただこれしてとく言へ」とて、御硯蓋に紙などして給はせたる。「宰相の君、書きたまへ」と言ふを、「なほそこに」など言ふほどに、かきくらし雨降りて、神いとおそろしう鳴りたれば、物もおぼえず、ただおそろしきに、御格子まゐりわたしまどひしほどに、この事忘れぬ。
- いと久しうなりて、すこしやむほどには暗うなりぬ。ただいま、なほこの返事奉らむとて、取りむかふに、人々、」上達部など、神のこと申しにまゐりたまへば、西面に出でゐて、物聞えなどするにまぎれぬ。こと人はた、「さして得たらむ人こそせめ」とてやみぬ。なほこのことに宿世なき日なめりとくんじて、「いまも、などかその行きたりし限りの人どもにて言はざらむ。されど、させじと思ふにこそ」と、ものしげなく御けしきなるも、いとをかし。「されど、いまはすさまじうなりにてはべるなり」と申す。「すさまじかべき事か、いな」とのたまはせしかど、さてやみにき。
- 二日ばからいありて、その日の事など言ひ出づるに、宰相の君、「いかにぞ、手づから折りたりと言ひし下蕨は」とのたまふを聞かせたまひて、「思ひ出づる事のさまよ」と笑はせたまひて、紙の散りたるに、
- 下蕨こと恋しかりけれ
- と書かせたまひて、「本言へ」と仰せらるるも、いとをかし。
- 郭公たづねて聞きし声よりも
- と書きてもゐらせたれば、「いみじううけばりけり。かうだにいかで郭公の事をかきつらむ」とて笑はせたたまふもはづかしながら、「何か。この歌よみはべらじとなむ思ひはべるを。物のをりなど、人のよみはべらむにも、『よめ』など仰せられば、え候ふまじき心地なむしはべる。いといかがは、文字の数しれず、春は冬の歌、秋は梅、花の歌などよむやうははべらむ。なれど、歌よむと言はれし末々は、すこし人よりまさりて、『そのをりの歌は、これこそありけれ。さは言へど、それが子なれば』など言はればこそ、かひある心地もしはべらめ。つゆとりたかきたる方もなくて、さすがに歌がましう、われはと思へるさまに、最初によみ出ではべらむ、亡き人のがめにもいとほしうはべる」とまめやかに啓すれば、笑はせたまひて、「さらば、ただ心にまかせ。われらはよめとは言はじ」とのたまはすれば、「いと心やすくなりはべりぬ。今は歌の事思ひかけじ」など言ひてあること、庚申せさえたまふとて、内の大臣殿、いみじる心まうけせさせたまへり。
- 夜うちふくるほどに、題出だして、女房も歌よませたまふ。みなけしきばみゆるがし出だすも、宮の御前近く候ひて、物啓しなど、ことごとをのみ言ふを、おどど御覧じて、「などうたはよまでむげに離れゐたる。題取れ」とてたまふを、「さる事うけたまはりて、歌よみはべるまじるなりてはべれば、思ひかけはべらず」と申す。「ことやうなる事。まことにさるあ事やははべる。などかさはゆるさせたまふ。いとあるまじき事なり。よし、こと時はしらず、今宵はよめ」など責めさせたまへど、け清う聞きもいれで候ふに、皆人々よみ出だして、よしあしなしなど定めらるるほどに、いささかなる御文書きて、投げ給はせたり。見れば、
- 元輔が後といはるる君しもや
今宵の歌にはづれてはをる
- とあるをみるに、をかしき事ぞたぐひなきや。いみじう笑へば、「何事ぞ何事ぞ」と、おどど[内大臣] も問ひたまふ。
- 「その人の後といはれぬ身なりせば
今宵の歌ぞまづぞよままし
- つつむ事さぶらはずは、千の歌なりと、これよりなむ出でまうで来まし」と啓しつ。
- しゃうじん: 精進 <仏教語[安心･覚悟･最期
･知識=智識･方便たづき] 1.5.9月の斎月の精進
- ぬりごめ, 塗籠: 周囲壁の部屋
- 手番: 手結; 弓の練習
- まゆみ: 馬弓
- あきのぶ; 明順: 中宮の母高階たかしな貴子の父
の三男。中宮の叔父
- 懸盤: 食器を乗せる台
- まゐる: 召し上がる
- はひぶし: 這う臥し; 横になること
- おそひ: 覆い
- かうべ: 頭; 門の屋根
- きと: すぐに
- くんじ: 屈ず; がっかりする
- うけばる: 受け張る; 我が者顔ででじゃばる
- うけばり: 気兼ねしない
- とりわく: 取り分く; 特に目立つ
- まめやか: 忠実やか; 本心かた
- 庚申待ち: 夜中寝ない明かす習慣
- まうけ: 設ける; 準備、支度
- け清う: あとかたもなく
- せば...まし: もし... ならば
- zz
>Top 26. The Counsellor paid a visit: [97]
- The Counsellor paid a visit, and presented Her Majesty with a fan. 'I've come by some excellent fan ribs,' he said, 'and I was intending to have them papered and give the fan to you, but I couldn't use any old paper for the task, so I'm still searching.'
'What sort of ribs can they be?' Her Majesty inquired. His voice rose in excitement. 'They're just wonderful! People say they've never seen such ribs, and truly, they're not the sort of thing anyone's ever laid eyes on!'
I was seated nearby during this exchange, and at this point I remarked, 'Well then, they can't be fan ribs, they must be the ribs of a jellyfish.'
'That's very good,' said the Counsellor with a laugh. 'Let's have it that I'm the one who said that.'
- Stories of this kind really belong in the 'Things it's frustrating and embarrassing to witness' section. I've only added it here because people have begged me not to leave anything out.
26. 中納言参りたまひて [98]:
- 中納言参りたまひて、御扇奉らせたまふに、「隆家こそいみじき骨は得て侍れ。それを張らせて参らせむとするに、おぼろけの紙はえ張るまじければ、もとめ侍るなり」と申したまふ。「いかやうにかある」と問ひ聞こえさせたまへば、「すべていみじう侍り。さらにまだ見ぬ骨のさまなりとなむ人々申す。まことにかばからのは見えざりつ」と言高くのたまへば、「さては、扇のにはあらで、海月のななり」と聞こゆれば、「これ隆家が言にしてむ」とて、笑ひたまふ。
- かようの事こそは、かたはらいたき事のうちに入れつべけれど、「一つな落としそ」といへば、いかがはせむ。
>Top 27. Around the end of the second month: [101]
- Around the end of the second month a terrific wind blew up, the sky grew quite black, and a little snow had begun to swirl down, when one of the groundsmen appeared at the Black Door and called me over. When I approached, he produced a letter, saying, 'This is from Consultant Kinto.' On a piece of notepaper he had written:
- There is about this day
some tiny touch of spring.
- It did indeed well express the feel of the day, and I set about racking my brains over how to add the earlier lines to complete the poem. 'Who is there to hear it?' I inquired, and he told me the names. they were all poets fit to shame me, and I was in agony for ear of sending something inferior, particularly since the recipient was the great Kinto himself. I longed to be able to show it to Her Majesty for advice, but His Majesty was present and they were secluded together.
meanwhile, the messenger was urging me to make a swift reply. And indeed it would make a bad poem even worse to take too long in sending it, so I threw caution to the winds and wrote in a trembling hand:
- The tumbling snow
so like spring's tumbling petals
falls from a chilly sky.
- As I handed him the poem, I wondered miserably what they'd make of it. While I did long to hear their pinion, on the other hand I felt I'd rather not know if they were rude about my response. But later, the Captain of the Left Gate Watch (who at that time held the post of Captain of the Palace Guards) told me the only reaction was that Consultant Toshikata had suggested I should be promoted to High Gentlewoman, so I was greatly relieved.
27. 二月つごもりごろに [102]:
- 二月つごもりごろに、風いたう吹きて空いみじうくろきに、雪すこしうち散りたるほど、黒戸に主殿司来て、「かうてさぶらふ」といへば、よりたるに、「これ、公任の宰相殿の」とてあるを見れば、懐紙に、
- すこし春ある心地こそすれ
- とあるは、げにけふのけしきにいとようあひたるも、これが本はいかでかつくべからむ、と思ひわづらひぬ。「誰々か」と問へば、「それそれ」といふ。みないとはづかしき中に、宰相の御いらへを、いかでかことなしびに言ひ出でむと、心一つに苦しきを、御前に御覧ぜさせむとすれど、上のおはしまして、大殿籠りたり。主殿司は「とくとく」といふ。
- げにおそうさへあらむは、いととりどころなければ、さはれとて、
- 空さむみ花にまがへて散る雪に
- と、わななくわななくかきて取らせて、いかに思ふらむとわびし。これが事を聞かばや思ふに、そしられたらば、聞かじとおぼゆるを、「俊賢の宰相など、『なほ内侍に奏してなさむ』となむ定めたまひし」とばかりぞ、左兵衛督の、中将におはせし、語りたまひし。
- 三時雲冷多飛雪、二月山寒少有春、我思旧事猶惆怅
>Top 28. It's beautiful the way the water drops: [124]
- It's beautiful the way the water drops hang so thick and dripping on the garden plants after a night of rain in the ninth month, when the morning sun shines fresh and dazzling on them. Where the rain clings in the spider webs that hang in the open weave of screening fence or draped on the eaves, it forms the most moving and beautiful strings of white pearly drops.
- I also love the way, when the sun has risen higher, the bush clover, all bowed down beneath the weight of the drops, will shed its dew, and a branch will suddenly spring up though no hand has touched it. And I also find it fascinating that things like this can utterly fail to delight others.
28. 九月ばかり [125]
- 九月ばかり、夜一夜降りあかしつる雨の、今朝はやみて、朝日いとけざやかにさし出でたるに、前栽の露こぼるばかり濡れかかりたるも、いとをかし。透垣の羅門、軒の上にかいたる蜘蛛の巣のこほれ残りたるに、雨のかかりたるが、白き玉を貫きたるやうなるこそ、いみじうあはれにをかしけれ。
- 少し日たけぬれば、萩などのいと重げなるに、露の落つるに枝のうち動きて、人も手触れぬに、ふとかみざまへあがりたるも、いみじうをかしと言ひたることどもの、人の心にはつゆをかしからじと思ふ。
>Top 29. Things that make the heart lurch with anxiety: [143]
- Things that make the heart lurch with anxiety - Watching a horse-race. Twisting up a paper hair-binding cord. When a parent looks out of sorts, and remarks that they're not feeling well. This particularly worries you to distraction when you've been hearing panicky tales of plague sweeping the land.
- Also, a little child who can't yet talk, who simply cries and cries, refusing to drink from the breast or even to be comforted when the nurse picks it up and holds it.
- Your hear naturally lurches when you hear the voice of your secret lover in an unexpected place, but the same thing happens even when you hear someone else talking about him. It also lurches when someone you really detest arrives for a visit.
- Indeed the heart is a creature amazingly prone to lurching. It even lurches in sympathy with another woman when the next-moring letter from a man who stayed with her for the first time the night before is late in arriving.
29. 胸つぶるるもの [144]:
- 胸つぶるるもの。競馬見る。元結よる。親などの心地あしとて、例ならぬ気色なる。まして、世の中などさわがしきころ、よろづの事おぼえず。
- また、もの言はぬ児の泣き入りて、乳も飲まず、乳母の抱くにも止まで、久しき。
- 例の所ならぬ所には、殊にまたいちじるからぬ人の声聞きつけたるは道理、異人などの、その上などいふにも、まづこそつぶるれ。
- いみじう憎き人の来たるにも、またつぶる。あやしくつぶれがちなるものは、胸こそあれ。昨夜来始めるたる人の、今朝の文の遅きは、人のためにさへ、つぶる。
>Top 30. Endearingly lovely things: [144]
- Endearingly lovely things - A bay's face painted on a gourd. A sparrow coming fluttering down to the nest when her babies are cheeping for her. A little child of two or three is crawling rapidly along when his keen eye suddenly notices some tiny worthless thing lying nearby. He picks it up in his pretty little fingers, and shows it to the adults. this is very endearing to see. It's also endearing when a child with a shoulder-length 'nun's cut' hairstyle that's falling into her eyes doesn't brush it away but instead tilts her head to tip it aside as she examines something.
- A very young son of a noble family walking about dressed up in ceremonial costume. An enchanting little child who falls asleep in your arms while you're holding and playing with it is terribly endearing.
- things children use in doll play. A tiny lotus leaf that's been picked from a pond. A tiny aoi leaf. In fact, absolutely anything that's tiny is endearing.
- A very white, plump child of around two, who comes crawling out wearing a lavender silk-gauze robe with the sleeves hitched back, or a child walking about in a short robe that looks more long sleeves than robe. All these are endearing. And it's very endearing when a boy of eight or ten reads something aloud in his childish voice.
- It's also enchanting to see a pretty little white chick, its lanky legs looking like legs poking out from under a short robe, cheeping loudly as it runs and pauses here and there around someone's feet. Likewise, all scenes of chicks running about with the mother hen. The eggs of a spot-billed duck. A green-glass pot.
30. うつくしきもの [145]:
- うつきしきもの、瓜にかきたるちごの顔。雀の子のねず鳴きするにをどり来る。二つ三つばかりなるちごの、急ぎてはひ来る道に、いとちひさきちりのありけるを目ざとに見つけて、いとをかしげなるおよびにとらへて、大人などに見せたる、いとうつくし。頭は尼そぎなるちごの、目に髪のおはへるをかきはやらで、うちかたぶきて物など見たるも、うつくし。
- 大きにはあらぬ殿上童のさうぞきたてられてありくも、うつくし。をかしげなるちごの、あからさまにいだきて遊ばしうつくしむほどに、かいつきて寝たる、いとらうたし。
- 雛の調度。蓮の浮き葉のいと小さきを、池よりとり上げたる。葵のいと小さき。なにもなにも、小さきものは皆うつくし。
- いみじう白く肥えたる児の二つばかりなるが、二藍の薄物など、衣長にてたすき結ひたるがはひ出でたるも、また短きが袖がちなる着てありくも、みなうつくし。八つ九つ、十ばかりなどの男児の、声は幼げにて文読みたる、いとうつくし。
- にはとりのひなの、足高に、白うをかしげに、衣短なるさまして、ひよひよとかしかましう鳴きて、人のしり先に立ちてありくもをかし。また、親のともに連れて立ちて走るも、皆うつくし。雁の子。瑠璃の壺。
- 愛し: かわいらしい
- および: 指
- かぶく: かたぶく、傾く
- そうぞ: 装束
- らうたし: 労甚し; 力のない
>Top 33. Around the fifth month: [206]
- Around the fifth month it's great fun to make an excursion to a mountain village. In swampy ground, the grass and water together form a single wide swathe of green to the eye, with the surface a beguiling luxuriance of grasses, but if you take your time and travel its length, it's delightful how the unexpected water beneath, though not deep, will burst forth under the weight of a human tread.
- As you go on your way, the various hedges to left and right will thrust an occasional branch into the carriage, and you quickly try to snap one off as you pass, lamenting the way it's gone again before you can seize it. And then there's the loverly moment when some wormwood gets caught and crushed by the carriage wheel, whose turning then carries it round and up, right to where you're sitting.
33. 五月ばかりなどに [207]:
- 五月ばかりなどに山里にありく、いとをかし。草葉も水もいと青く見えわたりたるに、上はつれなくて、草生い茂りたるを、長々とただざまに行けば、下はえならざりける水の、深くはあらねど、人などのあゆむに走り上がりたる、いとをかし。
- 左右にある垣にあるものの枝などの、車の屋形などにさし入るを急ぎてとらへて折らむとするほどに、ふと過ぎてはづれたるこそ、いとくちをしけれれ。蓬の車に押しひしがれたりけるが、輪の廻りたるに、近ううちかかへたるもをかし。
-
<あだ>
たださま: 縦ざま
- よもぎ: 蓬, mugwort
>Top 34. When it's fearfully hot: [207]
- When it's fearfully hot, it's a deliciously cooling sight to witness, just at that point in the cool of the evening when the dusk has begun to blur the shapes of things, a passing carriage, perhaps that of some gentleman with outriders ahead, or even just some everyday carriage going by with the blinds up at the rear and one or two men inside. You particularly regret watching it disappear if it's accompanied by the sound of a biwa or a flute being played. It's really very odd how the sudden unfamiliar smell of the ox's leather crupper can nevertheless strike you as rather pleasant. It's also lovely, on a dark moonless night, to catch the smell of smoke from the pine torch being carried up ahead, that penetrates the whole carriage.
34. いみじう暑きころ [208]:
- いみじる暑きころ、夕涼みというほど、物の様などもおぼめかしきに、男車の、さき追ふは、言ふべきにもあらず、ただの人も、後の簾上げて、二人も、一人も、乗りて走らせ行くこそ、涼しげなれ。まして、琵琶かい調べ、笛の音など聞こえたるは、過ぎていぬるもくちをし。さやうなるに、牛のしりがいの香の、なほあやしうかぎしらぬものなれど、をかしきこそ物ふるほしけれ。いと暗う、闇なるに、さきにともしたる松の煙の香の、車の内にかかへたるもをかし。
- しりがい: 牛馬の後ろの馬具
- かかふ: かがふ；煙が漂う
>Top 35. On the evening of the fourth day of the fifth month: [208]
- On the evening of the fourth day of the fifth month, it's delightful to see the men in their red robes walking along carrying over both shoulders great sheafs of beautifully cut green sweet-flag leaves.
35. 五月四日の夕つ方 [209]:
- 五月四日の夕つ方、青い草おほく、いとうるはしく切りて、左右にはひて、赤衣着たる男の行くこそ、をかしけれ。
- あをきくさ: 菖蒲, sweet flag
>Top 36. Soon after the twentieth day of the ninth month: [211]
- Soon after the twentieth day of the ninth month, on a pilgrimage to Hase, I stayed along the way in a very rough and simple lodging house. I was quite exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep. Late that night, I woke and was deeply moved at the sight of the moonlight shining in through a window and casting its white light over the bedclothes of the sleeping forms around me. this is precisely the sort of moment when people compose poems.
36. 九月二十日あまりのほど [212]:
- 九月二十日あまりのほど、初瀬に詣でて、いとはかなき家にとまりたりしに、いとくるしくて、なだ寝に寝入りぬ。夜ふけて、月の窓より洩れたりしに、人の臥したりしどもが衣の上に、白うてうつりなどしたりしこそ、いみじうあはれとおぼえしか。さやうなるをりぞ、人歌よむかし。
- はつせ: 初瀬にある長谷寺, 観音信仰
- 憂りける人を初瀬の山おろし激しかれとは祈らぬものを 源俊頼
>Top 37. Setting off to climb the slope: [212]
- Setting off to climb the slope up to Kiyomizu and suchlike temples, it's delightful to find oneself deeply moved by the scent of burning firewood.
37. 清水などにまゐりて、[213]
- 清水などにまゐりて、坂もとのぼるほどに、柴たく香のいみじうあはれなるこそをかしけれ。
>Top 38. On a bright moonlit night: [215]
- On a bright moonlit night, when your carriage is crossing a stream, it's lovely the way the water will spray up in shining drops at the ox's tread, like shattered crystal.
38. 月のいと明かきに [216]
- 月のいと明かきに、川を渡れば、牛の歩むままに、水晶などのわれたるやうに、水の散りたるこそをかしけれ。
>Top 39. Things that should be big: [216]
- Things that should be big - Houses. Provisions bags. Priests. Fruit and nuts. Oxen. Pine rees. Inksticks. If a man in someone's sevice has small eyes, he looks too feminine. On the other hand, great glaring eyes are terrifying. Braziers. Winter cherries. the flowers of the kerria. Cherry blossom petals.
39. 大きにてよきもの [217]:
- 大きにてうきもの、家。餌袋。法師。くだ物。牛。松の木。硯の墨。男の目のほそきは、女びたり。また鋺のやうならむも、おそろし。火桶。ほほづき。山吹の花。桜の花びら。
- えぶくろ: 餌袋；弁当袋
- かなまり: 鋺: らんらんと光る目
>Top 40. Things that should be small: [217]
- Things that should be small - Thread for sewing something in a hurry. The hair of women of the lower classes. The voice of someone's daughter. Lampstands.
40. 短くてありぬべきもの [218]:
- 短くてありぬべきもの、とみの物縫ふ糸。下衆女の髪。人のむすめの声。灯台。
- とみ: 頓; 急な
- むすめ: 未婚の女性
>Top 41. When Her Majesty was in the Sanjo Palace: [222]
- When Her Majesty was in the Sanjo Palace, a palanquin full of sweet flags arrived on the fifth day, and festive herbal balls were presented. The Mistress of the Imperial Wardrobe, together with the younger gentlewomen, made herbal balls and tied them on to the clothes of the little Prince and Princess. More delightful herbal balls arrived from elsewhere as well, together with some green-wheat cakes. I laid these on thin green paper in the lid of an elegant inkstone box and presented them to Her Majesty with the words, 'These came from across the fence.'
- Her Majesty tore a strip from the edge of my letter and wrote in reply the following splendid poem:
- While all about me
is filled with buy fluttering -
flowers and butterflies -
the only one who truly knows
my heart today is you, my friend.
41. 三条の宮におはしますころ [223]:
- 三条の宮におはしますころ、五日の菖蒲の輿など持てまゐらせなどす。若き人々、御匣殿[定子の妹]など薬玉して、姫宮[脩子内親王]、若宮[敦康親王]につけさたてまつらせたまふ。いとをかしき薬玉ども、ほかよりまゐらせたるに、青ざしという物を、持て来たるを、青き薄様を、艶なる硯の蓋に敷きて、「これ籬越しに候ふ」とてまゐらせたれば、
- みな人の花や蝶やといそぐ日も
わが心をば君ぞ知りける
- この紙の端を引き破らせたまひて書かせたまへる、いとめでたし。
- 青ざし: 青麦の粉菓子
- ませ: 籬; 馬の柵
ませ越しに麦はむ駒のはつはつに及ばぬ恋も我はするかな [古今]
- 花や蝶やといそぐ...: 権勢に赴く [長保2 (1000)/2月に道長娘彰子中宮、定子皇后]
>Top 42. Only when I was in retreat at Kiyomizu Temple: [224]
- Only when I was in retreat at Kiyomizu Temple, Her Majesty specially sent a messenger to me with a letter written in flowing script on red-tinted Chinese paper:
- Dusk's temple bell
tolls one by one its long slow notes
under the mountain -
surely each stoke counts for you
the loving thoughts that fill my heart.
- 'Yet still you stay away!' she added. I'd forgotten to bring with me any paper that would be suitable for a reply, so I wrote my response on a violet lotus petal.
42. 清水に籠りたりしに [225]:
- 清水に籠りたりしに、わざと御使して給はせたりし、唐の紙の赤みたるに、さるにて、
- 山近き入相の鐘の声ごとに
恋ふるこころのかずは知るらむ
ものを、こよなの長居や
- とぞかかせたまへる。紙などのなめげならぬも取り忘れたる旅にて、紫なる蓮の花びらに書きてまゐらす。
- 造花の蓮の花びら
>Top 43. Things that just keep passing by: [241]
- Things that just keep passing by - A boat with its sail up. People's age.
Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter.
43. ただ過ぎに過ぐるもの [242]:
- ただ過ぎに過ぐるもの。帆かけたる舟。人の齢。春、夏、秋、冬。
>Top 44. Being disliked by others: [248]
- Being disliked by others is really a most distressing thing. How crazy would you have to be, to accept calmly the fact that you're probably the sort of person nobody likes? But it's a terribly sad fact that, both in the palace and among parents and siblings, there are those who are loved and those who aren't.
- Not only among the upper crust but even in lowly families, when a child is the apple of his parents' eye then everyone will pay him particular attention and be particularly devoted to his needs. Of course if he's actually someone who's worthy of this kind of attention it seems quite natural, and no one pauses to question it. But it's very moving to see a parent's love for a child, even if he's actually nothing out of the ordinary, and consider that it's precisely because they're a parent that they feel like this.
- Yes, there's nothing ore wonderful than to be well-loved, not only by parents but by the one you serve and by all those you have close dealings with in life.
44. 世の中になほ心憂きものは [249]:
- 世の中になほいと心憂きものは、人ににくまれむことこそあるべけれ。誰てふ物狂ひか、われ人にさ思はれむとは思はむ。されど自然に、宮仕へにも、親、はらからの中にても、思はるる思はれるがあるぞいとわびしきや。
- よき人の御ことはさらなり、下衆などのほども、親などのかなしうする子は、目立て、耳立てられて、いたはしうこそおぼゆれ。見るかひありはことわり、いかが思はざらむとおぼゆ。ことなる事なきは、また、これをかなしと思ふらむは、親なればぞかしとあはれなり。親にも、君にも、すべてうち語らふ人にも、人に思はれむばかりめでたき事はあらじ。
>Top 45. Men have most peculiar and unlikely feelings: [249]
- Men have most peculiar and unlikely feelings. How extraordinary it is to see a man abandon a truly lovely woman in favour of some unpleasant one. A man who's constantly in and out of the palace, or the son of a fine household, can surely take his pick, and select a charming girl. And if he loves someone, even if she's someone too exalted to be within his reach, a man must put his life absolutely on the line and devote himself heart and soul to her.
- A man will apparently fix his sights on someone's daughter or a girl he's not yet caught a glimpse of, if he hears good things said of her. Still, I wonder why men will fall for a woman who from a woman's point of view seems quite unattractive?
- It's simply astonishing and outrageous when a beautiful, charming and sensitive girl sends a chiding letter, elegantly penned and with a most touching poem - yet though the man responds with suitable gallantry, he keeps his distance and won't go near her. To think that he can turn his back on this girl who's obviously grieving so piteously, and abandon her for another! Everyone who witnesses this can only be distressed by it, yet the man himself is not in the least perturbed.
45. 男こそ、なほありがたく [250]:
- 男こそ、なほいとありがたくあやしきここちしたるもはあれ。いと清げなる人を捨てて、にくげなる人をもたるもあやしかし。おほやけ所に入り立ちたる男、家の子などは、あるが中によからむをこそは選りて思ひたまはめ。およぶまじからむ際をだに、めでたしと思はむを、死ぬばかりも思ひかかれかし。
- 人のむすめ、まだ見ぬ人などをも、よしと聞くをこそは、いかでもと思ふなれ。かつ女の目にもわろしと思ふを思ふは、いかなる事にかあらむ。
- かたちいとよく、心もをかしき人の、手もようかき、歌もあはれによみて、うらみおこせなどするを、返事はさかしらにうちするものから、よりつかず、らうたげにうち嘆きてゐたるを、見捨てて行きなどするは、あさましう、おほやけ腹たちて、見証(けんそ)の心地も心憂く見ゆべければ、身のうへにては、つゆ心苦しさを思ひしらぬよ。
- あやし: 理解の範囲外
- らうがげ: かわいらしい
- おほやけ腹たちて: 自分の利害に関わらない事で立腹する
- 見証: 傍目
- 身のうへ :自分自身のこと
>Top 46. Nothing is more wonderful than sympathy: [250]
- Nothing is more wonderful than sympathy - in a man of course, but also in a woman. It may be only some passing remark, it may not be anything particularly deeply felt, but to hear that someone has said of a sad situation, 'How sad for her' or some touching circumstance, 'I do wonder how she must be feeling', makes you much gladder than hearing it said directly face to face. I always long to find a way to let such a person know that I've learned of their sympathetic response.
- You don't feel particularly surprised and moved, of course, in the case of someone whom you can rely on to feel for you or visit you at such times. But if someone unexpected responds to the tale of your sorrows with reassuring words, it fills you with pleasure. It's such a simple thing to do, yet so rare.
- It's unusual to find someone, either man or woman, who's overall both tender-hearted and truly talented - thought actually there must be many such people around.
46. よろづのことよりも情けあるこそ [251]:
- よろづのことよりも情けあるこそ、男はさらなり、女もめでたくおぼゆれ。なげのことばなれど、せちに心に深く入らねど、いとほしきことをば「いとほし」とも、あはれなるをば「げにいかに思ふらむ」など言ひけるを、伝へて聞きたるは、さし向かひて言ふよりもうれし。いかでこの人に、思ひ知りけりとも見えにしがな、と常にこそおぼゆれ。
- 必ず思ふべきひと、とふべき人は、さるべきことなれば、とりわかれしもせず、さもあるまじき人の、さしいらへをもうしろやすくしたるは、うれしきわざなり。いとやすき事なれど、さらにあらぬことぞかし。おほかた心よき人の、まことにかどなからぬは、男も女もありがたき事なめり。また、さる人も多かるべし。
- せち: 切；無理やり
- みゆ: 見える；自然に目に入る、見られたい
- いらへ: 答へ、応へ
- かど: 才能、才気
>Top 47. Things that give you pleasure: [257]
- Things that give you pleasure - You've read the first volume of a tale you hadn't come across before, and are longing to go on with it - then you find the other volume. The rest of it can sometimes turn out to be disappointing, however.
- Piecing back together a letter that someone has torn up and thrown away, and finding that you can read line after lien of it.
- It's extremely pleasing when you've had a puzzling dream which fills you with fear at what it may portend, and then you have it interpreted and it turns out to be quite harmless.
- It's also wonderfully pleasing when you're in a large company of people in the presence of someone great, and she's talking, either about something in the past or on a matter she's only just heard about, some topic of the moment, and as she speaks it's you she singes out to look at.
- Then there's the pleasing moment when you've heard that someone who matters a lot to you and who's far from you - perhaps in some distant place, or even simply elsewhere in the capital - has been taken ill, and you're worrying and wringing your hands over the uncertainty, when news arrives that the illness has taken a turn of the better.
- Someone you love is praised by others, and some high-ranking person comments that his talents are 'not inconsiderable.'
- When a poem that you've composed for some event, or in an exchange of poems, is talked of by everyone and noted down when they hear it. This hasn't yer happened to me personally, but I can imagine how it would feel.
- It's very pleasing when someone you don't know well mentions an old poem or story that you haven't heard of, and then it comes up again in conversation with someone else. If you come across it later in something you're reading, there's the delightful moment when you cry, 'Oh is that where it comes from!', and you enjoy recalling the person's mention of it.
- Managing to lay hands on some Michinoku or any good quality paper. You feel very pleased with yourself when a person who rather overawes you asks you to supply the beginning or end of some bit to poem they quote, and you suddenly recall it. I so often happens that as soon as anyone asks you, even something you know perfectly well goes clean out of your head.
- Fining something you need in a hurry. How could you fail to feel pleased when you win at a matching game, or some other kind of competition? Managing to get the better of someone who's full of themselves and overconfident. This is even more pleasing if it's a man, rather than one of your own circle of gentlewomen. It's fun to be constantly on your guard because you're expecting him to try to get even with you and it's also fun to have been fooled into relaxing your guard over time, as he continues to act quite unconcerned and pretend nothing's happened. When someone you don't like meets with some misfortune, you're please even though you know this is wicked of you.
- You've sent out your robes to be freshly grossed for some event, and are holding your breath to see how they come out, when they're delivered looking absolutely beautiful. A comb that's come up delightfully with polishing is also pleasing. There are a lot of other thins of this sort too. It's very pleasing when you've finally recovered from nasty illness that's plagued you day in, day out for months. This is even more the case when it's not your own illness but that of someone you love.
- And it's wonderfully pleasing when a crowed of people are packed into the room in Her Majesty's presence, and she suddenly spies someone who's only just arrived at court, sitting rather withdrawn by a distant pillar, and beckons her over, whereupon everyone makes way and the girl is brought up and ensconced very close to Her Majesty.
47. うれしきもの [258]:
- うれしきもの。まだ見ぬ物語の一を見て、いみじうゆかしとのみ思ふが、残り見出でたる。さて、心劣りするやうもありかし。
- 人の破り捨てたる文を継ぎて見るに、同じ続きをあまたくだり見続けたる。いかならむと思ふ夢を見て、恐ろしと胸つぶるるに、ことにもあらず合はせなしたる、いとうれし。
- よき人の御前に、人々あまた候ふをり、昔ありけることにもあれ、今聞こしめし、世に言ひけることにもあれ、語らせたまふを、われに御覧じ合はせてのたまはせたる、いとうれし。
- 遠き所はさらなり、同じ都の内ながらも隔たりて、身にやむごとくなく思ふ人の悩むを聞きて、いかにいかにと、おぼつかなきことを投げるに、おこりたる由、消息聞くも、いとうれし。
- 思ふ人の人にほめられ、やむごとなき人などの、口惜しからず者におぼしのたまふ。もののをり、もしは、人と言ひかはしたる歌の聞こえて、打聞きなどに書き入れらるる。自らの上にはまだ知らぬことなれど、なほ思ひやるよ。
- いたううち解けぬ人の言ひたる古き言の、知らぬを聞きいでたるもうれし。のちに物の中などにて見出でたるは、ただをかしう、これにこそありけれと、かの言ひたりし人ぞをかしき。
- 陸奥国紙、ただのも、より得たる。
恥づかしき人の、歌の元末問ひたるに、ふと覚えたる、われながらうれし。常に覚えたることも、また人の問ふに、清う忘れてやみぬるをりぞ多かる。とみにて求むる物見出でたる。
- 物合はせ、何くれといどむことに勝ちたる、いかでかうれしからざらむ。また、われはなど思ひえしたり顔なる人はかりえたる。女どちよりも、男はまさりてうれし。これが答は必ずせむと思ふらむと、常に心づかひせらるるもをかしきに、いと釣れなく、なにとも思ひたらぬさまにてたゆめ過ぐすも、またをかし。憎き者のあしき目見るも、罪や得らむと思ひながら、またうれし。
- もののをりに衣打たせにやりて、いかならむと思ふに、清らにて得たる。さしぐしすらせたるに、をかしげなるもまたうれし。またも多かるものを。
- 日ごろ、月ごろ、しるきことありて、悩みわたるが、おこたりぬるもうれし。思ふ人の上は、わが身よりもまさりてうれし。
- 御前に人々所もなくゐたるに、今上りたるは、少し遠き柱もとなどにゐたると、とく御覧じつけて、「こち。」と仰せらるれば、道あけて、いと近う召し入れられたるこそうれしけれ。
- 夢解きの者
- 打聞: 見聞きした覚書
- こちらが恥ずかしくなるほど優れた
>Top 48. Deities: [268]
- Deities - The deity of Matsuo. The deity of Yahata is particularly wonderful because it was once the Emperor of this land, and it's also awe-inspiring to see the onion-flower finial on the imperial palanquin for the procession to this shrine,'Oharano. Kasuga Shrine has a very wonderful deity. Hirano. I once asked someone what an empty building there was used for, and was overawed to learn that it was where the deity's festival palanquin was kept. I paused long there beside its vine-smothered fence, thrown into a reverie by the vine's occasional red leaves, recalling the Tsurayuki poem that speaks of such unseasonal leaves as unable to 'hold back the season's change'.
- The deity of Mikomori is also delightful. Also the deities of Kamo, and of Inari.
48. 神は [269]:
- 神は松の尾。八幡、この国の帝にておはしましけむこそ、めでたけれ。行幸などに、なぎの花の神輿に奉るなど、いとめでたし。なぎ。大原野。春日、いとめでたくおはします。平野は、いたづら屋のありしを、「何する所ぞ」と問ひしに「神輿宿り」と言ひしも、いとめでたし。斎垣に蔦などのいとおほくかかりて、紅葉の色々ありしも、「秋にはあへず」と、貫之が歌思ひ出でられて、つくいづくと久しうこと立てられしか。
- みこもりの神またをかし。賀茂、さらなり。稲荷。
- 松の尾: 松野大社
- 八幡: 石清水八幡宮
- 帝: 応神天皇
- なぎ: 水葱
- 大原野神社:
- 平野神社:
- 紀貫之: ちはやぶる神の斎垣にはふ蔦も秋にはあへずうつろひにけり
- 水分神社
- 賀茂神社:
- 稲荷大社:
>Top 49. You have a lover who always sends a next-morning poem: [274]
- You have a lover who always sends a next-morning poem, who one morning leaves in high dudgeon, proclaiming that he doesn't know why he bothers with you. 'It's pointless to try and talk about it,' he declares. 'This is it!' There's not a peep out of him the next day, and when the following dawn breaks no servant appears with the usual letter. You spend the day feeling quite out of sorts, and marvelling at the way he could so simply turn his back and call it quits.
- The day after, it rains heavily. There's still no word from him all day. He really has given me up, you think.
- You're seated at the edge of the veranda that evening when a messenger with an umbrella appears with a letter for you. With more haste than usual, you open it, to find there only the words 'the rising floods of rain' - this give you much more delight than would whole pages full of poems.
- Though the morning has given no hint of this, the sky suddenly grows black with heavy clouds, and swirling now darkens the air. You gaze out at it, deeply disconsolate. Before your eyes the piles of white snow grow deeper, and still the snow pours down. Then you're delighted to see a slender man with umbrella raised, dressed rather like an escort guard, enter through the door in the side wall and proffer a formal letter on very white paper, Michinoku or perhaps decorated paper; the ink of the brush stroke that seals it at the knot has frozen as it dried, so that it trails off into a blur at the edges. you watch with pleasure as the lady opens and reads it. It's tightly rolled and knotted, which has made little hollows in the paper at the rolls. The ink varies from rich black to pale, the lines are closely spaced and the writing sprawls over two sides of the page. She sits there for some time, poring over it repeatedly, and you're intrigued to imagine what it might contain, and particularly long to know the words that cause a momentary smile - but since she's seated at some distance from you all you can do is guess at the meaning of the parts where the ink is blackest.
- Another charming scene is of a lovely lady, with fine features and hair falling long over her forehead, who receives a letter in a dark room and is so anxious to open it that she doesn't take the time to light a lamp, but instead picks up a glowing coal from the brazier with the fire tongs and sits stringing to make out the words by its light.
49. 常に文おこする人の [275]:
- 常に文おこする人の、「何かは。言ふにもかひなし。今は」と言ひて、またの日音もせねば、さすがに、明けたては、さし出づる文の見えるこそさうざうしけれと思ひて、「さても、きはぎはしかりける心かな」と言ひて暮らしつ。
- またの日、雨のいたく降る昼まで、音もせねば、「むげに思ひ絶えにけり」など言ひて、端の方にゐたる夕暮に、傘さしたる者の持てる来たる文を、常よりもとくあけて見れば、ただ「水増す雨の」とある、いとおほくよみ出だしつる歌どもよりもをかし。
- 今朝は、さしも見えざりつる空の、いと暗うかき曇りて、雪のかきくらし降るに、いと心細く見出すほどもなく、白う積りて、なほいみじう降るに、随身めきて、ほそやかなるをのこの、傘さして、そばの方なる塀の戸より入りて、文をさし入れたることをかしけれ。いと白きみちのくに紙、白き色紙の、結びたる上に引きわたしける墨のふと氷りにければ、裾薄になりたるを、あけたれば、いとほそく巻きてむすびたる、巻目はこまごまとくぼみたるに、墨のいと黒う、薄く、くだりせばに、裏表書き乱りたるを、うち返し久しう見るこそ、何事ならむとよそにて見やりたるもをかしけれ。まいて、うちほほゑむところはいとゆかしけれど、遠うゐたるは、黒き文字などばかりぞ、さなめりとおぼゆるかし。
- 額髪長やかに、面様よき人の、暗きほどに文を得て、火ともすほども心もとなきにや、火桶の火を挟みあげて、たどたどしげに見ゐたるこそをかしけれ。
- 文おこす: 後朝の手紙
- きはぎはし: 物のけじめがはっきりしている
- 紀貫之: まこも刈る淀の沢水雨降れば常よりことにまさるわが恋
- 心もとなし: じれったい
>Top 50. The snow was piled high: [279]
- The snow was piled high, and Her Majesty's stutters were for once left down. We were all gathered in her presence chatting, with the square brazier alight, when Her Majesty said to me, 'Shonagon, what do you make of the snow of Koro Peak?' There upon I ordered that the shutters be lifted, and raised the outer blind hight. Her Majesty laughed. One of he ladies also remarked appreciatively, 'I know the poem, and even use it in my own poems, but I couldn't have thought of that. You epitomize the sort of person who belongs in this court.
50. 雪のいと高う降りたるを [280]:
- 雪のいと高う降りたるを、例ならず御格子参りて、炭櫃に火おこして、物語などして集まりさぶらふに、「少納言よ、香炉峰の雪いかならむ」と仰せらるれば、御格子上げさせて、御簾を高く上げたれば、笑はせたまふ。
- 人々も、「さることは知り、歌などにさへ歌へど、思ひこそ寄らざりつれ。なほ、この宮の人には、さべきなめり」と言ふ。
- 遺愛寺鐘敲枕、香炉峰雪撥簾看
- さべき: しかるべき、ふさわしい
>Top 51. Things that imitate - Yawns. Children [284]
- Things that imitate - Yawns. Children.
51. 見ならひするもの [285]:
- 見ならひするもの、欠伸。ちごども。
>Top 52. Things one must be wary of [285]
- Things that one must be wary of - Low types. Still, at least you know better where you stand with them than with people who have a good reputation.
- Boat crossings. It's marvellous weather, the water is splendidly smooth and calm, as if swathed in glossy pale-blue silk, and there's not the slightest hint of danger in the scene. The young lady is in akome gown and skirted trousers; her youthful retainer is singing splendidly as he pulls at what I believe is called the 'oar', and it's altogether the sort of charming picture that begs for an exalted audience to appreciate it. But as they ply their way, a fierce wind suddenly blows up, and the sea surface turns wildly choppy. Now as they hurry towards their destination, faint with terror, the waves flooding over the boat make it impossible to believe that only a moment earlier the sea could have been so calm and smooth.
- Now that I come to think of it, there's no one so impressive and downright awe-inspring as men who go about in boats. Even if the water's not particularly deep, how can they go rowing off so nonchalantly inn such a a frail and unreliable thing? Let alone when there are unfathomable depths of water below! Then there's the boat at the loading wharf - it's already stacked so high that the water is lapping a mere foot or less below the rim, yet the lads are fearlessly dashing about on it, though you'd imagine that the slightest wrong move would send it to the bottom, and it's downright terrifying to watch them blithely tossing up to half-a-down great pine logs, each quite two or three fee thick, on to this overloaded boat.
- The boats are rowed from the roofed end. The person on the inside looks far more secure. it's the sight of the man who stands on the edge that makes you feel faint with terror for him. The loop of rope that holds the oar in place looks so precarious! What would happen if it snapped? He'd be certain to tumble straight into the water. Yet even such a vital bit of rope is far from thick.
- The boats I've travelled in are beautifully made, and when you open up the double doors and raise the lattice shutters, you don't feel you're right down on the level of the water, so it's rather like being in a tiny house. The thing that really fills you with unease is looking out at the little boats round about. The ones in the distance look exactly like bamboo leaves fashioned into tiny boats and scattered here and there over the water. It's also charming to see the boats in the port at night, each with its individual light burning.
- The sight of a tiny two-man craft moving over the water in the early morning is very moving. The 'white retreating waves' of the poem really do disappear behind it in no time. One certainly feels that a boat is no way for people of quality to travel. Of course travelling on foot is also rather frightening, but at least it's far, far more reassuring to be on firm ground.
- A stretch of water may seem terrifying, but your spirits sink still further at the thought of the fisher girls who dive for shells. If that thin rope tied to their waist ever snapped, whatever would they do I would be all very well if it were men doing the diving, but it must feel miserable for women. the men are on board, singing away lustily, moving the boat along with the women's waist ropes dangling into the water. you'd imagine they'd be feeling full of anxiety and trepidation. Apparently, when the woman wants to come up to the surface she tugs on the rope, and you can quite see why the men should scramble to pull her up as fast as possible. Even an onlooker must weep salt tears to witness the gasp of the woman as she breaks surface and lays her hand on the edge of the boat - really, I find it utterly astonishing to see those men sending the poor women overboard while they float lazily about on the surface!
52. うちとくまじきもの [286]
- うちとくまじきもの、えせ者。さるは、よしと人に言はるるひとよりもうらなくぞ見ゆる。
- 船の路。日のいとうららかなるに、海の面のいみじうのどかに、浅緑のうちたる引きわたしたるやうにて、いささかおそろしきけしきもなきに、若き女などの衵、袴など着たる、侍の者の若やかなるなど、櫓といふものを押して、歌をいみじううたひたるは、いとをかしう、やむごとなき人にも見せたてまつらまほしう思ひ行くに、風いたう吹き、海の面ただあしにあしうなるに、物もおぼえず、泊るべき所に漕ぎ着くるほどに、舟に波のかけたるさまなど、かた時にさばかりなごかりつる海とも見えずかし。
- 思へば、舟に乗りてありく人ばかりあさましう、ゆゆしきものこそなけれ。よろしき深さなどにてだに、さるはかなき物に乗りて、漕ぎ出づべきにもあらぬや。まいてそこひも知らず、千尋などあらむよ。物をいとおほく積み入れたれば、水際はただ一尺ばかりだになきに、下衆どもの、いささかおそろしとも思はで走りありき、つゆ悪うもせば沈みやせむと思ふを、大きなる松の木などの二、三尺にてまろなる、五つ六つほうほうと投げ入れなどするこそいみじけれ。
- 屋形といふものの方にて押す。されど、奥なるはたのもし。端にて立てる者こそ、目くるる心地さうれ。早緒とつけて、櫓とかにすげたる物の弱げさよ。かれが絶えば、何にかならむ。ふと落ち入りなむを。それだに太くなどもあらず。
- わがのりたるは、清げにつくり、妻戸あけ、格子上げなどして、さ水とひとしうをりげになどあらねば、ただ家の小さきにてあり。小舟をみやるこそいみじけれ。遠きは、誠に笹の葉を作りてうち散らしたるにこそ、いとよう似たれ。泊りたる所にて、舟ごとにともしたる火は、またいとをかしう見ゆ。
- はし舟とつけていみじう小さきに乗りて漕ぎありく。つとめてなど、いとあはれなり。「あとの白波」はまことにこそ消えもと行け。よろしき人はなほ乗りてありくまじき事とこそおぼゆれ。徒士路もまたおそろしかなれど、それは、いかにもいかにも地に着きたれば、いとたのもし。
- 海はなほいとゆうしと思ふに、まいて海士のかづきしに入るは、憂きわざなり。腰につきなる緒の絶えもしなば、いかにせむとならむ。をのこだにせましかば、さてもありぬべきを、女はなほおぼろけの心ならじ。舟に男は乗りて、歌などうちうたひて、この栲縄(たくなほ)を海に浮けてありく。あやふく、うしろめたくはあらぬにやあらむ。のぼらむとて、その縄をなむ引くとか。まどひ繰り入るるさまぞことわりなるや。舟の端をおさへて放ちたる息などこそ、まことにただ見る人だに、しほたるるに、落し入れてただよひありくをのこは、日もあやにあさましかし。
- うちとく: 打ち解く; 安心、気がゆるむ
- えせ者: 身分の低い者
- あこめ、衵: 表着の下の衣
- 世の中を何にたとへむ朝ぼらけ
漕ぎゆく舟のあとの白波 (拾遺)
- かづく; 潜く; 水に潜って魚介を採る
- たくなほ 栲縄: 楮こうぞの皮で作った縄
- しほたる: 潮垂る; したたる
>Top 53. Grand Counsellor Korechika presented himself one day: [292]
- Grand Counsellor Korechika presented himself one day to the Emperor and delivered a talk on Chinese poetry. As always happens, the night grew late while he spoke on, and those present unobtrusively slipped away in ones and twos to sleep behind a standing screen or curtain. Only I sat on, fighting off my drowsiness, until the hour of the Ox forth quarter was announce. 'It mus already be dawn,' I murmured as if to myself.
- But the Grand Counsellor evidently wasn't inclined to allow sleep. 'It is pointless to retire at this stage, madam,' he said. Oh dear, I thought, whatever made me say that? If only other people had been present, I would ha e been able to sneak off and sleep unobserved. His Majesty was leaning against a pillar and dozing, so the Grand Counsellor turned to Her Majesty and said, 'Look at that, Your Majesty. Should His Majesty be asleep like this, when here it is gone dawn already?' 'Quite so,' responded Her Majesty with a mile. But the Emperor dozed on, obvious.
- At this point, one of the serving girls came along with a hen she'd caught, and hid it nearby with the intention of taking it home with her next morning - but the dog somehow managed to find it and gave chase, and it fled to a shelf in the corridor, setting up a terrible squawking which roused everyone from their slumbers. His Majesty too was startled awake, and demanded to know how a hen came to be there. Thereupon the Grand Counsellor absolutely delighted me by reciting in a resounding voice the line. 'That sound awakens the wise king from sleep.' Indeed it made the eyes even of lesser people snap wide awake! Both Their Majesties were very taken with how wonderfully appropriate the Grand Counsellor's words were to the occasion. This sort of moment is really quite splendid.
53. 大納言殿参りたまひて [293]:
- 大納言殿[伊周]参りたまひて、文のことなど奏したまふに、例の、夜いたくふけぬれば、御前なる人々、一人二人づつ失せて、御屏風・御几帳のうしろなどに、皆かくれ臥しぬれば、ただ一人、ねぶたきを念じてさぶらふに、「丑四つ」と奏すなり。「あけはべりぬなり」とひとりごつを、
- 大納言殿、「いまさらに、なお大殿ごもりおはしましそ」とて、寝べきものともおぼいたらぬを、うたて、何しにさ申しつらむと思へど、また人のあらばこそはまぎれも臥さめ。上の御前の、柱に寄りかからせたまひて、少し眠らせたまふを、「かれ、見奉らせたまへ。いまは明けぬるに、かうおほとのごもるべきかは」と申させたまへば、「げに」など、宮の御前にも笑ひ聞こえさせたまふも、知らせたまはぬほどに、
- 長女が童の、鶏を捕へ持て来て、「あしたに里へ持て行かむ」と言ひて隠し置きたりける、いかがしけむ、犬見つけて追ひければ、廊のまきに逃げ入りて、おそろしく鳴きののしるに、皆人起きなどしぬなり。上もうちおどろかせたまひて、「いかでありつる鶏。」などたづねさせたまふに、大納言殿の、「声明王の眠りを驚かす」と言ふことを、高ううちいだしたまへる、めでたうをかしきに、ただ人のねぶたかりつる目もいと大きになりぬ。「いみじきをりのことかな」と、上も宮も興ぜさせたまふ。なほ、かかることこそめでたけれ。
- 丑四つ: 2:30 am
- おほとのごもる: 大殿篭る; お休みになる
- うたて: ますます、ひどく
- をさめ: 長女; 下級の女官
- 声明王: 鶏人暁唱、声驚明王之眠...
- をり: 折; ちょうどその時
>Top 54. I have written in this book things: [S29]
- I have written in this book things I have seen and thought, inn the long idle hours spent at home, without ever dreaming that others would see it. Fearing that some of my foolish remarks could well strike others as excessive and objectionable, I did my best to keep it secret, but despite all my intentions I'm afraid it has come to light
- Palace Minister Korechika one day presented to the Empress a bundle of paper. 'What do you thin we could write on this? Her Majesty inquired. 'They are copying Records of the Historian over at His Majesty's court.' 'This should be a "pillow', then, ' I suggested. 'Very well, it's yours,' declared Her Majesty, and she handed it over to me. I set to work with this boundless pile of paper to fill it to the last sheet with all manner of odd things, so no doubt there's much in these pages that makes no sense.
- Overall, I have chosen to write about the things that delight, or that people find impressive, including poems as well as things such as trees,, plants, birds, insects and so forth, and for this reason people may criticize it for not living up to expectations and only going to prove the limits of my own sensibility. But after all, I merely wrote for my personal amusement things that I myself have thought and felt, and I never intended that it should be placed alongside other books and judged on a pr with them. I'm utterly perplexed to hear that people who've read my work have said it makes them feel humble in the face of it. Well, there you are, you can judge just how unimpressive someone is if they dislike things that most people like, and praise things that others condemn. Anyway, it does upset me that people have seen these pages.
- When Captain of the Left Ts 5unefusa was still Governor of Ise, he came to visit me while I was back at home, and my book disconcertingly happed to be on the mat from the nearby corner that was put out for him, I scrambled to try and retrieve it, but he carried it off with him, and kept it for a very long time before returning it. That seems to have been the moment when this book first became known - or so it is written.
54. 跋文:
- この草子、目に見え心に思ふことを、人やは見むと思ひて、つれづれなる里居のほどに書きあつめたるを、あいなう、人のために便なき言ひ過ぐしもしつべきところどころもあれば、よう隠し置きたりと思ひしを、心よりほかにこそ漏りいでにけれ。
- 宮の御前に、内の大臣 [伊周]の奉りたまへりけるを、「これに何を書かまし。上の御前には史記といふ書をなむ書かせたまへる」などのたまはせしを、「枕にこそははべらめ」と申ししかば、「さば、得てよ」とて賜はせたりしを、あやしきを、こよやなにやと、尽きせず多かる紙を、書き尽くさむとせしに、いと物覚えぬことぞ多かるや。
- おほかたこれは、世の中にをかしきこと、人のめでたしなど思ふべき、なほ選りいでて、歌などをも、木・草・鳥・虫をも、言ひだしたらばこそ、「思ふほどよりはわろし。心見えなり」とそしられめ、ただ心一つに、おのづから思ふことを、たはぶれに書きつけたれば、ものに立ちまじり、人並み並みなるべき耳をも聞くべきものかはと思ひしに、「恥づかしき。」なんどもぞ、見る人はしたまふなれば、いとあやしうあるや。げに、そもことわり、人の憎むをよしと言ひ、ほむるをもあしと言ふひとは、心のほどこそ推し量らるれ。ただ、人に見えけむぞねたき。
- 左中将 [源経房]、まだ伊勢守と聞こえし時、里におはしたりしに、端のかたなりし畳さしいでしものは、この草子載りていでにけり。惑い取り入れしかど、やがて持ておはして、いと久しくありてぞ返りたりし。それよりありきそえたるなめり。とぞほんに。
- 草子; 冊子
- つれづれ: 徒然; 何もすることがなく
- あいなし: あひなし; 愛無し; おもしろみがない
- びん: 便; >便なし; 不都合な
- 心よりほか: 心より外; 意外、不本意
- たてまつりもの: 奉り物; 貢物
- 史記> 敷妙; 下に敷く >床･枕･衣にかかる枕詞
- あやし: 奇･怪･異し; 異常、不都合、見苦しい
- ものおぼゆ: 物覚ゆ; 意識がはっきりする、わきまえる
- こころみえ: 心見え; 心中を見透かされる
- たちまじる: 立ち交じる; 入り交じる、加わる
- みみ: 耳; 噂、評判
- はづかし: 恥づかし; 気恥ずかしくなる程すばらしい
- とぞほん: と原本に書いてある
>Top 55Comment
- Sei Shonagon was the secretary & servant of Empress Teishi, the daughter of Michitaka Fujiwara. After Michitaka's death, his youngest brother Michinaga took over the central position and began to remove the power of Korechika, Michitaka's eldest son and the empress's main supporter. Despite this declining situation, she continued to depict the daily life of the imperial court with a bright and witty touch. However, she did not leave any complaints or critical comments about the unfair pressure from Michinaga's side. That is probably the only reason this essay has been able to survive over a thousand years. I'm sure she could have slept contentedly with her pillow elevated.
- If you hadn't forgotten what we pledged our love all the night, I'd like to know the colour of your tears when you cry for me. (Teishi)
- 清少納言は、藤原道隆の娘である中宮定子の秘書女房だった。道隆の死後、末弟の道長が中心的な地位を引き継ぎ、道隆の長男で皇后の主な支持者である伊周の権力を排除し始めた。 このように形勢が衰える中で、宮廷の日常を明るく機知に富むタッチで描き続けた。しかし道長側からの不当な圧力に対する苦言や批判的なコメントを残すことはなかった。 それが、このエッセイが千年を超えて生き残ることができた唯一の理由であろう。 彼女はきっと、枕を高くして満足して眠ることができたことだろう。
- 夜もすがら契りしことを忘れずは恋ひむ涙の色ぞゆかしき (定子)
| $\frac{1}{2}$ |
The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon |
Cat: HIS |
Sei Shonagon; translated by Meredith McKinney |
23y22u |
Résume |
Remarks |
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>Top 0. Introduction:
| 0. 序文:
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>Top 1. In spring, the dawn: [1]
| 1. 春はあけぼの [1]
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>Top 2. Times of year [2]
| 2. ころは [2]
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>Top 3. It breaks my heart to think : [4]
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3. 思はむ子を [5]:
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>Top 4. The Emperor's cat: [7]
| 4. 上にさぶらふ御猫は [7]:
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>Top 5. The sliding panels that close off the north-east corner: [20]
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5. 清涼殿の丑寅のすみの [21]:
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>Top 6. Dispiriting things: [22]
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6. すさまじきもの [23]
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>Top 7. Things that make your heart beat fast: [26]
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7. 心ときめきするもの [27]:
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>Top 8. Things that make you feel nostalgic: [27]
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8. 過ぎにし方恋しきもの [28]:
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>Top 9. Flowering Trees: [34]
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9. 木の花は [35]:
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>Top 10. Trees that have no flowers [37]:
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10. 花の木ならぬは [38]:
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>Top 11. Birds: [38]
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11. 鳥は [39]:
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>Top 12. Refined and elegant things: [39]
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12. あてなるもの [40]:
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>Top 13. Insects: [40]
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13. 虫は [41]:
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>Top 14. In the seventh month when the wind blows hard: [41]
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14. 七月ばかりに、風いたう吹きて [42]:
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>Top 15. Unsuitable things: [42]
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15. にげなきもの [43]:
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>Top 16. Horses: [47]
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16. 馬は [48]:
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>Top 17. Oxen: [48]
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17. 牛は [49]:
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>Top 18. Cats: [49]
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18. 猫は [50]:
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>Top 19. Carriage runners and escort guards: [50]
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19. 雑色、随身は [51]:
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>Top 20. Waterfalls: [58]
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20. 滝は [59]:
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>Top 21. Rivers: [59]
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21. 河は [60]:
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>Top 22. I do wish men: [60]
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22. 暁に帰らむ人は [61]:
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>Top 23. Rare things: [71]
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23. ありがたきもの [72]:
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>Top 24. Startling and disconcerting things: [92]
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24. あさましきもの [93]:
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>Top 25. At the time of the Abstinence and Prayer of the fifth month: [94]
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25. 五月の御精進のほど [95]:
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>Top 26. The Counsellor paid a visit: [97]
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26. 中納言参りたまひて [98]:
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>Top 27. Around the end of the second month: [101]
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27. 二月つごもりごろに [102]:
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>Top 28. It's beautiful the way the water drops: [124]
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28. 九月ばかり [125]
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>Top 29. Things that make the heart lurch with anxiety: [143]
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29. 胸つぶるるもの [144]:
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>Top 30. Endearingly lovely things: [144]
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30. うつくしきもの [145]:
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>Top 33. Around the fifth month: [206]
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33. 五月ばかりなどに [207]:
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>Top 34. When it's fearfully hot: [207]
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34. いみじう暑きころ [208]:
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>Top 35. On the evening of the fourth day of the fifth month: [208]
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35. 五月四日の夕つ方 [209]:
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>Top 36. Soon after the twentieth day of the ninth month: [211]
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36. 九月二十日あまりのほど [212]:
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>Top 37. Setting off to climb the slope: [212]
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37. 清水などにまゐりて、[213]
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>Top 38. On a bright moonlit night: [215]
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38. 月のいと明かきに [216]
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>Top 39. Things that should be big: [216]
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39. 大きにてよきもの [217]:
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>Top 40. Things that should be small: [217]
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40. 短くてありぬべきもの [218]:
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>Top 41. When Her Majesty was in the Sanjo Palace: [222]
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41. 三条の宮におはしますころ [223]:
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>Top 42. Only when I was in retreat at Kiyomizu Temple: [224]
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42. 清水に籠りたりしに [225]:
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>Top 43. Things that just keep passing by: [241]
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43. ただ過ぎに過ぐるもの [242]:
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>Top 44. Being disliked by others: [248]
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44. 世の中になほ心憂きものは [249]:
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>Top 45. Men have most peculiar and unlikely feelings: [249]
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45. 男こそ、なほありがたく [250]:
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>Top 46. Nothing is more wonderful than sympathy: [250]
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46. よろづのことよりも情けあるこそ [251]:
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>Top 47. Things that give you pleasure: [257]
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47. うれしきもの [258]:
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>Top 48. Deities: [268]
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48. 神は [269]:
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>Top 49. You have a lover who always sends a next-morning poem: [274]
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49. 常に文おこする人の [275]:
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>Top 50. The snow was piled high: [279]
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50. 雪のいと高う降りたるを [280]:
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>Top 51. Things that imitate - Yawns. Children [284]
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51. 見ならひするもの [285]:
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>Top 52. Things one must be wary of [285]
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52. うちとくまじきもの [286]
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>Top 53. Grand Counsellor Korechika presented himself one day: [292]
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53. 大納言殿参りたまひて [293]:
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>Top 54. I have written in this book things: [S29]
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54. 跋文:
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>Top 55Comment |
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