Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan

Away from the Capital where the King resides is always down; towards the capital is always up.

48

This scene will be better understood by the reader if he remembers that her father was in the street in the midst of his train of attendants – an imposing cavalcade of bow-men, warriors, and attendants of all sorts, with palanquins and luggage, prepared to make a two or three months' journey through the wilderness to the Province of Hitachi, far in the East. She, as a Japanese lady could not go out to speak to him, but unconventionally she had drawn up the blind and "her eye met his."

49

To translate: As there are a thousand kinds of flowers in the autumn fields, so there are a thousand reasons for going to the fields.

50

The Toné River.

51

Name of mountain in eastern part of Japan.

52

In the eastern part of Kioto, now a famous spot.

53

The Isé shrine was first built in the year 5 B.C. See note (#x_7_i55) on Isé shrine in Murasaki Shikibu Diary.

54

Mt. Hiyé: 2500 ft.

55

The custom of the Court obliged the court ladies to lead a life of almost no privacy – sleeping at night together in the presence of the Queen, and sharing their apartments with each other.

56

Some words are lost from this sentence.

57

Kazusa: Name of Province in the East.

58

Asakura is a place-name in Kyushu. There was a song entitled "Asakura" which seems to have been popular in those days and was sung in the Court.

59

Hakasé is LL.D., so she might have been daughter of a scholar.

60

Special house devoted to use of a King's wife.

61

The Princess, whom our lady served, was the daughter of King Goshijaku's Queen. The Queen died 1039. After this the Royal Consort Umetsubo won the King's favour.

62

Some words lost.

63

A thirteen-stringed musical instrument.

64

A pipe made of seven reeds having a very clear, piercing sound.

65

Famous period in Chinese history.

66

This gentleman's name is known.

67

He ruled from 970 to 984. It was now 1045.

68

Something seems to have occurred which may have been her marriage to a noble of lower rank or inferior family than her own, but one can only infer this, she does not tell it.

69

There is an old fable about parsley: A country person ate parsley and thought it very fine, so he went up to the Capital to present it to the King, but the King was not so much pleased, for he could not find it good. So "to gather parsley" means to endeavour to win others' favour by offering something we care for but others do not.

70

Goreizai, from 1046 to 1068.

71

This is called the Byōdōin and is one of the famous buildings now existing in Japan (see illustrations in Cram's Impressions of Japanese Architecture), built upon an exquisite design, and original in character. It had been the villa of the Prime Minister, but was made into a temple in 1051, when the riches of the interior decorations were more like the gorgeousness of Indian temples than the chaster decorations of Japan.

72