Prompt for Module 5 Discussion:

; we don't kno

grandmother Was e nurse, in a fit O · t, instead of con 1stering the ladi

te memory of hi longer hostile to; 1g the child to her

'as exceptionally of page girls and wept for the nun the prince seldorn 1d her new parent with all her heart, : first to welcome without the leas€ appealing. When ficulties, the man ion. He no longer rievance, and the ~ no such worries she would be too , lie down and get

CHAPTER FIVE

[ 7 l

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves

'prom the tenth month of Genji's eighteenth year to the seventh month of Is nineteenth year. Fujitsubo lady: 23-24; Aoi: 22-23; Murasaki: 10-II]

·emperor's, yisit to the Suzakuin was to take place soon after the tenth he tenth rrionth. 1 Since it promised to be much more interesting than usual imperial excursion, the consorts were upset about missing the

ctacle. The emperor himself felt that something would be lacking if the 'tsubo lady were not able to see the dances, and he arranged for a re- rsal in the courtyard outside his private residence. enji danced "The Waves of the Blue Sea." His partner, To-no-chiijo,

s extraordinarily handsome and confident, but he was like a nondescript untain tree alongside a blossoming cherry. It was a moment of absorb-

'· interest, the music especially beautiful in the glittering rays of the set· sun; and Genji's dancing and demeanor seemed to belong to another

m of existence, familiar though the piece was. When he chanted the ·nese lines, it was like hearing the voice of a kalavi1Jka bird in paradise .

. e emperor wiped away tears of admiration, and all the senior nobles and 'nces wept. When Genji straightened his sleeves at the end of the chant, the waiting usicians resumed in a tempo so spirited that he flushed and looked even ,ore radiant than usual. "His is the kind of face a heavenly spirit might .ke a notion to carry off. I call it creepy," said the crown prince's mother, "pleased by the brilliance of the performance. Her young attendants con- .ered the remark distasteful.

, .. !. The Suzakuin was a residence used by retired emperors. Judging from the title of the apter, "A [Longevity] Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves," the purpose of the visit was to hor a former sovereign, but we are not given a full account of the occasion. Longevity

rations (ga) usually took the form of decennial observances, held from a man's or woman's tieth year on. They were sponsored by relatives, or occasionally by friends or patrons, and ays included a banquet, dances, and the recitation of suitable poems.

II4 The Tale of Genji

The Fujitsubo lady thought that she might have enjoyed his dancin more if her mind had not been tormented by the heinous impropriety their relationship, which seemed more dream than reality. She spent th night with the emperor.

"It seemed to me that 'The Waves of the Blue Sea' swept the board i the rehearsal today," the emperor said to her. "What did you think of it?

Conscious of a strange awkwardness, she replied merely, "It was remark able."

"To-no-chiijo wasn't at all bad, either," he said. "There's something dis tinctive about the way the son of a good house moves and gestures. Ou famous professionals are highly accomplished, of course, but they can' create the same effect of fresh, youthful charm. After such a dazzling re. hearsal, I'm afraid the real event under the autumn foliage may be an anti climax, but I arranged this because I wanted you to see it."

Early the next morning, the lady received a letter from Genji. "How did the performance strike you? I've never felt as agitated as I did during m dance." [His poem:]

monoomou n1 tachimaubeki mo

aranu m1 no sode uchifurishi kokoro shiriki ya

"But I ought not to write this way."

Did you understand the sentiments of the one

who fluttered his sleeves, all but unable to dance for the burden of grief he bore?

She sent an answer, apparently unable to let the message pass in silenc while the beauty of his face and figure was still vivid in her mind:

karabito no sode furu koto wa

tokeredo tachii ni tsukete aware to wa miki

"I was exceptionally impressed."

Though I know not why a man of Cathay might'h'ave wished

to flutter his sleeves, I watched every movement with the deepest feeling.

For Genji, it was the most precious of gifts. "She's even a connoisseur o dance, and she's already talking like an empress with that reference to an; cient China," he thought, an unconscious smile on his lips. He sat gazin at the letter, which he had spread with as much care as if it had been hi special sutra.

The emperor was attended on his excursion by the entire court, prince and all. The crown prince also made the journey. The musicians' boat moved across the lake as usual, and there were innumerable dances, both Chinese and Korean. The sounds of instruments and the throbbing of drums filled the air. After having watched Genji in the late sunlight on th day of the rehearsal, the emperor had felt uneasy enough to commission, sutra recitations at various temples, a precaution that received sympathetic

oval from all proving mot nized expert courtiers an

e left and th nts, Saemon- ~rsing in the aches. e wind in th trains of the men standir

almost frigh ling colored 1, iance. Upon c

in his headc r captain of

bstitute. A fe ery heavens r before, his I hemums,4 anc 'on, a thing n

behind tree: been expect

icum of taste cond only to

· Wind," dan en lady), wh

tators' capaci , and actually

,hat night, Ge ed senior fom able promotio dered what c nish people's he Fujitsubo I an to frequem His neglect g

· A feature of "T e a ring of music 4° men in the rin rated.

f An indication o ,\s.

! Most of the chri edd· h

--'-__ 15 , brownish:

joyed his dancin ms impropriety

0 lity. She spent th

wept the board i l you think of it? ly, "It was remar

re's something dis and gestures. Ou se, but they can' uch a dazzling re, ge may be an anti it/' 1 Genji. "How di .s I did during m

,d one :]eeves, ce :f he bore?

1ge pass in silenc her mind:

>t why h.t have wished :s, ment 1g.

It reference to an- ips. He sat gazing if it had been hi

tire court, princes musicians' boats.

able dances, both the throbbing o te sunlight on the ~h to commission eived sympathetic

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves 115

l from all who heard of it-all, that is, except the crown prince's -~ving mother, who considered it excessive. Nobody who was not a

'i:z.ed expert had been selected for the flutists' circle, which included 'ourtiers and men of lower rank. 2 The two groups of dances, those }Jeft and those of the right, were under the supervision of two con- ts Saemon-no-kami and Uemon-no-kami. 3 The performers had been si~g in the seclusion of their homes, with the finest dancing masters ·ches. wind in the pines, a veritable mountain gale, gusted in concert with

frains of the flutes, which were played with indescribable beauty by rrnen standing in a circle under the tall maple trees; and the spectacle almost frightening to behold when Genji emerged from among the

ing colored leaves, dancing "The Waves of the Blue Sea" with dazzling ,-. nee. Upon observing that most of the leaves had fallen from the maple in his headdress, making it a poor match for his glowing face, the ;. captain of the left picked some chrysanthemums from the garden as stitute. A few scattered raindrops fell in the waning light, as though

· ery heave.p~ had been moved to admira_tion. Genji danced that day as before, his beauty enhanced by the delightful hues of the fadmg chry- emurns, 4 and his performance of the withdrawal was chilling in its per-

bn, a thing not of this world. Even among the menials who watched behind trees, 'rocks, and piles of leaves-people who could scarcely been expected to appreciate what they saw-those who possessed a

icum of taste were moved to tears. •cond only to "The Waves of the Blue Sea" was "The Song of the Au- ri Wind," danced by the emperor's fourth son (the offspring of the Sho- _clen lady), who was still a child. The two performances exhausted the · tators' capacity for enjoyment. The other numbers attracted little atten- , and actually seemed to detract from the occasion. hat night, Genji was granted senior third rank, and To-no-chujo re- .. d senior fourth lower rank. All the eligible senior nobles also enjoyed ble promotions, thanks to their association with Genji's triumph. One dered what deed in a previous life might have enabled him to both nish people's eyes and delight their hearts.

Je Fujitsubo lady retired from the palace around that time, and Genji an to frequent her premises as usual, hoping against hope for a meet- . His neglect gave rise to complaints at his father-in-law's mansion, and

• A feature of "The Waves of the Blue Sea" was that the dancers put on their costumes e a ring of musicians behind the stage. Old commentaries surmise that there may have 40 men in the ring (as indicated below) because the retired emperor's 40th year was being rated.

• An indication of the importance of the occasion. Lesser officials usually oversaw such · ts.

. · Most of the chrysanthemums in Heian gardens were white. Contemporary taste admired . reddish, brownish, and purplish tinges they acquired as they faded.

II6 The Tale of Genji

his wife grew even unhappier when one of her ladies-in-waiting caught w of young Murasaki's discovery and abduction, and proceeded to inform that he had brought a mistress to live in the Nijo Mansion. Her feeli were natural for someone ignorant of the facts. If she had spoken out abg her discontent like an ordinary woman, he would have explained it all a set her mind at rest, but her habitual mistrustfulness made her put the wo construction on his behavior, and that was why he sometimes indulged· unfortunate frivolities. Still, she was a woman of flawless appearance a demeanor, impossible to fault. She was also the first one with whom he h been intimate, and his feeling for her was special. "She acts that way n\5 because she doesn't realize how much love and respect I feel for her. Sh~ change some day. She's reasonable; she's not flighty; she's bound to co around," he thought hopefully.

Sweet, pretty, and innocent, young Murasaki grew ever more attached Genji as she came to know him better. For the time being, he resolved to nobody know who she was, not even the members of his household. kept her in the isolated wing, which he had furnished with incomparab splendor, and devoted much of his time to her education. As he prepar calligraphy models and set her to writing, it seemed to him quite as thou he had welcomed home a daughter who had lived elsewhere. To the ba. · ment of everyone but Koremitsu, he safeguarded her position by providi her with an independent administrative office, stewards, and other fun. tionaries. Meanwhile, her father had been unable to find out anythi about her.

There were still many times when the child remembered the past atj missed her grandmother. She had other things to distract her while Gen was there, and he spent an occasional night at home. But more often, would prepare to leave at dusk, bound for one of his usual des'tinations, a then she would sometimes protest his departure in a manner that he fou tremendously appealing. Whenever he spent two or three days on duty a went straight from the palace to his father-in-law's house, she would lap into deep gloom, and he would feel like a man with a pathetic motherle child. He no longer found it possible to pursue casual amours in a carefr spirit.

The bishop heard and rejoiced, even though it was hard for him to und stand. When he performed memorial services for the nun, Genji sent i pressively generous condolatory offerings.

Eager for news of the Fujitsubo lady, Genji went to her house on Sanj Avenue one day. He was received by Myobu, Chiinagon, Nakatsukasa, an others of the ladies-in-waiting. It galled him to be categorized so obvious as an ordinary visitor, but he concealed his displeasure and chatted abo . general subjects.5 Meanwhile, Prince Hyobukyo arrived, learned of his pr ence, and came to greet him. The prince was elegant, romantically inclin

5. The attendants act as intermediaries in the conversation.

quiet seriousn anion who sc ys on the aler an!" Genji's d,

. nji watched Vi tfall. In the old :talked to her v, ,amiss that she d his visit wit · tly, but the tirr

r you. Should f disposal." · yobu could fir ed to pity by th convinced that e empty days

dationship tha hen the nurse

e, she could nxious nun h a most impos

umerous attach after the chik

ent of good thi nji arranged f

.lfth month, thn ernal grandpar,

,.e no ostentati< , purples, and enji peeped int

you turn into She had alread

fided her with !nets, and with r. nu said she wa With a serious

iJ'hat Was carelt

The congratulatio c; •lace on New Yea1 '. Demon-chasing (I ose Was to rid the I

aiting caught w eded to inform tsion. Her feeli I spoken out abo xplained it all a e her put the wo etimes indulged ss appearance an with whom he h acts that way no feel for her. She !'s bound to co

r more attached t , he resolved to I :1is household. vith incomparab( n. As he prepar m quite as thoug 1ere. To the baff! ition by providin :, and other fun . find out anythin

ered the past an ~t her while Gen ,ut more often, 1 destinations, an tner that he foun days on duty an

!, she would laps athetic motherle · 10urs in a carefre

. for him to under m, Genji sent im.

er house on Sanj" Nakatsukasa, an rized so obvious! ind chatted abou earned of his pres tantically incline

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves II?

[d-wannered-soi:i:ieone who w~uld be of more than passing interest re a woman, Genp thought to himself. Attracted to him also because

?e\ationship to Murasaki and the Fujitsubo lady, he addressed him {jet seriousness. The prince, for his part, admired the beauty of the nion who seemed so much more friendly and relaxed than usual.

5 on the alert for a conquest, he thought, "What a pity he's not a

n!" Genii's desirability as a son-in-law failed to occur to him. · ji watched with envy as the prince went inside his sister's blinds at all. In the old days, thanks to his father, he had seen her close at hand

alked to her without an intermediary, and he took it rather unreason- awiss that she should be intent on keeping him at a distance now. He '. his visit with a brusque speech. "I ought to have called more fre- tly but the time slipped by because there seemed to be nothing I could r ~au. Should there be anything, I will be delighted to put myself at disposal."

yobu could find no way to help him. She felt both intimidated and ed to pity by the unyielding attitude of her mistress, who was more than ;convinced, that the meetings with Genji were fated to cause her misery. e empty days went by, with the two of them agonizing endlessly over

elationship that had proved so brief. · hen the nurse Shonagon thought about her charge's unexpected good une, she could not help seeing it as a buddha's response to the prayers anxious nun had offered for Murasaki during her religious exercises. h a most imposing lady at the minister of the left's house, to say nothing umerous attachments in other places, difficulties seemed all too likely to

'e after the child grew up, but Genji's remarkable devotion was surely a tent.of good things to come.

.. enji arranged for Murasaki to discard her dark robes at the end of the 'lfth month, three months being the prescribed period of mourning for a ternal grandparent. But the nun had been like a mother to her, and she e no ostentatious colors-only semiformal outer robes in unfigured

~; purples, and yellows, in which she looked very smart and attractive. •Penji peeped into her room as he was leaving for the congratulations. 6

id you turn into a grown-up today?" He smiled, handsome and charm- .. She had already marshaled her dolls and was absorbed in play. He had . vided her with accessories, kept on the shelves of a pair of three-foot inets, and with a group of tiny buildings, all of which now littered the

or. /'Inu said she was chasing demons and she broke this. 7 I'm fixing it," she id with a serious face. "That was careless of her. We'll get it mended right away. This is a day

,6. The congratulations (kojohai) was a ceremony honoring the emperor, held at the impe- T! palace on New Year's Day. · 7, Demon-chasing (tsuina) was a vigorous ritual performed on the last night of the year. Its urpose was to rid the premises of pestilence demons.

II8 The Tale of Genji

for avoiding inauspicious things; you mustn't cry." His departure with throng of attendants was a marvelous spectacle. The ladies-in-waiting wen to the veranda to watch. Murasaki also went out and looked, after whic she dressed a doll as Genji and dispatched him to the palace. Shonagon tri to make her feel embarrassed about her addiction to play. "You must act little more grown up this year," she said. "Someone who's past ten is supposed to play with dolls. Now that you have a husband, you need to quiet and gentle when you're with him, like a proper wife. As it is, you eve fret when someone does your hair."

Her speech was a revelation. "So I have a husband!" Murasaki muse "My ladies' 'husbands' are ugly, but mine is young and handsome." Despit her love of dolls, such reflections suggested that she had indeed grown year older. The members of the household puzzled over her childishnes which was apparent on innumerable occasions, but it did not occur to a of them that she and Genji might not be sleeping together as man and wif ·

Genji went from the palace to his father-in-law's mansion. His wife w her usual self, elegant and correct, with a guarded air that made him fe awkward. "I can't tell you how happy I'd be if you could at least decide let this year mark a turning point for us, the beginning of something a lit closer to a normal marriage," he said. But it was only to have been expecte that she would seem even more distant and constrained than in the past, fo she had heard that he was lavishing attentions on someone whom he ha installed in his house, and she must have been worrying ever since about t seriousness of the relationship. Forcing herself to act as though there w nothing on her mind, she unbent and responded to hi~ sallies in a mann distinctively her own. She was four years his senior, enough older to be her prime, and to make him feel callow. He realized that she was a worn who left nothing to be desired, and that his own philandetihg was to bla for her coldness. The true cause of their estrangement was probably th they viewed their relationship in different ways. As the cosseted only daug ter of the nation's preeminent minister, her mother an imperial princess, s · possessed an unparalleled appreciation of her own importance and reacte with shocked indignation to any lapse on Genji's part, whereas he consi ered her unreasonably proud and tried to mold her into conformity with h notion of what a wife should be.

The minister was also disturbed by Genji's unreliability, but the mere sig of him was enough to make him forget his resentment and shower him wi attentions. Dropping by early the next morning, as Genji was preparing leave, he personally brought in a famous belt to go with his ceremo ·. robes, straightened the rear of his costume, and all but put on his shoes f him in a moving display of solicitude. :

"The palace banquet will be coming up; I'll use the belt then," Genji said

8. The palace banquet (naien) was a Chinese poetry gathering, held annually in the 6 month of the year.

t the minister quet; I just b as in fact on] his life seen

)lid be no gre, µghter's husba

!though Gen isited only a

ince and the r enue. !'His Lordship · more beautifi

's admiring nd as she peei:

was cause fc of the Fujit

.d was bound went by, di

.sips began to

. ould surely b ji made quie1 vinced than e

a sinking h .world of im1 e second m

ies forgotte1 )ion, but she

r demisewo said to have

eat a time, .. er to see hi: oks like " h, , '

afraid he refusal so

obody cou ~e to Genji.

now I've c< if. People a1

ce-nothi houghts, sl m time tot rgument, h

departure With es-m-wa1tmg We 1oked, after Whi ce. Shonagon tri

«v r. 1ou must ac ho's past ten is 1d, you need to . As it is, you ev

Murasaki muse .ndsome." Des pi d indeed grown · her childishnes l not occur to an as man and wif

ion. His wife w iat made him fe at least decide t something a littl

ave been expecte an in the past, fo me whom he ha er since about th though there wa 1llies in a manne 1gh o Ider to be i she was a woma ·· ring was to blam ,as probably that seted only <laugh erial princess, sh tance and reacte hereas he consid nformity with hi

but the mere sigh shower him wit was preparing to. :h his ceremonial t on his shoes for

hen," Genji said.'

I annually in the first

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves Il9

minister insisted that he wear it. "You'll have a better one for the • I just brought this because it looks a little unusual," he told him. 'fact only when he was fussing over Genji and admiring his beauty 'Jife seemed worth living. Infrequent though the visits were, there e no greater pleasure than seeing such a man come and go as his r's husband.

ough Genii had announced that he intended to pay New Year calls, ed only a few places: the imperial palace, the residences of the crown

:and the retired emperor, and the Fujitsubo lady's house on Sanj6

s ·Lordship looks remarkably handsome today. The more he matures, re beautiful he seems; it makes one quite nervous," said the Fujitsubo admiring attendants. Many thoughts crowded into tlieir mistress's

'as she peeped at him through a gap in her curtains. as cause for some concern that the twelfth month had passed with no

'0 £ the Fujitsubo lady's delivery. Her people continued to wait-the :was bound to arrive in the first month, they said-but the first month 'went by, pisappointing their expectations. To the lady's dismay, the lps began tb'speculate. Might a malicious spirit be impeding the birth? uld surely be the death of her, she lamented. Sunk in misery, she fell ill.

1 made quiet arrangements for esoteric rites at numerous temples, more inced than ever that the child must be his. He mulled over the situation a sinking heart. Was her death to mark the end of a fleeting moment

world of impermanence? But she gave birth to a son toward the middle e second month, and the emperor and her household rejoiced, their

ries forgotten. She felt now that she must cling to life. It was a painful sion, but she began a gradual recovery, spurred by the thought that news er demise would produce a gleeful response from the Kokiden lady, who .said to have referred to her in language that amounted to a curse. · e emperor could hardly wait for his son to arrive in the palace. Bur-

ed with his secret and consumed with worry, Genji went to the Sanj6 \e at a time when no other visitors were present. "His Majesty says he ager to see his son. I wonder if I might see him; then I can tell him what

. ooks like," he said. ''I'm afraid he's still at the ugly newborn stage," the lady demurred. Her refusal sounded not unreasonable, but the truth of the matter was ;~t nobody could mistake the child's astonishing, almost uncanny resem- '~nce to Genji. Her conscience nagged. "Once people see him, everyone ill know I've committed a transgression so terrible I can hardly believe it ,}'self. People are always ready to find fault, even when it's nothing of im- 'ortance-nothing like this. What will happen to my reputation?" Beset by ch thoughts, she seemed to herself the victim of a uniquely bitter fate.

: From time to time, Genji saw Lady My6bu. Making use of every conceiv- ,.ble argument, he implored her to arrange a meeting with her mistress, but

120 The Tale of Genji

it need hardly be said that his efforts were futile. He badgered her with pie to let him see the baby. "Why be so unreasonable? You'll see him soo enough in the natural course of events," she said. Inwardly, she was as dis tressed as he. Too embarrassed to come to the point, he said, "I wonder i there will ever be a time when I can talk to her without an intermediary. He was a pathetic figure, his eyes brimming with tears. [His poem:]

ikasama ni mukashi musuberu

chigiri nite kono yo ni kakaru naka no hedate zo

What was the nature of the karma we fashioned

in a time gone by, that in this world we suffer separation such as this?

"I just don't understand this kind of thing," he said. Myobu, a witness to the lady's anguish, could not bring herself to reb

him. She murmured a soft reply:

mite mo omou minu hata ika ni

nagekuran ko ya yo no hito no madou ch6 yami

The one who sees grieves. And what must be the sorrow

of the one who sees not? Might this be the darkness where humans are said to stray?9

"It distresses me that neither of you should know a moment's peace." , Since he could find no way to send in a message, Genji left. The Fujitsub"

lady, worried about gossip, told Myobu not to dream of helping him. Sh no longer admitted her attendant to the trustful intima,cy of old, and ther must have been times when she showed displeasure with her, even thou she treated her well enough to avoid comment. Myobu must have felt vef forlorn and disappointed. ··

The baby was taken to the imperial palace in the fourtli fuonth. He w large for his age and precocious, already showing signs of wanting to sit u The emperor was not at all suspicious of his amazing resemblance to Gent' "It's just as they say; two supremely handsome individuals do tend to loo very much alike," he thought. He was enchanted. His affection for the infa Genji had been equally warm, and he still much regretted that fear of pubh disapproval had kept him from naming the boy crown prince. It had been sorrow to watch him develop into someone whose bearing and appearal) were far too distinguished for a subject. But now he possessed a son wif the same radiant beauty, born of a mother whose status was irreproachabL and he treated him as a flawless gem. Meanwhile, the Fujitsubo lady exist in perpetual apprehension and gloom, worried as much by the emperor joy as by the child's appearance.

One day, when Genji was participating as usual in a musical gathering the Fujitsubo pavilion, the emperor came out with the baby in his arms. " •

9. An allusion to Kanesuke's poem on parental love ("Kiritsubo," n. 5).

my sons, you : en you were J m to notice a y're tiny." He

Genji was sure s-one emoti s. The baby 1 ugh he said i1

.. hought rathe: barrassment. espite the ea d, Genji foun is own apart1 aw's house af1 ild pinks we1

een backgrou probably rar

yosoet, miru ni k,

nagusa tsuyukesa nadeshikc

suitable opp, istress. "Pie a speck of d1 e Fujitsubo

.. uced what i

sodem tsuyu no y

omour nao utomf yamatona,

y6bu sent it , etched spirit sual silence.

y.

;ered her with ou'll see him ; dly, she was as · said, "I wond : an intermedia His poem:]

1re ioned

suffer is?

grieves. ~ sorrow :snot? :<ness d to stray? 9

ent's peace." left. The Fujitsu f helping him. s r of old, and the , her, even thoug aust have felt ver

th month. He wa wanting to sit up· mblance to Genji ls do tend to loo· :tion for the infan that fear of publi .nee. It had been g and appearanc sessed a son wit as irreproachable tsubo lady existed by the emperor's

1sical gathering at yin his arms. "Of

5).

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves

s, you were t~e only one I saw co~stantly, begin?ing with the days were just this young. Perhaps 1t s the assoc1at10n of ideas, but I

. otice a close resemblance. I wonder if all babies look alike when y." He gazed at the child with deep affection. as sure he was changing color. Trepidation, shame, joy, tender-

e emotion seemed to follow another, and his eyes brimmed with baby looked almost ominously appealing as it cooed and smiled.

}le said it himself, it was no small thing to resemble such a paragon, ht rather egotistically. The Fujitsubo lady perspired in an agony of ssment. te the eagerness with which he had looked forward to seeing the enji found the experience so unsettling that he left the palace. Back wn apartments, he lay down to rest. He would go on to his father- house after he regained his composure. pinks were blooming in the garden outside, a splash of color against background. He picked one and sent it to Lady Myobu, with a letter

obably ran on at considerable length. [His poem:]

yoso,et;mtsu miru ni kokoro wa

nagusamade tsuyukesa masaru nadeshiko no hana

Small consolation to gaze at the pink in bloom,

mindful of another: the tears I shed outnumber the dewdrops on its petals.

looked forward to the flower's bloom, but ours is a hopeless sit-

uitable opportunity must have arisen, for Myobu showed the letter to \stress. "Please do send him an answer on a petal, even if it's no more a speck of dust," she said. 10 'e Fujitsubo lady herself was wrestling with painful emotions. She need what seemed half an answer, a single poem written in faint

sode nururu tsuyu no yukari to

omou ni mo nao utornarenu yamatonadeshiko

Though I tell myself it is the source of dewdrops

dampening sleeves, I cannot look with dislike on the wild pink of Yamato.

yobu sent it on, happy even with so little. Genji had been lying down retched spirits, staring into space, with no expectation of anything but usual silence. The poem made his heart beat wildly, and he shed tears .oy. •. o matter how long he might lie there moping, he thought, his spirits uld be unlikely to revive. He went to seek diversion in the west wing, as

-,.)::'o. An allusion to Mitsune's poem ("The Broom Tree," n. 8).

122 The Tale of Genji

was his custom at such times. Blowing a pleasant air on his flute, he peep into Murasaki's room, his hair untidy and his robes rumpled. She remind him of the dewy pinks as she leaned against an armrest, looking bewit ingly sweet and pretty. Apparently piqued by his failure to come as soon he reached home, she kept her face averted in uncharacteristic fashion, knelt at the threshold. "Come here," he said. As though she had not hea she murmured a line from a poem: "A rock when the swelling tide ro' in." 11 She raised a sleeve to her mouth in a delightfully coquettish gestu'

"You're not being nice at all. When did you learn to talk that way? I do want you to get a surfeit of seaweed." 12 He told someone to bring a ko for her. "The second string on the thirteen-stringed instrument doesn't sta up very well to high notes. It would be a nuisance to have it break," he sai He took it down to the hyojo mode, played a few notes to tune it, a · pushed it away. She stopped pouting and began to play with childish gra looking very sweet as she bent her tiny body to twang the strings with h left hand. Charmed, he coached her while he played the flute. She was · bright that a single hearing was all she needed to master a difficult melo Her lively intelligence and delightful disposition were exactly what he h hoped for. He gave "Hosoroguseri" a spirited rendition that made its u name seem acceptable, and she accompanied him in perfect time, her to immature but rich with promise.

The servants lighted the lamps, and the two of them looked at pictures. Since Genji had announced that he would be going out, his attendants

gan to clear their throats. "It looks like rain," a voice said. As usual, Mu saki's spirits sank. She turned away from the pictures and lay facedown, pathetic sight. He stroked the abundant hair tumbling over her shoulde "Do you miss me when I'm away?" he asked. She bobbed her head. c

"It's very hard for me, too, if I have to go without seeing: you for a d But I feel I can be at ease with you while you're still a little girl, and th are some jealous ladies whom I don't want to offend. They're being rat difficult, so I'm going to have to go out like this for a while. I'll never anywhere after you grow up. The reason I don't want anyone to hate m that I hope to live a long life and spend it happily with you." His lo. explanation left her abashed and speechless. She put her head on his . and promptly fell asleep. Overcome with compassion, he told the ladies- waiting that he had decided not to go out that evening, and they all w off to bring his dinner to the west wing.

r r. Anonymous (MYS r 398): shio miteba I irinuru iso no/ kusa nare ya/ miraku su naku / kouraku no oki ("Seldom do I see you, often do I yearn for you. Yet you are not sea".'~ on a rock that vanishes when the swelling tide rolls in"). . '.

12. Genii uses aku to mean "surfeit" instead of "one's fill," twisting the meaning of anonymous poem he quotes (KKS 683): ise no ama no/ asa na yii na ni / kazuku cho / miru, ni hito o / aku yoshi mo ga na ("I long for a means of seeing my fill of you-seeing like' weed, the 'see weed' lse fishers harvest morning and evening"), There is a pun on rnir {"seeing," "seeing eye,,; a type of seaweed}.

HewokeMur rcgoodhumor ,ell, then, plea ·mind.How c µntain road i here were m,

urally heard hg to the hoi: · es-in-waiting a word abou oiled child! 1 efinement; sl in love with, s childish am he emperor l the minister doing eveq

not as thougl What mak,

, . re prom1scu, women you

: ' . .ts causing so ·· espite his ad woman, best and bright,

ch many de, ts seldom fa · ously detach e other reasc

Wering long t n the game.: he emperor': .. was well-b< promiscuou

st in men, G . _something c m an affair

. acy, assurir ~nation, he 1 Wn that heh ne day, afte1 emperor's hE

his flute, he Pee . pied. She remin t, looking bewit to come as soo teristic fashion. she had not hea swelling tide r

coquettish gest lk that way? I do ,ne to bring a k 1ment doesn't sta e it break," he sa ,tes to tune it, a .vith childish gra he strings with e flute. She was · a difficult melo rnctly what he h that made its ug

'ect time, her tou

,oked at pictures. :, his attendants b d. As usual, Mur 1d lay facedown, )Ver her shoulde d her head. eing you for a da ittle girl, and the hey're being rath while. I'll never tyone to hate me th you." His lo er head on his la : told the ladies-i and they all we

nare ya I miraku suk Yet you are not seawee~

ing the meaning of t / kazuku cha / miru

of you-seeing like t · ~e is a pun on miru11f

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves 123

•,J.<e .Murasaki up. "I've decided not to go out," he said. She sat up, hurnor restored, and they dined together. She toyed with her food .

11 please go to bed," she said, as though afraid he might change

a.\-Iow could he ever leave such a one, even to set off on the Shide in road itself? were rnany times when Genji was detained in the same way. People

1 heard about what was happening, and the stories were passed ": the household of the minister of the left. "Who can she be?" the > -waiting at the mansion asked one another. "It passes belief! Still ':rd about her identity, and look at the way she hangs onto him like

1 ed child! She can't have much to recommend her in the way of birth

'nerrient; she's probably someone he met at the palace or some place, ··1ove with, and hid for fear of criticism. Maybe that's why they say hildish and unreasonable."

e' ernperor heard that Genji was keeping a woman at home. "It's pitiful ihe rninister of the left should feel so unhappy," he told his son. "He's "doing everything imaginable for you ever since you were a child, and · tas tho.ugh you weren't old enough now to understand what you owe .;:What ni'akes you so heartless?" Genji preserved a respectful silence. r lad," the emperor thought. "He doesn't seem to care much for his

." He continued, "And yet I don't see or hear anything to suggest that ;re promiscuous or infatuated with one of the ladies-in-waiting here or •women you see elsewhere. What kind of hole-in-the-corner affair is it fs causing so much resentment?" espite his advancing years, the emperor retained an eye for an interest-

woman, bestowing special praise and favor on anyone who was attrac- and bright, even a waitress or seamstress; and his was a reign during

ch many clever and accomplished women served at court. These atten- ts seldom failed to take Genji up on a casual remark, but he seemed

iously detached, whether because he knew all of them too well, or for •··· e other reason; and if one ventured a flirtatious overture, he merely kept

ering long enough to save her from embarrassment, with no real inter- .in the game. Some of them considered him much too sober. he emperor's staff included an assistant handmaid, no longer young,

o was well-born, clever, elegant, and popular, but extremely coquettish d promiscuous. Why should a woman of her age retain such a lively in-

Jest in men, Genji wondered. He flirted with her a bit out of curiosity. It as something of a shock to discover that she perceived nothing incongru- us in an affair with him, but he persisted until they shared a moment of timacy,. assuring himself that it would be a novel experience. Later, to her dignation, he treated her with studied indifference, unwilling to let it be

llown that he had dallied with an old woman. One day, after this same handmaid, Naishi-no-suke, had finished doing e emperor's hair, His Majesty summoned a dresser and went to have his

124 The Tale of Genji

robes changed, leaving her alone with Genji. She had got herself up to loo positively seductive, her general appearance prettier than usual, her po and coiffure alluring, her robes gay and worn with a dashing air. Geri observed the effect with distaste, finding it unbecoming that she should din to youth with such desperation, but he could imagine what she was thin ing, and it seemed impossible to ignore her. He gave the end of her train suggestive tug. 13 She responded with a languorous sidelong gaze from b hind a gorgeous fan, her half-lowered discolored eyelids sagging, and he exposed tresses lamentably rough. The fan seemed to him scarcely suitabl He took it from her to look at it, presenting his own in exchange. It wa. decorated with a grove of tall golden trees, painted on red paper, its colo' bright enough to reflect onto the user's face. The unpainted half containe a snatch of poetry, scribbled in an outmoded but not inelegant hand: "No that they have aged-these grasses under the trees." 14 He could not he! smiling. What could have possessed her? It was not as though other pos sibilities had been lacking.

"Summer seems to have visited the grove," he said." He quailed at the prospect of being caught addressing frivolous remark

to an inappropriate partner, but the lady thought otherwise. She murmure. a poem in an inviting voice:

kimi shi koba tanare no koma ni

karikawan sakari sugitaru shitakusa naritomo

[He replied:]

sasa wakeba hito ya togamemu

itsu to naku koma uatsukumeru mori no kogakure

Past their prime they may be- those grasses under the trees-

but if you will come, I will cut them as fodder to feed your favorite· horse.

·, .i ·;-, I fear a challenger · ·.,

were I to tread the bamboo grass in the shady grove

where other people's horses seem so very much at home.

"There are too many complications," he said, getting to his feet. Sh caught hold of his sleeve and burst into hysterical tears. "Nothing like th' has happened to me before. I've never been so humiliated," she sobbed.

13. They are both seated. 14. Anonymous (KKS 892): 6araki no/ mori no shitakusa / oinureba / koma mo susamezu

karu hito mo nashi ("Now that they have aged-these grasses under the trees at Oars Woods-no horses come to eat them, no reapers come to cut them").

15. "On the contrary, you seem to have lots of admirers." Minamoto no Saneakira (SAS :z.8 hototogisu I kinaku o kikeba / 6araki no / mori koso natsu no / yadori narurame ("That ~ hear cuckoos come with voices raised in song is surely because 6araki Woods has become the~ summer home").

m be in tou ed to leave. I a bridge p e emperor, g partition.

s are always didn't reject t embarrasst cence, possil

· names link akenly or no "•-no-chujo g ss1p among possibilities

'ght. He proc he notion oi ·ved so mar

ht he woui ion whom I .. e lady kept ·· e reproache ind thought

uch time e e evening,;

ool afterma1 . Her skill,

· joined the µioving to r, inted in lov ed voice. It attention, ,

,ded equally • istraught ta

;, Probably a re o I nagara no be as far gon,

'") N · · agara Br: He has refere

'..,no-suke's sor t him, only slig ashiro! NA! N,

The melon fa, / A! What shal elans ripen ;i YA " (The Words i

herself up to lo · .n usual, her po :lashing air. Gen at she should di 1at she was thin· end of her train mg gaze from b ; sagging, and h 1 scarcely suitabl · exchange. It w

,d paper, its col ted half containe :gant hand: "No -le could not hel :hough other pos

frivolous remar se. She murmure

,y may be- e trees- e, !er lOrse.

nboo grass

10rses home.

g to his feet. She 'Nothing like thi ," she sobbed.

/ koma mo susamezu / ·r the trees at Oaraki

no Saneakira (SAS 28): . narurame ("That we 'oods has become their,

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves 125

in wuch soon. It's not that I don't care." He freed himself and . leave. She seized his robe again, crying in a reproachful voice,

.;~ridge pillar?"'• fllperor, his toilet complete, had observed the scene from behind a artition. An ill-assorted pair, he thought in amusement. "My atten-

re always fretting about your primness, but here's one opportunity n't reject," he said to Genji with a laugh. Naishi-no-suke felt some-

rnbarrassed, but she made no very vigorous attempt to assert her hce, possibly because she was one of those people who enjoy having ·arnes linked with attractive members of the opposite sex, whether enly or not. 'o-chiijo got wind of the affair, which seems to have become a subject sip among the emperor's surprised attendants. "I like to explore what- ·ossibilities there are, but I see that I've overlooked something," he ht. He proceeded to woo and win Naishi-no-suke, his interest aroused ' notion of an intrigue with a woman whose amorous instincts had •ed so many years. He was no ordinary man, and Naishi-no-suke ht he w,ould do to take her mind off Genji's unkindness, but it was

'on who'in'her heart was set-perhaps a little too fastidiously. e lady kept her new romance so quiet that Genji caught no inkling of e reproached him whenever she saw him. He pitied her because of her nd thought about consoling her, but the prospect held little appeal, uch time elapsed while he procrastinated.

11e evening, as he was strolling in the dark near the Unmeiden, enjoying 2ool aftermath of a shower, he heard her playing the lute with an expert 'h. Her skill at the instrument was unsurpassed-so remarkable that she

joined the gentlemen when they made music for the emperor-and it ·!Iloving to realize that he was hearing a performance by a woman dis- ointed in love. She sang, "Shall I wed a melon farmer?" in an accom- ed voice. It made a somewhat unpleasant impression, but he listened attention, wondering if the voice admired by Bo Juyi at Ezhou had ded equally beautiful. 17 The lute broke off, as though the musician were

distraught to continue.

. ·Probably a reference to a poem cited in an old commentary, or to one like it: tsu no no! nagara no hashi no/ hashibashira / furinuru mi koso / kanashikere ("How grievous to be as far gone in years as the bridge pillars on the Bridge of Nagara in the province of

.u!"). Nagara Bridge appears often in classical literature as a symbol of advanced age. 7•. He has reference to a woman Bo Juyi overheard singing on a boat anchored near his.

.\hi~no~suke's song, the saibara "Yamashiro," impresses Genji because it is a complaint \rtst him, only slightly veiled. "Yamashiro" (KDKYS, p. 398): "The melon farmer near Koma .}1mashirO! NA! NAYOYA! RAISHINA YA! SAISHINA YA! The melon farmer, the melon farmer! ~! The melon farmer says he wants me. What shall I do? NA! NAYOYA! RAISHINA YA! SAI-

.!'IA YA! What shall I do? What shall I do? HARE! What shall I do? Shall I marry him before /!llelons ripen? YA RAISHINA YA! SAISHINA YA! Before the melons ripen? Before the melons en?" (The words in small capitals are meaningless chants.)

126 The Tale of Genji

Genji went closer, singing "Curve-roofed House" in a soft voice, and sh chimed in when he reached the line, "Push it open and come in!" 18 It di not seem the sort of thing most women would have done. She recited a poe in plaintive accents:

tachinururu hito shimo araji

azumaya m utate mo kakaru amasosogi ka na

How hard it seems that rain must drip from the eaves

of the curve-roofed house, where there is but little chance of someone's standing in the wet!

He was unlikely to be the only man to whom her reproaches might apply> he thought. It was unpleasant of her to indulge in such blatant complaints' [His response:]

hitozuma wa ina wazurawashi

azumaya no maya no amari mo nareji to zo omou

Trouble must ensue from visiting a woman

claimed by another. I think I would be ill-advised to get too friendly with you. 19

Although he wanted to leave, he decided to make himself agreeable rathe than hurt her feelings, and they exchanged some lively jokes-a conversa, tion he found interesting enough in its way.

Genji treated T6-no-chiij6 to frequent solemn lectures about his philan dering, a habit not appreciated by his friend, who had formed the distinc impression that Genji was involved in a number of clandestine liaisons him self, in spite of his affectation of rectitude. It was T6-no-chiij6's great amb tion to catch him out; and now, to his glee, he discovered him in Naishi-n suke's room. He decided to give him a small fright-just i;npugh to fluste him-so that he could say, "Let this be a lesson to you!" He waited aroun to let him have time to relax.

A cool breeze came up, and it began to get late. Concluding that the tW were probably asleep, he stole toward the room. The sound of a footst startled Genji, who had not felt comfortable enough to doze off. Nev dreaming that the intruder was T6-no-chiij6, he thought, "It must be Suri no-kami; they say he can't forget her." He picked up his cloak and retreate. behind a folding screen, intent on avoiding the embarrassment of bein caught by an older man in a demeaning situation. "This is too much!"

r8. Like "Yamashiro," "Curve-roofed House" (azumaya) was a saibara (KDKYS, p. 384 "He: I stand here drenched by raindrops falling from the eaves of your curve-roofed house, your gabled house. Open the door! She: That door I would fasten had I a latch, had I a bol But push it open and come in! Am I someone else's wife?" ,

19. Genji's poem contains a reference to "Curve-roofed House" in the form of an or mental preface (io, omitted in the translation): "the eaves of your curve-roofed hoU of your gabled house." The juncture to the rest of the poem is through a pun on ain {"eaves"; "too").

id. "I'm going! ve known he'd mothering his

e folds togethe1 iphisticated, vo .en at her age. S 'rm might befa {ng hand, bent nji wanted to m the rear, wi

'Maintaining s -chiijo drew h rage.

"Spare my lov, p.ed in supplic r seductive air rd appearanc< w, unabashed] µre as she Imel

6-no-chiijo's yed only to eJ<

as all a pra sped To-no-cl retted that ti th. .I really do qt

a joke. Wei refused to I( loose and t1

ggled until a 'ted a poem:]

tsutsu1 na yamo

hikika kaku hok naka no I

kakur, mono to:

natsug kitaru O t kokoro tc

soft voice, and s come in!" 1s It d' She recited a po

om the eaves i house, le chance ; in the wet!

aches might app\ ,latant complaint

le

n '.f,

advised th you, 19

elf agreeable rath okes-a conversJ

, about his phila :ormed the distin estine liaisons hi ~hiijo's great amb I him in Naishi-n . t enough to £lust· He waited arour{

uding that the tW ound of a footste to doze off. Nev t, "It must be Sui joak and retreate :rassment of bein s is too much!" h

,ibara (KDKYS, p. 384) r curve-roofed house, d l l a latch, had I a bol

n the form of an orn ur curve-roofed hou rough a pun on am

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves 12.7

}rn going! How could you inveigle me into staying, when you must own he'd be coming?" hering his laughter, To-no-chiijo went over to the screen and banged

'els together, making as much noise as he could. Naishi-no-suke was a icated, voluptuous woman, no stranger to disconcerting incidents

t her age. She was not so agitated that she failed to worry about what tt1ight befall Genji, ~nd she caught hold of the intruder wjth a tr~~- hand, bent on restrammg him. Still unaware that 1t was To-no-chu10, wanted to leave but hesitated, thinking what a fool he would look he rear, with his cap crooked and his robes in disarray. intaining silence to keep Genji from recognizing his voice, To- ujo drew his sword and produced an imitation of a man maddened

e. are my lover!" Naishi-no-suke begged. She faced him with her hands

· in supplication. It was all he could do to keep from laughing. With · ductive air and youthful toilette, she presented a not unattractive out-

appearance, but she was a woman of fifty-seven or fifty-eight; and unabashedly disheveled and distraught, she cut a most unbecoming as she knelt in terror between the two handsome twenty-year-olds.

--no-chiijo's efforts to disguise himself with a ferocious appearance Cd only to expose his identity to Genji, who recognized sheepishly that ~s all a prank. His friend had known he was inside. He promptly ed To-no-chiijo's sword arm and gave it a severe pinch. T6-no-chiij6

1~tted that the game was up, but he could no longer restrain his "h. Freally do question your sanity. You don't seem to understand how to

a joke. Well, I'll put on my cloak," Genji said. To-no-chiijo seized it refused to let go. "All right, we'll both do without." Genji pulled his

tloose and tried to strip off his cloak. To-no-chiijo resisted, and they ggled until a seam on Genji's robe burst and unraveled, [To-no-chiijo 'ed a poem:]

tsutsumumeru na ya moriiden

hikikawashi kaku hokoroburu naka no koromo ni

Through the opened seam of an inner robe damaged

in a tug of war, word will doubtless leak out of the love you sought to hide.

e truth will be sadly visible if you don't wear anything over it." enji:]

kakure uaki mono to shirushiru

natsugoromo kitaru o usuki kokoro to zo miru

It was ill-advised to come on such an errand

while well aware that your own romances can easily be brought to light,

The Tale of Genji

With amity restored after this passage, they both left the palace, looki distinctly untidy.

Genji went to bed, smarting over To-no-chiijo's discovery. On the f lowing morning, his trousers, belt, and other discarded articles arriv from Naishi-no-suke, who had been dumbfounded by the whole affair. (H poem:]

uramite mo iu kai zo naki

tachikasane hikite kaerishi

. . . nam1 no nagon m

"The bed must have been visible." 20

It would do no good were I to utter complaints.

The waves in turn approached, the waves in concert receded-and in their wake ...

She was shameless! Genji was disgusted, but the memory of her conste nation evoked a characteristic impulse of sympathy. This was his only replt

aradachishi nami ni kokoro wa

sawaganedo yoseken iso o ikaga uraminu

I am not angry with the wave that approached

so violently, but how could I fail to resent the beach that invited it?

The belt belonged to To-no-chiijo. Genji saw that the color was too dar. to be his, and also that he was missing a cuff. 21 He took the experience t. heart. It had been a discreditable series of events. And no doubt a confirm<; roue was always landing himself in such ridiculous situations.

To his annoyance, To-no-chiijo sent him his cuff, neatly wrapped, fro his quarters in the palace, together with a suggestion that he lose no time · reattaching it. How could he have got hold of it? Fortunately

1 Genji had tc;

belt. He dispatched it, wrapped in paper of the same color;' together with poem:

naka taeba kagoto ya ou to

ayausa m hanada no obi wa torite dani mizu

The reply:

Worried lest you two reach a parting of the ways

and I bear the blame, I have not even ventured to look at this blue belt.

20. Naishi-no-suke's poem includes words that can mean "shore," "sea," and "seashell She continues the water imagery with a reference to an anonymous love poem (scss 931' wakarete no / nochi zo kanashiki / namidagawa / soko mo arawa ni I narinu to amoeba ("fl: ter our parting, I was overwhelmed by grief. I can only think the bed of my river of tears mu have become visible"},

2r. From his cloak. By convention, belt and cloak were the same color, lighter shades dicating higher status. The "cuff" was actually an ornamental strip of cloth just above sleeve opening.

kimi ni hikitorarer

obi nar, kakute tae naka to ka

at afternoon. d with form, sed, but it wa ne and handi1 solemn, dign ed at each otl 6-no-chiijo w, ve learned a 1 ong glance. Not at all," G 'nd and go h< · worried abo ~k of it.

arch reproa, as a threat he he emperor n efer to Gen j i '6 challenged d. He was th

· eror. He was o was the SO\

anything in .'butes: every1 two in matt~ eful to dwell

e Fujitsubo ame a consul ake his baby 0 body to ac1

Jives all belo Jgible for the

:i,. It was always

the palace, loo

;overy. On the led articles arri e whole affair. (

>Od laints.

·es m concert :r wake ...

1ory of her const was his only rep!

)proached

to resent :I it?

color was too da k the experience doubt a confirm

tions. 1tly wrapped, fro t he lose no time ' i.tely, Genji had t or, together with

:WO

: ways me, ired elt.

' "sea," and "seashell love poem (scss 937

.1arinu to omoeba ("A_ ,f my river of tears mu

:olor, lighter shades i of cloth just above th

A Celebration Amid Autumn Leaves 129

kimi ni kaku I must complain ikitorarenuru of a shattered romance, · obi nareba a casualty 'akute taenuru of the situation .'aka to kakotan in which I lost the belt to you.

n't be able to escape my wrath." ·· ternoon, both of them were in the courtiers' hall. Genji treated his ith formal courtesy, the picture of composure. To-no-chiijo was but it was a day on which there was much official reporting to the

'nd handing down of edicts, and he was required to comport himself l~rnn, dignified manner. The two could not help smiling when they at each other.

0 ,chiijo went over to Genji when they happened to be alone. "I hope

learned a lesson about secret affairs," he said, fixing him with a stern g glance. at all," Genji said. "I just feel sorry for the fellow who had to wait and go home with nothing to show for it. To tell the truth, though,

&rried ,i,b_out gossip." They ended by agreeing that neither would of it. '

'i.tbsequent verbal jousts, To-no-chiijo never missed an opportunity to it the incident, and Genji must have come to realize, with increasing

' what a mistake it had been to get involved with such a nuisance of a

n. To his annoyance, Naishi-no-suke still insisted on favoring him arch reproaches. To-no-chiijo had decided to say nothing to his sister;

a threat he would hold in reserve. e emperor made his special affection so clear that everyone felt obliged ter to Genji, even princes born of high-ranking consorts, but To-no- challenged him on the most trivial points, determined not to be over-

• He was the only full brother of Genji's wife, and in his view, the sole ence between him and Genji was that Genji's father happened to be an

eror. He was a princess's son, reared with incomparable care by a father 'was the sovereign's favorite minister, and he could not see that there anything inferior about his status. Nor was he deficient in personal

butes: everything was ideal, nothing was lacking. The rivalry between two in matters of the heart took some odd turns, but it would be dis- ful to dwell on the subject.

he Fujitsubo lady was named empress in the seventh month, and Genji me a consultant. The emperor was getting ready to retire. He intended ake his baby son the next crown prince, but fretted because there would obody to act as regent after the boy ascended the throne. The maternal tives all belonged to the imperial clan, and members of the Genji were

Jigible for the regency.22 He had therefore decided that he would at least

It was always a Fujiwara who served as regent.

130 The Tale of Genji

give the mother a solid base from which to support the child. 23 The Koki lady was upset, of course, but he told her not to worry. "Your son be emperor very soon, and then you're sure to be named grand empref he said.

As usual, the gossips made censorious remarks. "No wonder she's b ter. One would have thought it would be hard to set aside a woman who not only the crown prince's mother but also a consort of more than twe years' standing," they said. · ·

Genji served as a member of the entourage on the night the Fujitsubo 1~ made her formal entry into the palace. There was, perhaps, nothing no about being in the presence of an empress, but this one was an empre/ daughter, as radiant as a jewel, and the sovereign's dearly beloved conso and the gentlemen in the retinue treated her with very special respect. T unhappy Genji found his thoughts straying inside the palanquin. Tormem, by the feeling that she was now hopelessly inaccessible, he was hard put, maintain his composure, and he murmured a poem with a full heart:

tsuki mo senu kokoro no yami ni

kururu ka na kumoi ni hito o miru ni tsukete mo

I stray in the dark of a spirit tormented

by undying love when I see my dearest one as remote as the clouds.

The empress was greatly distressed by the baby's resemblance to Genj which became more striking as he grew older, but nobody seemed to wo der at it. "To be as handsome as Genji, a person would have to look exact! like him; any difference would be a mark of inferiority. They're like the su and the moon-two similar orbs shining in the sky," people said.

23. By making her empress.

rom the fourtl 'twenty-third h: 14-15; Ro The emperor, d his maternal ~. expense of G

· felt discour

ers.1 As thot ho treated I

,his father, ai .wife. It wai )s mother, tl ial palace, 1,

)ness was th, }was nobod, 'i, who felt b: . anwhile, th named Ise' een thinkin

nee with he her misgiv

and loved 1

!ready a consc rn his father. A he daughter is