Ugetsu Monogatari or Tales of Moonlight and Rain (Routledge Revivals)
Page 24
ama wa tsugu to mo The fishermaids may tell you.
naga-i su na But do not tary long,
hito wasuregusa For here there is supposed to grow
ou to iu nari The grass of forgotten love.
NKBT, vol. 8, p. 286 (no. 917).
220 ‘Rainy Month’ Samidare: the 5th month of the lunar calendar.
221 ‘A bridge that once spanned,’ etc. Inishie no tsugihashi mo, etc’ see Man'yōshū,
Ano oto sezu If there were a horse
yukan koma mo ga That could gallop with silent hooves,
Katsushika no In Katsushika
Mama no tsugihashi Across the wooden bridge of Mama
yamazu kayowan I would come to you every night.
NKBT, vol. 6, pp. 416-7 (no. 3387). In Akinari's ‘Kinsa,’ tsugihashi is defined as a wooden bridge constructed at a river crossing. See Zenshu, 11, 102.
222 ‘Split by lightning’ Rai ni kudakareshi [2,5b]: Readers of The Tale of Genji will notice a general similarity between this description and that in ‘The Palace in the Tangled Woods,’ pp. 317-8 (see also notes 384 and 528).
223 ‘Clearing his throat’ Shiwabuki sureba: a customary way of announcing ones arrival, found in The Tale of Genji and other texts.
224 ‘Heard about the fighting at Kamakura’ Kamakura no heiran wo kiki [2,6a].
225 ‘Cloud of Witches Hill’ Fuzan no kumo: mentioned in the ‘Kao-t'ang fu,’ by Sung Yü, in the Wen hsüan, which relates how a woman once appeared to a former king in a dream and told him that she was the spirit of Wu shan, or ‘Witches Hill,’ and that in the morning she changed into a cloud and that in the evening she caused the rain to fall. See Monzen bōkun taizen, 5, 18b; and Waley, The Temple and Other Poems . . . (London: Allen & Unwin, 1923), pp. 65-6. See also note 460.
226 ‘Apparition at the Palace of Han’ Kankyū no maboroshi: The Emperor Wu of the Former Han dynasty lost his beloved consort, the Lady Li, and he held a seance, hoping that they might be reunited. She appeared to him, but when he tried to embrace her, she vanished. See Han shu, ch. 67.
227 ‘Miyagi, holding back her tears’ Tsuma [2, 6b] namida wo todomete.
228 ‘Autumn I begged you to return by’ Tanomu no aki: meaning both tanomu, ‘to ask,’ ‘to beg,’ or ‘to request,’ and also tanomu no sekku, the first day of the 8th lunar month, when festivities for the new harvest took place.
229 ‘Villagers fled,’ etc. Sato-bito wa mina ie wo sutete umi ni tadayoi yama ni komoreba: cf. the Hōjōki (An Account of My Hut), trans. Keene, Anthology of Japanese Literature (New York: Grove Press, 1955), p. 201; and NKBT, vol. 30, p. 27.
230 ‘Rather die as a broken jewel than go on living as common clay’ Tama to kudakete mo kawara no mataki ni wa narawaji mono wo: woodblock, narawashi; metaphorical expression found in a commentary on ‘Ai-ch'ing chuan,’ in New Tales for Lamplight, 3, 20b, which cites the Chinese dynastic history, Pei-ch'i shu. See Uzuki, Ugetsu, p. 235, and cf. Kokuyaku, p. 101.
231 ‘Milky Way’ Ginga: associated with the Tanabata Festival of the 7th day, 7th month, which is celebrated especially by lovers. On this day the herdboy star is permitted to cross the Milky Way and meet for one night only with the weavermaid. The 7th month by the lunar calendar also marks the beginning of autumn, so in a more general sense the Milky Way also stands for the season.
232 ‘Owls and foxes’ Kitsune fukurō: associated with deserted houses in Chinese and Japanese literature. See, for example, The Tale of Genji, p. 308; NKBT, vol. 15, p. 138; Po Chü-i's verse, ‘Hsiung chai shih,’ in Po shih Ch'ang-ch'ing chi, 1, 3b-4a; ‘Ai-ch'ing chuan,’ and ‘T'ai hsu ssu fa chuan,’ in New Tales for Lamplight, 3, 18a; 4, 13b; and Kokuyaku, pp. 98, 129.a
233 ‘But you should know,’ etc. Au wo matsu ma ni koi shinan wa hito shiranu urami naru beshi: cf. Goshūishū,
Hito shirezu But you should know
au wo matsu ma ni That while I wait for you
koi shinaba I may die of yearning,
nani ni kaetaru And how could I ever get back
inochi to ka iwan This precious gift of life?
Kokka taikan, p. 98 (no. 656).
234 ‘Fifth watch’ Gokō: the last of the five periods of the night, beginning about 4:00 a.m., depending on the season of the year.
235 ‘Began to grow light’ Ake yuku [2,7a] koro.
236 ‘Latticework bed’ Sugaki: coarsely-woven matting made from reeds or bamboo and used for beds before the more finely woven grass mats known as tatami came to be employed.
237 ‘Still late summer,’ etc. Aki naranedomo, etc.: cf. Kokinshū,
Sato wa arete The place is desolate,
hito wafuri ni shi And mother is growing old
yado nare ya In my poor cottage,
niwa mo magaki mo And both the garden and the hedge
aki no nora naru Will remind you of autumn moors.
NKBT, vol. 8, p. 150 (no. 248).
238 ‘Came back to meet me’ Kae- [2,7b] ri kitarite.
239 ‘It is only I, I alone who remain unchanged’ Waga mi hitotsu wa moto no mi ni shite: cf. Kokinshū,
Tsuki ya aranu The moon is not the same,
haru ya mukashi no And spring is not the spring
haru naranu Of olden days -
waga mi hitotsu wa It is only I,
moto no mi ni shite I alone, who remain unchanged.
NKBT, vol. 8, p. 250 (no. 747); also in Tales of Ise.
240 ‘Nasuno paper’ Nasuno-gami: wood-block, -kami; made in the area of Mt Karasuyama, in the Nasu highlands of Ibaragi.
241 ‘Holy name’ Hōmyō: posthumous name, given to a person at death and usually inscribed on a grave marker or tombstone.
242 ‘Nearest house’ Chikaki ie [2, 8a].
243 ‘In ruins,’ etc. Are-susamite, etc.: cf. ‘Ai-ch'ing chuan,’ in New Tales for Lamplight, 3, 18a; and Kokuyaku, p. 98.
244 ‘Where this old man lives’ Ie wa izube [2, 8b] nite.
245 ‘Shut myself up tightly’ Fukaku [2, 9a] tate-komorite.
246 ‘Bygone ages ago,’ etc. Inishie no koto yo [2, 9b], etc.: cf. Man-yōshū,
Tori ga naku
Azuma no kuni ni
inishie ni
arikeru koto to
ima made ni
taezu iikuru
Katsushika no
Mama no Tegona ga
Asa kinu ni
aokube tsuke
hitasao wo mo
ni wa ori-kite
kami dani mo
kaki wa kezurazu
kutsu wo dani
hakazu kikedomo
nishiki aya no
naki ni tsutsumeru
itsuki-go mo
imo ni shikameya
mochizuki no
mitsuru omowa ni
hana no goto
emito tatereba
Natsu mushi no
hi ni iru ga goto
minato iri ni
June kogu gotoku
iki kagure
hito no iu toki Where the cock crows,
In the land of Azuma,
Bygone ages ago
In Katsushika,
There lived a beautiful maiden
Named Mama no Tegona.
(So goes the story
That has been handed down.)
She wore dresses made of hemp
And collars fixed with blue,
But in her simple clothes,
All unadorned -
Her hair
Uncombed,
Her feet
Unshod -
Even pampered ladies
Dressed in rich brocades
Could not compare
With this country girl,
Whose face was as perfect
As the moon when at the full,
And whose smile
Was like the cherry-blossoms.
But as summer insects
Are attracted by the flame,
And boats always row
Hastening into harbour,
Many
suitors came
And pleaded for Tegona's love,
ikubaku mo And she in time grew sad
ikeraji mono wo That she could not give her heart
nam su to ka In the way that she wished,
mi wo tana shirite And she threw herself
nami no to no Into the surf
sawagu minato no That pounds the shore,
okutsuki ni And found a watery grave.
Imo ga kqyaseru Though it was long ago
tōki yo ni When Tegona
arikeru koto wo Laid herself to rest,
kinō shimo It seems like yesterday
miken ga goto mo That I last gazed
Omōyuru ka mo Upon her lovely face.
Banka Envoy
Katsushika no In Katsushika,
Mama no i wo mireba When I see the well at Mama,
tachi narashi I think of her,
mizu kumashiken Standing there and drawing water -
Tegōna shi omoyu Tegona of old.
NKBT, vol. 5, pp. 416, 417 (no. 1807-8).
247 ‘Made a poem’ To yomi [2, 10b] keru.
4 The Carp That Came to My Dream
248 Enchō: era name for the period 923-30.
249 Mii temple: also known as the Onjōji; founded in 858 by the priest Enchin. The temple, which overlooks Lake Biwa, has stood in perpetual rivalry with the Enryakuji, on nearby Mt Hiei. See Introduction.
250 Kogi: mentioned as the name of an actual person in a collection of anecdotes and tales, the Kokon chomonshū, compiled in 1254, by Tachibana no Narisue, in NKBT, vol. 84, p. 312.
251 ‘Fishermen who worked with their nets’ Abiki tsuri suru ama ni: cf. Man'yōshū, NKBT, vol. 4, pp. 144-5 (no. 238); vol. 5, PP. 144-5 (no. 1167) and, 222, 228 (no. 1187).
252 ‘Exquisite’ Kuwashiki: defined as ‘surpassingly beautiful’ (bishō ue naki) in Man'yōshū miyasu hosei, 3, 23b. See also Man'yōshū, NKBT, vol. 6, PP. 394-5 (no. 3331), and note 425.
253 ‘Putting all his heart’ Kokoro wo [2, 1lb] korashite.
254 ‘One year Kōgi was taken ill,’ etc. Hito tose yami ni kakarite, etc.: cf. the T'ang tale about Hsüeh Wei, who similarly dreamed that he was a fish, in T'ai p'ing kuang chi, ch. 471, and an expanded Ming version entitled, ‘Hsüeh lu-shih yü fu cheng hsien,’ in Using shih hengyen (Peking: Jen Min Wen Hsüeh, 1957), pp. 522-43, one of the san yen tales. For a rather free translation of the former, see Lin Yutang, Famous Chinese Short Stories (New York: John Day, 1952).
255 ‘Replied his disciples’ Shūtei-ra iu [2, 12a].
256 ‘Three days ago’ Mikka saki ni: compared with 20 days in T'aip’ing kuang chi, p. 37b, and 25 days in Hsing shih heng yen, p. 537.
257 ‘Patron’ Danka: Buddhist expression from the Sanscrit dana, possibly belonging to an inherited group of words that includes the Latin dare, Italian donāre, and French donner. See Carl Darling Buck, A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949), pp. 749-50. See also note 502, below.
258 ‘All of them’ Jūrō Kamori wo mo [2, 12b].
259 ‘More than three feet long’ Mi take amari: as in Hsing shih heng yen, pp. 530, 534, 537, but not T'ai p'ing kuang chi.
260 Go: a game introduced from China and played with black and white counters on a board marked into 361 squares.
261 ‘Tall dish’ Takatsuki: a tray-like utensil, variously round or rectangular, with a single, supporting leg; see Man'yōshū, NKBT, vol. 7, pp. 162-3 (no- 3880); and NGSK, p. 275, ‘Put it in a tall dish,/ Set it on a table.’
262 ‘Cook’ Kashiwabito: with the same Chinese characters as in T'ai p'ing kuang chi, p. 38b, but with a Japanese gloss meaning literally ‘oak-man,’ as found in ancient and medieval texts, perhaps reflecting the custom of serving a variety of foods on the leaves of the oak or other trees. Certain sweets, such as kashiwa-mochi, are still so prepared.
263 ‘Wished to cool my burning fever a little’ Atsuki kokochi sukoshi samasan [2, 13 a] mono wo to.
264 ‘God of the Sea’ Watazumi: in Nihon shoki and other early texts with this meaning; alternatively, the term is used as a poetic word for the sea.
265 ‘By previously freeing living creatures,’ etc. Kanete hōjō no kudoku ōshi: hōjo, a Buddhist term meaning ‘to release living cratures as a work of merit,’ and kudoku, ‘achievement,’ ‘virtue,’ and so on.
266 ‘Golden carp’ Kinri: as described in Hsing shih heng yen, pp. 528, 530, 534.
267 ‘Let you enjoy the pleasures of our watery domain’ Suifu no tano- shimi wo sesase tamo [2, 13b]: suifu, or ‘watery domain,’ see ‘Lung t'ang ling hui lu,’ New Tales for Lamplight, 4, 2b and commentary; also in Kokuyaku, p. 118, but without commentary.
In the wood-block text two different kana symbols are used for se, in sesase. The second is the se of lse, a form rarely found in early modern texts. See Introduction, on style.
268 ‘Gusts that blow from Mt Nagara,’ etc. Nagara no yama-oroshi, etc.: wood-block, Nakara; name of the hill on which the Miidera is built. It is famed in waka poetry for its gusty winds and blowing snow in winter. See Seniaishū, and Shokushūishū, in Kokka taikan, pp. 151 (no. 461), 312 (no. 463).
Akinari here departs from his Chinese models to introduce a lyrical passage with famous place names from Japanese history and literature. See Introduction.
269 ‘Great Bay of Shiga’ Shiga no ōwada: poetic name for Lake Biwa, and especially the area around Karasaki, which served as port of entry for the capital in the late 7th century. See Kakinomoto no Hitomaro's elegy, ‘On Passing the Ruined Capital of Ōmi,’ in the Man'yōshū, NKBT, vol. 4, pp. 26-7 (no. 29); and NGSK, pp. 27-8.
270 ‘People on foot,’ etc. Kachibito no mo no suso nurasu yuki-kai nil Sometimes they would accidentally get their clothing wet, unlike those mentioned in the verse in the Shokukokinshū,
Kachibito no The people who stroll
migiwa no kōri On the ice by the shore
fumi narashi Walk all around,
wataredo nurenu And still they stay dry as they cross
Shiga no Ōwada The Great Bay of Shiga.
Kokka taikan, p. 278 (no. 641).
271 Hira: the range of mountains rising on the west bank of Lake Biwa; also known as the Ōmi alps.
272 ‘I wanted to hide,’ etc. Kakure Katada no isaribi niyoru zo utsutsu-naki: Katada (wood-block, Katata), with the meaning kakure-katata, ‘hard to hide,’ and also Katada no isaribi, ‘fishing fires of Katada,’ another place name on the west bank of the lake, north of Karasaki. Yoru, meaning first, ‘to approach,’ and secondly, ‘night,’ is used as a kakekotoba, or ‘pivot-word,’ with the double function of isaribi ni yoru, ‘to approach the fishing fires,’ and yoru zo utsutsu-naki, ‘inexorable . . . evening.’ Utsutsu-naki refers both to Kōgi, or the fish's, reactions and to the advancing darkness.
273 ‘Pure black night fell,’ etc. Nubatama no Yonaka no gata ni yadorn tsuki wa: nubatama no, a pillow-word for night, as in ‘jet-black night.’ Yonaka means both ‘night,’ and the Yonaka-no-gata, ‘Bay of Yonaka,’ as in Man'yōshū miyasu hosei, 4, 27b; and Manyōshū, NKBT, vol. 5, pp. 370-1 (no. 1691). Yadoru, meaning ‘lodged,’ is an engo, poetically associated with the moon, the night, the stars, and also the Bay of Yonaka.
274 ‘Mirror Mountain’ Kagami no yama: a prominent peak on the eastern side of the lake, mentioned in waka verse. See Shinshokukokinshū, in Kokka taikan, p. 661 (no. 460).
275 ‘Yaso Harbour’ Yaso no minato: literally, ‘eighty inlets,’ or ‘every inlet,’ as in the Man'yōshū, NKBT, vol. 4, 156-7 (no. 273); and NGSK, p. 63, but Akinari uses it as a place name, to designate the scenery along the eastern shore of the lake in the present-day districts of Yasu and Gamō.
276 ‘Oki Island’ Okitsushima: the largest island in the lake; now, Oki-no-shima.
277 Chikubushima: near the northern end of the lake, where there is a shrine to Benten, the goddess of music, art, and dance. It is well known for its red fences. The reflection on the water is
mentioned in a lyrical passage from the no play, Chikubujima.
278 ‘The famous wind,’ etc. Ibuki no yama-kaze ni, Asazuma-bune mo kogi izureba: wood-block, koki; Mt Ibuki, to the east of the lake, is a high peak between Shiga and Gifu. Ever since early times it has figured in story and verse. According to the Kojiki, a deity who lived on the mountain assumed the form of a huge, white boar and defeated the legendary hero known as The Brave of Yamato.
Asazuma, lit., ‘morning place,’ or alternatively, ‘morning wife’ (a woman with whom one spends only a single night), is a place name on the eastern shore of the lake. Here it is used as a prelude to morning, as in Saigyō’s verse in the Sankashū,
Obotsukana How fearsome is the wind
Ibuki oroshi no That blows down from Mt Ibuki
kaza-saki ni And drives ahead of it
Asazuma-bune wa The morning boats of Asazuma,
ai ya shinuran Which sail together from the shore.
NKBT, vol. 29, p. 175 (no. 1005).
279 Yabase: in the district of Kurimoto, on the southeastern shore of the lake.
280 Seta: at the southern extremity of the lake; famous for its bridge over the Seta River, which further downstream becomes the Uji River.
281 ‘When the sun was warm’ Hi atata- [2, 14a] ka nareba.
282 ‘When you saw what a large fish’ Mana wo mite [2, 14b].
283 ‘Bearing the likenesses of carp’ Egaku tokoro no rigyo [2, 15a].
284 Narimitsu: for this artist's name and the legend that follows see Kokon chomonshū, NKBT, vol. 84, p. 312.
285 ‘Kan'in Palace’ Kan'in no tono: built as the personal mansion of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu (775-826) and later used as an unofficial imperial residence. It formerly stood on a site slightly southwest of Nijō and Saitōin-dōri, in Kyoto.
5 Bird of Paradise
286 Title: In ‘The Festival of Red Leaves,’ in The Tale of Genji, p. 129, as Genji danced, ‘There was a wonderful moment when the rays of the setting sun fell upon him and the music grew suddenly louder. Never had the onlookers seen feet tread so delicately nor head so exquisitely poised; and in the song which follows the first movement of the dance his voice was sweet as that of Kalavinka whose music is Buddha's Law.’ See NKBT, vol. 14, p. 271.
Although the buppōsō - the name of the sacred bird from which the title comes - is hardly as exotic as the Kalavinka, its cry was similarly associated with the three treasures of Buddhism, one of these being Buddha's law. I have translated the title somewhat freely.