Genji Monogatari - The Tale of Genji: Akashi (Exile at Akashi)

None

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section fourteen of Genji Monogatari by Murasaki Shikibu. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain, Section fourteen Akashi Exile
At Akashi. The storm and thunder still continued for some days,
and the same strange dream visited Genji over and over again.

(00:25):
This made him miserable. To return to the capital was
not yet to be thought of, as to do so
before the imperial permission was given would only be to
increase his disgrace. On the other hand, to render himself
obscure by seeking further retreat was also not to be
thought of, as it might cause another rumor that he

(00:46):
had been driven away by mere fear of the disturbed
state of the ocean. In the meantime, a messenger arrived
from the capital with a letter from Violet. It was
a letter of inquiry about himself. It was written in
most affectionate terms, and stated that the weather there was
extremely disagreeable, as rain was pouring down continuously, and that

(01:08):
this made her especially gloomy in thinking of him. This
letter gave Genji great pleasure. The messenger was of the
lowest class. At other times, Genji would never have permitted
such sort of people. To approach him, but under the
present circumstances of his life, he was only too glad
to put up with it. He summoned the man to

(01:30):
his presence and made him talk of all the latest
news in the capital. The messenger told him in awkward
terms that in the capital these storms were considered to
be a kind of heavenly warning that a nin wo
ye was going to be held, and that many nobles
who had to go to court were prevented from doing
so by the storms, adding that he never remembered such

(01:53):
violent storms before. From the dawn of the next day,
the winds blew louder, the tide flowed, and the sound
of the waves resounded with a deafening noise. The thunder
rolled and the lightning flashed while everyone was trembling in alarm,
and were all, including Genji, offering up prayers and vows

(02:14):
to the god of Sumi Voshi, whose temple was at
no great distance, and also to other gods. Meanwhile, a
thunderbolt struck the corridor of Genji's residence and set fire
to it. The prince and his friends retired to a
small house behind which served as a kitchen. The sky
was as if blackened with ink, and in that state

(02:36):
of darkness the day ended. In the evening, the wind
gradually abated, the rain diminished to a thin shower, and
even the stars began to blink out of the heavens.
This temporary retreat was now irksome, and they thought of
returning to their dwelling quarters. But they saw nothing but
ruins and confusion from the storm, so they remained where

(02:58):
they were. Genji was occupied in prayer. The moon began
to smile from above, the flow of the tide could
be seen, and the rippling of the waves heard. He
opened the rude wooden door and contemplated the scene before him.
He seemed to be alone in the world, having no
one to participate in his feelings. He heard several fishermen

(03:20):
talking in their particular dialect. Feeling much wearied by the
events of the day, he soon retired and resigned himself
to slumber, reclining near one side of the room, in
which there were none of the comforts of an ordinary
bed chamber. All at once, his late father appeared before
his eyes in the exact image of life, and said
to him, why are you in so strange a place?

(03:44):
And taking his hand continued, embark at once in a boat,
as the god of Sumiyoshi guides you, and leave this coast.
Gnji was delighted at this and replied, since I parted
from you, I have undergone many misfortunes, and I thought
that I might be buried on this coast. It must
not be. Thus, the phantom replied, your being here is

(04:07):
only a punishment for a trifling sin which you have committed.
For my own part, when I was on the throne,
I did no wrong. But I have somehow been involved
in some trifling sin, and before I expiated it, I
left the world hurt, however, at beholding you oppressed with
such hardships. I came up here, plunging into the waves

(04:30):
and rising on the shore. I am much fatigued, but
I have something I wished to tell the Emperor, so
I must haste away. And he left. Genji, who felt
very much affected, and cried out, let me accompany you
with this exclamation. He awoke and looked up when he
saw nothing but the moon's face shining through the windows.

(04:51):
With the clouds reposing in the sky. The image of
his father still vividly remained before his eyes, and he
could not realize that it was only a dream. He
became suddenly sad and was filled with regret that he
did not talk a little more, even though it was
only in a dream. He could not sleep any more
this night, and dawn broke when a small boat was

(05:14):
seen approaching the coast with a few persons in it.
A man came from the boat up to the residence
of Genji. When he was asked who he was, he
replied that the priest of Akashi, the former governor, had
come from Akashi in his boat, and that he wished
to see Yoshikiya and to tell him the reason of
his coming. Yoshikia was surprised and said, I have known

(05:38):
him for years, but there was a slight reason why
we were not the best of friends, and some time
has now passed without correspondence. What makes him come as
to Genji? However, the arrival of the boat made him
think of its coincidence and the subject of his dream,
so he hurried Yoshikio to go and see the Newcomershereupon,

(06:00):
the latter went to the boat, thinking as he went,
how could he come to this place amidst the storms
which had been raging. The priest now told Yoshikio that
in a dream which he had on the first day
of the month, a strange being told him a strange thing,
and said he I thought it too credulous to believe
in a dream, But the object appeared again and told

(06:23):
me that on the thirteenth of this month, he will
give me a supernatural sign, directing me also to prepare
a boat, and as soon as the storm ceased, to
sail out to this coast. Therefore, to test its truth,
I launched a boat. But strange to say, on this
day the extraordinarily violent weather of rain, wind and thunder occurred.

(06:45):
I then thought that in China there had been several
instances of people benefiting the country by believing in dreams.
So though this may not exactly be the case with mine,
yet I thought it to my duty at all events
to inform you that with these thoughts, I started in
the boat on a slight, miraculous breeze, as it were blue,

(07:07):
and drove me to this coast. I can have no
doubt that this was divine direction. Perhaps there might have
been some inspiration in this place too, and I wish
to trouble you to transmit this to the Prince Yoshikia
then returned and faithfully told Genji all about his conversation
with the priest. When Genji came to reflect, he thought

(07:29):
that so many dreams having visited him must have some significance.
It might only increase his disgrace if he were to
despise such divine warnings merely from worldly considerations and from
fear of consequences. It would be better to resign himself
to one more advanced in age and more experience than himself.

(07:52):
An ancient sage says that resigning one's self makes one happier. Besides,
his father had also enjoined him in the dream to
leave the coast of Suma, and there remained no further
doubt for taking this step. He therefore gave his answer
to the priest that, coming into an unknown locality, plunged
in solitude, receiving scarcely any visits from friends in the capital,

(08:17):
the only thing I have to regard as friends of
old times, of the sun and the moon that pass
over the boundless heavens. Under these circumstances, I shall be
only too delighted to visit your part of the coast,
and to find there such a suitable retreat. This answer
gave the priest great joy, and he pressed Genji to
set out at once and come to him. The prince

(08:38):
did so with his usual four or five confidential attendants.
The same wind which had miraculously blown the vessel of
the priest to Suma, now changed and carried them with
equal favor and speed back to Akashi. On their landing,
they entered a carriage waiting for them, and went to
the mansion of the priest. The scenery around the coast

(08:59):
was no less novel than that of Suma, the only
difference being that there were more people there. The building
was grand, and there was also a grand Buddha hall
adjoining for the service of the priest. The plantations of trees,
the shrubberies, the rockwork, and the mimic lakes in the
garden were so beautifully arranged as to exceed the power

(09:20):
of an artist to depict, while the style of the
dwelling was so tasteful that it was in no way
inferior to any in the capital. The wife and the
daughter of the priest were not residing here, but were
at another mansion on the hillside, where they had removed
from fear of the recent high tides. Benji now took

(09:43):
up his quarters with the priest in his seaside mansion.
The first thing he did, when he felt a little settled,
was to write to the capital and tell his friends
of his change of residence. The priest was about sixty
years old and was very sincere in his religious service.
The only subject of anxiety which he felt was, as

(10:03):
we have already mentioned, the welfare of his daughter. When
Genji became thoroughly settled, he often joined the priest and
spent several hours in conversing with him. The latter, from
his age and experience, was full of information and anecdotes,
many of which were quite new to Genji, but the
narration of them seemed always to turn upon his daughter.

(10:27):
April had now come. The trees began to be clothed
with a thick shade of leaves, which had a peculiar
novelty of appearance, differing from that of the flowers of
spring or the bright dyes of autumn. The Kuena, a
particular bird of summer, commenced their fluttering. The furniture and
dresses were changed for those more suitable to the time

(10:49):
of year. The comfort of the house was most agreeable.
It was on one of these evenings that the surface
of the broad ocean spread before the eye, was unshadowed
the clouds, and the isle of Awaji floated like foam
on its face, just as it appeared to do. At Suma,
Genji took out his favorite king on which he had

(11:10):
not practiced for some time, and was playing an air
called Koyo, when the priest joined him, having left for
a while his devotions, and said that his music recalled
to his mind the old days in the capital, which
he had quitted so long. He sent for a biwar
mandolin and asokoto from the hillside mansion, and, after the

(11:33):
fashion of a blind singer of ballads to the bar,
played two or three heirs. He then handed the sookoto
to Genji, who also played a few tunes, saying, as
he did so in a casual manner, this sounds best
when played upon by some fair hand. The priest smiled
and rejoined, what better hand than yours need we wish

(11:57):
to hear playing? For my part, my paors skill has
been transmitted to me through three generations from the royal
hand of the Emperor Yeni. Though I now belonged to
the past. But occasionally, when my loneliness oppresses me, I
indulge in my old amusement. And there is one who,
listening to my strains, has learned to imitate them so

(12:19):
well that they resemble those of the Emperor Yeni himself.
I shall be very happy if you desire to find
an opportunity for you to hear them. Gnji At once
laid aside the instrument, saying, ah, how bold I did
not know. I was among proficients, and continued. From olden time,

(12:39):
the sokoto was particularly adopted by female musicians. The fifth
daughter of the Emperor Saga, from whom she had received
the secret, was a celebrated performer, but no one of
equal skills succeeded her. Of course, there are several players,
but these merely strike or strum the instrument. But in

(13:00):
this retreat there is a skillful hand. How delightful it
will be if you desire to hear there is no difficulty.
I will introduce her to you. She also plays the
bioa very well. The bier has been considered from olden
time very difficult to master, and I am proud of
her doing so in this manner. The priest led the

(13:23):
conversation to his own daughter while fruit and sakin were
brought in for refreshment. He then went on talking of
his life since he first came to the coast of Akashi,
and of his devotion to religion for the sake of
future happiness and also out of solicitude for his daughter.
He continued, Although I feel rather awkward in saying it,

(13:45):
I am almost inclined to think your coming to this
remote vicinity has something providential in it, as an answer,
as it were, to our earnest prayers, and it may
give you some consolation and pleasure. The reason why I
think so is this. It is nearly eighteen years since
we began to pray for the blessing of the God

(14:05):
Sumiyoshi on our daughter, and we have sent her twice
a year, in spring and autumn, to his temple at
the sixth time service or so. The prayers for my
own repose on the lotus flower are only secondary to
those which I put up for the happiness of my daughter.
My father, as you may know, held a good office

(14:27):
in the capital, but I am now a plain countryman,
and if I leave matters in their present state, the
status of my family will soon become lower and lower. Fortunately,
this girl was promising from her childhood, and my desire
was to present her to some distinguished personage in the capital,
not without disappointment to many suitors, and I have often

(14:50):
told her that if my desire is not fulfilled, she
had better throw herself into the sea. Such was the
tedious discourse which the priest held on the subject of
his family. As yet it is not surprising that it
awakened an interest in the susceptible mind of Genji for
the fair maiden, thus described as so promising. The priest

(15:10):
at last, in spite of the shyness and reserve of
the daughter and the unwillingness of the mother, conducted Genji
to the hillside mansion and introduced him to the maiden.
In the course of time, they gradually became more than
mere acquaintances to each other. For some time, Genji often
found himself at the hillside mansion, and her society appeared

(15:33):
to afford him greater pleasure than anything else. But this
did not quite meet with the approval of his conscience,
and the girl in the mansion at Nidiu returned to
his thoughts. If this flirtation of his should become known
to her, he thought it perhaps would be very annoying
to her. True she was not much given to be jealous,

(15:54):
but he well remembered the occasional complaints she had now
and then made to him while in end Capital. These
feelings induced him to write more frequently and more minutely
to her, and he soon began to frequent the hillside
mansion less often. His leisure hours were spent in sketching,
as he used to do innsuma, and writing short poetic

(16:18):
effusions explanatory of the scenery. This was also going on
in the mansion at Nidio, where Violet passed the long
hours away in painting different pictures, and also in writing
in the form of a diary what she saw and did.
What will be the issue of all these things? Now?
Since the spring of the year, there had been several

(16:39):
heavenly warnings in the capital, and things in general were
somewhat unsettled. On the evening of the thirteenth of March,
when the rain and wind had raged, the late Emperor
appeared in a dream to his son, the Emperor in
front of the palace, looking reproachfully upon him. The emperor
showed every token of submission and respect. When the Emperor

(17:00):
told him of many things, all of which concerned Genji's interests,
the Emperor became alarmed, and when he awoke, he told
his mother all about his dream. She, however, told him
that on such occasions, when the storm rages and the
sky is obscured by the disturbance of the elements, all things,
especially on which our thoughts have been long occupied, appeared

(17:23):
to us in a dream in a disturbed sleep, and
she continued, I further counsel you not to be too
hastily alarmed by such trifles. From this time he began
to suffer from sore eyes, which may have been resulted
from the angry glances of his father's spirit. About the
same time, the father of the Empress Mother died. His

(17:46):
death was by no means premature, but yet when such
events take place repeatedly, it causes the mind to imagine
there is something more than natural going on, and this
made the Empress Mother feel a little indisc diosed. The
Emperor then constantly told her that if Genji were left
in his present condition, it might in use evil, and

(18:08):
therefore it would be better to recall him and restore
his titles and honors to him. She obstinately opposed these ideas, saying,
if a person who proved to be guilty and has
retired from the capital were to be recalled before the
expiration of at least three years, it would naturally show
the weakness of authority. She gained her point, and thus

(18:31):
the days were spent and the year changed. The emperor
still continually suffered from indisposition, and the unsettled state of
things remained the same as before. A prince had been
born to him, who was now about two years old,
and he began to think of abdicating the throne in
favor of the heir apparent, the child of the Princess Ristaria.

(18:54):
When he looked round to see who would best minister
public affairs, he came to think that the disgrace of
Genji was a matter not to be allowed to continue,
and at last, contrary to the advice of his mother,
he issued a public permission for Genji's return to the capital,
which was repeated at the end of July. Genji therefore

(19:16):
prepared to come back before however, he started. A month
passed away, which time was mostly spent in the society
of the lady of the hillside mansion. The expected journey
of Genji was now auspicious even to him, and ought
also to have been so to the family of the priest.
But parting has always something painful in its nature. This

(19:40):
was more so because the girl had by this time
the witness of their love in her bosom. But he
told her that he would send for her when his
position was assured in the capital. Towards the middle of August,
everything was in readiness, and Genji started on his journey homeward.
He went to Naniwar, where he had the ceremony of

(20:01):
the Harai performed to the temple of Sumiyoshi. He sent
a messenger to say that the haste of his journey
prevented him coming at this time, but that he would
fulfill his vows as soon as circumstances would permit. From Naniwar,
he proceeded to the capital and returned once more after
an absence of nearly three years, to his mansion at Nisyo.

(20:26):
The joy and excitement of the inmates of the mansion
were unbounded, and the development of violet charmed his eyes.
His delight was great, and the pleasure in his mind
was of the most agreeable nature. Still, from time to time,
in the midst of this very pleasure, the recollection of
the maiden whom he had left acta Kashi occurred to
his thoughts. But this kind of perturbation was only the

(20:50):
result of what had arisen from the very nature of
Genji's character. Before the lapse of many days, all his
titles and honors were restored to him. He was soon
created an extra wey steinagen or. Those who had lost
dignity's office on account of Genji's complications were also restored
to them. It seemed to these like a sudden and

(21:13):
unexpected return of spring to the leafless tree. In the
course of a few days, Genji was invited by the
Emperor to come and see him. The latter had scarcely
recovered from his indisposition and was still looking weak and thin.
When Genji appeared before him, he manifested great pleasure, and
they conversed together in a friendly way till the evening

(21:37):
end of section fourteen.