TalesofIse Section1 Inthepast,ayoungmanwhohadjustbeeninvestedwithhisfirstsetof courtrobes,wenttothecapitalatNarainhisdomainalvillageofKasugatohunt. Twoyoungandexceedinglylovelygirlsbornofthesamemotherlivedin thisvillage.Thismanpeekedatthemthroughacrackinthehedge. Becausetheirbeautifulpresenceintheoldvillageseemedsosurprising, andsoforlorn,themansheartbecameterriblydistracted. Herippedthesleeveofffromthesilkhuntingcloakhewore,andwriting apoemonit,sentittothem.Thatmanshuntingrobewasdyedwiththepattern ofthepurplepatienceflower.

ower. YoungpurpleinKasugafield Mingledinwildpatternsprintedonmycloak Hidemyheartsunknowable Boundariesofdisarray Hesentthisrightaway,perhapshopingthatthingsmightprogress favorablyforhim.Heexpressedthismannerinthepoem... Myheartdyedwith Deepnorthpatterns Hiddeninwilddisarray Iamnotonetowhomthiscould Havehappenedbyanyother. Sucheleganceembodiesthewaythepeopleofthisformertimeexpressed themselves. Section4 Inthepast,theGreatPrincesss(theemperorsmother)palacestoodinthe easternfifthward.Someonelivedinitswestwing. Hisoriginalintentionhadnotbeentofallinlovewithher,buthewasa manofdeepintentandsincereheart,andhevisitedheroften.Then,sometimein thebeginningoftheNewYear,shewassecludedelsewhere. Heheardwhereshewas,butbecauseitwasaplacewhichonecouldnot visit,allthemorehisheartwasfilledwithgloom. Ayearlater,duringtheNewYear,theplumblossomsfloweredinfull array,andhethoughtofthepreviousyear,goingtowherehehadvisitedher.No

matterwherehestoodorsat,hecouldnotmanagetomakeanythingappearasit hadtheyearbefore.Heburstoutintearsandlaydownonthewoodenfloorof theemptychamberuntilthemoonhiditselfbehindthemountains. Inremembranceofthattimeoftheyearbefore,heutteredthepoem, Themoon Springtime Noneastheywereinthepast Mybodyaloneasitwasinthebeginning Andsohesang.Whenthenightfaintlybegantobrighten,cryingand weepinghereturned. Section9 Inthepast,therewasaman.Hecametofeelthathislifewaspointless. IwontliveinthecapitalanylongerIwillgototheeasttofindaland whereIcanlive. Sosaying,hesetoff. Oneortwoofthosewhohadbeenhisfriendsfrombeforewentalong.No oneknewthewayandtheywanderedon,completelylost.Theyarrivedata placecalledEightBridges,sonamedbecausethewaterflowedthrougha spiderlegriverwhichwasspannedbyeightbridges. Theydismountedandsatundertheshadeofatreewhichstoodonthe edgeofthisswamp.Theretheyatedriedrice.Inthemidstoftheswamp,irises gorgeouslybloomed.Lookingattheflowers,onepersonsaid,Makeapoemon thetravelersheartbyusingeachletterofthewordIris(kakitsubata)atthe beginningofeachline.Andsothefollowingpoemwasrecited. Howfarwehavecome,patternsofdazzlingiris Stretchedtightlyuponmybreast,Iamusedtothedistance Closesttomybody,theChineserobesheoften Woreintheyearswepassedtogether Withthis,everyoneshedtearsupontheirdriedrice,whichswelledup, readytoeat. Theytraveledandtraveled,reachingthelandofSuruga.Theyjourneyed toUtsuyama.Theirwaywasextremelydarkandnarrow,ivyandmaplegrew thicklyeverywhere.Theyfeltveryforlorn.Astheywereimaginingwhat misfortunestheymightencounter,theymetawanderingmonk.

 Howcanyoubetravelingaloneonsucharoad?theyaskedthemonk, andthenrealizedthathewassomeonewhomtheyhadseenbefore.Theman wrotealetterandaskedthemonktogiveittoapersoninthecapital. Imetnoone Indreamnorinreality Besideamountainnamed RealityinSuruga. WhenthismansawMountFuji,snowfellwhitelyuponitalthough itwasmidsummer. Amountainunbeknownsttotime Snowfalling,Fujispeaka Fawnsdappledcoat Comparingthatmountainwiththemountainshere,itwouldprobablybe likepilinguptwentyMt.Hies.Itsshaperesemblesahillofsalt. Nowastheytraveledandjourneyed,thereflowedahugeriverbetween thelandofMusashiandthelandofShimotsufusa.ItwascalledtheSumidaRiver. Theygatheredtogetheronthebankoftheriver,andwhentheythoughtabout whencetheyhadcome,togethertheylamented,saying, Howfarwehavetraveled! Buttheferrymansaid, Hurryandboardtheboat,nightisabouttofall! Whentheygotinandweretocrosstheriver,everyonefeltextremely desolate.Notoneofthemwasnotbereftofsomeoneinthecapitalwhomthey loved.Evenatsuchamoment,theynoticedawhitebirdwithbeakandlegsred, itsbodyaslargeasasnipe,whichhadappeared,playingaboutthewater,eating fish.Becauseitwasabirdthatcouldntbeseeninthecapital,noneofthem recognizedit.Whentheyaskedtheferrymanwhatkindofbirditwas,hereplied, This?Whyitsacapitalbird! Whentheyheardthis,themansang, Sinceyoubearthisname Letmeaskyou CapitalBird,doesthepersonIlove Inthecapital,stillexist, ...ornot? Whenhesangthistothebird,everyoneintheboattogethercried. Section69 3

 Inthepasttherewasaman.HewenttothelandofIseasanImperial huntsman.ThemotheroftheshrinepriestessinIsesaidtoherdaughter,treat himwithgreatercarethanyouwouldtheusualhuntsman.Becausethiswish hadbeenconveyedtoher,andbecauseitwashermotherwhohadaskedher, sheservedhimwiththegreatestcareanddiligence. Inthemorningshesenthimofftohunt.Whenhereturnedasnightwas falling,shecalledhimtoher.Asbefore,shecaredforhimwithdeepregard.On thesecondnighthesaidtoher,nomatterwhatImustmeetyou!Shetoo wantedtomeethimverymuch. Althoughthiswasso,astheycouldnotavoidtheeyesofsomanypeople, theycouldntverywellmeet. Becausehewasonanimperialcommission,hewasnotquarteredfar awayfromher.Becausethewomansnightchamberwascloseby,shesent everyonetobed,andwithonlyonechildservingher,visitedtheman. Sincethemanhadnotyetgonetobed,hewaslyingdownlookingoutside atthepartiallyobscuredmoon. Shesentthelittlechildinfirst,andthenthewomancamein.Themanfelt extremelyglad,andledhertohisbedside. Frommidnightuntilthreeinthemorningtheystayedtogetherthere,but intheendshereturnedtoherquarterswithoutexchangingvowsoflove.The manfeltextremelysad,andcouldnotsleep.Thenextmorning,whilewondering ifhemightnotsendoneofhisownattendantsovertoher,sat,feelingextremely emptyandforlorn,waitingforhermessage.Alittlewhileafterdawn,herpoem came,butwithoutamessage. Wasityouwhocame? OrIwhowent? Idontknowifitwasadreamorreality, IfIwassleepingorawake. Theman,sobbinginprofoundgrief,sentthispoem. Iamlostinthegloomofmydarkenedheart Whetheritwasdreamorreality Letusfindouttonight. Hethensetoutforthehunt.Althoughhewasinthefield,hisheartwasin thesky.Hethoughtthathemustsendeveryoneofftobedandatleastmeetwith hertonight.Butthegovernoroftheprovince,whowasalsotheadministrator responsiblefortheshrine,hadheardthattheimperialhuntsmanwasthere. 4

Becausetheyspentthenightdrinkingtogether,hewasntabletomeetwithher atall.BecauseinthemorninghehadtodepartforthelandofOwari,theman secretlywepttearsofblood,yethestillwasnotabletomeether.Asthenightat lastbegantogivewaytodawn,awomandeliveredapoemonatray.Whenhe pickeditupandreadit,itsaid, Sinceitisabayacrosswhichthetravelersrobedoesnotgetwet... Thepoemlackedafinalline.Sothemantooktheemberfromatorch,and wrotethefinallineofthepoemonthetray. Hemustcrossthepassonthehillofmeetingagain. Sowriting,whendawnbrokehecrossedoverintothelandofOwari. ThisshrinevirginservedduringthereignoftheSeiwaEmperor.1Shewas thedaughterofEmperorMontokuandtheyoungersisterofPrinceKoretaka. Section71 Inthepast,amanwentasanimperialmessengertotheshrineoftheIse Virgin.Whenhearrivedattheimperialquarters,awomanwhoservedtheIse Virginandlivedwithinitssacredprecinctspoketohimoflove,andexpressing herowndesire,said Imustcrossthefence oftheawesomegods Isowanttoseethatpalaceman... Themanreplied, Ifyoulongforone thenyoumaycome andsee,forthispath isnottheonethegods forbid. Section82 Inthepast,therelivedPrinceKoretaka,oneoftheemperorssons.His palacestoodinaplacecalledMinase,nearCapeYama.Hewouldresideinthis palaceeveryyearwhenthecherriescameintobloom.Heusuallybroughtthe HeadoftheRightHorseswithhimonthesevisits.Butbecausethisoccurredin

1Morimoto,

op. cit. , p. 314.

timesfromaworldfarinthepast,thismansnameisnowforgotten.They seldomwentouthunting,rathertheyjustdrankandcomposedJapanesepoems. ItwasthecherrytreesbloomingatatempleneartheNagisamansionon Katanofield,nowusedforhunting,whichtheydelightedin.Theydismounted beneaththetrees,andbrokeoffthefloweringbranches,placingthemintheir hair,andallthosepresent,high,middleandlowrankingcomposedpoems.The poemcomposedbytheCaptainoftheRightHorseswent,... Iftherewereneveranycherryblossomsinthisworld, HoweasywouldmymindbeinSpring. Anotherpersonspoemwent, Itisbecausetheyscatterthatcherryblossomsaresowonderful Whatlastsinthismelancholyworld? Bythetimetheyhaddepartedfrombeneaththosetrees,itwasalready dusk.Someothersintheircompanycamefromthefield,theirattendants carryingtheirwine.Thesemensaid,letsdrinkthiswine!Andsosayingtheyall wentofftofindagoodspot,andarrivedataplacedcalledHeavenlyRiver(the MilkyWay).TheHeadoftheRightHorsesofferedwinetothePrince.ThePrince said,composeapoemonhuntinginKatanoandthencomingtothebanksof theHeavenlyRiver,andthenemptyyourcup! TheHeadoftheRightHorsesofferedthispoem. Havinghuntedalldaylets staythenightwiththeHeavenlyWeavermaid SincewehavecometothefieldsoftheHeavenlyRiver(theMilkyWay,wherethe Weavermaidconstellationcanbefoundanallusiontotanabata) Theprincetriedandtriedtocomposeasuitablereply,butintheendwas notableto.KinoAritsunewrotethispoemforhiminreply,... Waitingforyouwhocomebutonceayear (referringtotheyearlymeetingoftheweavermaidandcowherdstars) Icannotbelievethereisanyonetosharemylodgingtonight. Theyreturnedtothepalace.Theydrankuntillateatnight,tellingeach otherstories,andthePrincebecameexceedinglydrunk,andsowasgoingto 6

retire.Becauseitwasthe11thdayofthenewmoon,themoonwasabouttosink behindthemountains,sotheHeadoftheRightHorsessaid, Althoughweveonlyjustseenit,howquicklythemoondisappears, Ifonlythemountainswouldvanishrefusingtocoverit KinoAritsunecomposedthePrincesreply, Ifallthemountainswereleveled Iftherewerenopeaks,thenthemoonwouldnotretire. Section117 Once,theemperorpaidavisittoSumiyoshi.Thispoemwasrecitedonthe occasion. Ithasbeenalongtimeevenforme Butyou,myfriend,thepine,ontheshoreof Sumiyoshi,howmanyyearscan havepassed? EvenIhaveseenthelongyearspass Butyou,oldpine,howmanygenerations canyouhaveexpired? Theformofthespiritofthepineappeared,andspoketotheemperor. Lovingly,andforcountless generations,mycareforyou hasnotceased,thoughyouhave neverknown,likethewhite breakerscrashingontheshore.