The Tale of Genji Part 25

[Footnote 91: Shinto priests.]

[Footnote 92: Name of a river of the province of Ise, which the travellers had to cross.]

[Footnote 93: A dress made of the bark of the Wistaria was worn by those who were in deep mourning for near relatives.]

[Footnote 94: This was an office held by a Court lady, whose duty it was to act as a medium of communication in the transmitting of messages between the Emperor and State officials.]

[Footnote 95: It is said that the tomb of the auth.o.r.ess of this work is to be found at this spot.]

[Footnote 96: In the Tendai sect of Buddhists there are sixty volumes of the theological writings which are considered most authoritative for their doctrine.]

[Footnote 97: A pa.s.sage of a Chinese history. The story is, that a Prince of a certain Chinese kingdom contrived to have a.s.sa.s.sinated an Emperor, his enemy. When he sent off the a.s.sa.s.sin this event took place. The allusion here seems to imply the allegation that Genji intended high treason.]

[Footnote 98: She was the favorite of the first Emperor of the Hung dynasty in China, and the rival of the Empress. When the Emperor died, the Empress, a clever and disdainful woman, revenged herself by cutting off her feet, and her arms, and making away with her son.]

[Footnote 99: This seems to have been the name of an aged attendant.]

[Footnote 100: Among j.a.panese children it often happens that the milk teeth become black and decayed, which often gives a charm to their expression.]

[Footnote 101: It was the custom to show a white horse on the seventh day of the new year to the Empress, the superst.i.tion being that this was a protestation against evil spirits.]

[Footnote 102: A game consisting in opening Chinese poetry books and covering the rhymes, making others guess them.]

[Footnote 103: Name of a ballad.]

[Footnote 104: In Chinese history it is recorded that in giving an injunction to his son, Duke Choau, a great statesman of the eleventh century B.C., used these words: "I am the son of King Yuen, the brother of King Mu, and the uncle of King Ching; but I am so ready in receiving men in any way distinguished, that I am often interrupted three times at my dinner, or in my bath." It would seem that Genji, in the pride of his feeling, unconsciously made the above quotation in reference to himself.]

CHAPTER XI

VILLA OF FALLING FLOWERS

The troubles of Genji increased day by day, and the world became irksome to him. One incident, however, deserves a brief notice before we enter into the main consequences of these troubles.

There was a lady who had been a Niogo at the Court of the late ex-Emperor, and who was called Reikeiden-Niogo, from the name of her chamber. She had borne no child to him, and after his death she, together with a younger sister, was living in straitened circ.u.mstances. Genji had long known both of them, and they were often aided by the liberality with which he cheerfully a.s.sisted them, both from feelings of friendship, and out of respect to his late father.

He, at this time, kept himself quiet at his own home, but he now paid these ladies a visit one evening, when the weather, after a long-continued rain, had cleared up. He conversed with them on topics of past times until late in the evening. The waning moon threw her faint light over the tall trees standing in the garden, which spread their dark shadows over the ground. From among them an orange-tree in full blossom poured forth its sweet perfume, and a Hototo-gisu[105]

flew over it singing most enchantingly.

"'Ah! how he recollects his own friend!'" said Genji, and continued:--

"To this home of 'falling flower,'

The odors bring thee back again, And now thou sing'st, in evening hour, Thy faithful loving strain."

To this the elder lady replied:--

"At the home where one lives, all sadly alone, And the shadow of friendship but seldom is cast, These blossoms reach the bright days that are gone And bring to our sadness the joys of the past."

And, after a long and friendly conversation, Genji returned to his home. One may say that the character of Genji was changeable, it is true, yet we must do him justice for his kind-heartedness to his old acquaintances such as these two sisters, and this would appear to be the reason why he seldom estranged the hearts of those whom he liked.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 105: The name of a small bird which appears about the time when the orange trees are in blossom. It sings, and is most active in the evening. In poetry, therefore, the orange blossom and this bird are a.s.sociated, and they are both, the blossom and the bird, emblems of old memories.]

CHAPTER XII

EXILE AT SUMA

Genji at last made up his mind to undergo a voluntary exile, before the opinion of the Imperial Court should be publicly announced against him. He heard that the beautiful sea-coast along Suma was a most suitable place for retirement, and that, though formerly populous, there were now only a few fishermen's dwellings scattered here and there. To Suma he finally determined to go into voluntary exile.

When he had thus made up his mind he became somewhat regretful to leave the capital, although it had hitherto appeared ungenial. The first thing which disturbed his mind was the young Violet, whom he could not take with him. The young lady, also, in the "Villa of Falling Flowers" (notwithstanding that he was not a frequent visitor) was another object of his regret.

In spite of these feelings he prepared to set off at the end of March, and at length it came within a few days of the time fixed for his departure, when he went privately, under the cover of the evening, to the mansion of the ex-Sadaijin, in an ajiro carriage, generally used by women. He proceeded into the inner apartments, where he was greeted by the nurse of his little child. The boy was growing fast, was able to stand by this time and to toddle about, and run into Genji's arms when he saw him. The latter took him on his knee, saying, "Ah! my good little fellow, I have not seen you for some time, but you do not forget me, do you?" The ex-Sadaijin now entered. He said, "Often have I thought of coming to have a talk with you, but you see my health has been very bad of late, and I seldom appear at Court, having resigned my office. It would be impolitic to give cause to be talked about, and for it to be said that I stretch my old bones when private matters please me. Of course, I have no particular reason to fear the world; still, if there is anything dreadful, it is the demagogical world.

When I see what unpleasant things are happening to you, which were no more probable than that the heavens should fall, I really feel that everything in the world is irksome to me."

"Yes, what you say is indeed true," replied Genji. "However, all things in the world--this or that--are the outcome of what we have done in our previous existence. Hence if we dive to the bottom we shall see that every misfortune is only the result of our own negligence. Examples of men's losing the pleasures of the Court are, indeed, not wanting. Some of these cases may not go so far as a deprivation of t.i.tles and honors, as is mine;[106] still, if one thus banished from the pleasures of Court, behaves himself as unconcernedly as those to whom no such misfortune has happened, this would not be becoming. So, at least, it is considered in a foreign country.

Repentance is what one ought to expect in such circ.u.mstances, and banishment to a far-off locality is a measure generally adopted for offences different from ordinary ones. If I, simply relying on my innocence, pa.s.s unnoticed the recent displeasure of the Court, this would only bring upon me greater dishonor. I have, therefore, determined to go into voluntary exile, before receiving such a sentence from the Court."

Then the conversation fell back, as usual, on the times of the late ex-Emperor, which made them sad; while the child also, who innocently played near, made them still more gloomy. The ex-Sadaijin went on to say:--"There is no moment when I ever forget the mother of the boy, but now I almost dare to think that she was fortunate in being short lived, and being free from witnessing the dreamlike sorrow we now suffer. With regard to the boy, the first thing which strikes me as unbearable is that he may pa.s.s some time of his lovely childhood away from the gaze of your eyes. There are, as you say, no want of instances of persons suffering a miserable fate, without having committed any real offence; yet still, in such cases, there was some pretext to justify their being so treated. I cannot see any such against you."

While he was thus speaking To-no-Chiujio joined them, and, partaking of _sake_, they continued their conversation till late in the evening. This night Genji remained in the mansion.

Early the next morning he returned to his own residence, and he spent the whole day with Violet in the western wing. It should here be noticed that she was scarcely ever with her father, even from childhood. He strongly disapproved of his daughter being with Genji, and of the way in which she had been carried off, so he scarcely ever had any communication with her, or did he visit her. These circ.u.mstances made her feel Genji's affection more keenly than she otherwise would have; hence her sorrow at the thought of parting with him in a few days may be easily imagined.

Towards the evening Prince Sotz came with To-no-Chiujio and some others to pay him a visit. Genji, in order to receive them, rose to put on one of his Naoshi, which was plain, without pattern, as proper for one who had no longer a t.i.tle. Approaching the mirror, to comb his hair, he noticed that his face had grown much thinner.

"Oh, how changed I appear," he exclaimed. "Am I really like this image which I see of myself?" he said, turning to the girl, who cast on him a sad and tearful glance. Genji continued:--

"Though changed I wander far away, My soul shall still remain with you, Perhaps in this mirror's mystic ray, My face may linger still in view."

To this Violet replied:--

"If in this mirror I could see, Always your face, then it would be My consolation when thou art gone."

As she said this she turned her face to one side of the room, and by doing so obscured the tears gathering in her soft eyes. Genji then left her to receive his friends, who, however, did not remain long, leaving the mansion after a short conversation of a consolatory nature. This evening Genji paid his visit to the sisters of the "Falling Flower" villa.

On the following day the final arrangements necessary for his household affairs were made at his residence. The management of the mansion was intrusted to a few confidential friends; while that of his lands and pasture, and the charge of his doc.u.ments, were intrusted to the care of Violet, to whom he gave every instruction what she should do. Besides, he enjoined Shionagon, in whom he placed his confidence, to give her every a.s.sistance. He told all the inmates who wished to remain in the mansion, in order to await his return, that they might do so. He also made an appropriate present to the nurse of his boy, and to the ladies of the "Villa of Falling Flowers." When all these things were accomplished, he occupied himself in writing farewell letters to his intimate friends, such as the young daughter of Udaijin and others, to none of whom he had paid a visit.

On the evening prior to his departure he went on horseback to visit the tomb of his father. On his way he called on the Princess Wistaria, and thence proceeded to the mountain where the remains reposed. The tomb was placed among tall growing gra.s.s, under thick and gloomy foliage. Genji advanced to the tomb, and, half kneeling down before it, and half sobbing, uttered many words of remembrance and sorrow. Of course no reply came forth. The moon by this time was hidden behind dark clouds, and the winds blew keen and nipping, when suddenly a shadowy phantom of the dead stood before Genji's eyes.

"How would his image look on me, Knew he the secret of the past; As yonder moon in clouded sky, Looks o'er the scene mysteriously."