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October 4, 2023 5 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section seventeen of Genji Monagotari by Murasaki Shikibu. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain Section seventeen Sekiya Barria House.
We left beautiful Sikada at the time when she quitted
the capital with her husband. Now. This husband, to Eo

(00:23):
no Kami, had been promoted to the governorship of Hitachi
in the year which followed that of the demise of
the later ex emperor, and Sikado accompanied him to the province.
It was a year after Genji's return that they came
back to the capital. On the day when they had
to pass the barrier house of Osaka meeting path on

(00:45):
their homeward way, Hitachi's sons, the eldest known to us
as Ki no Kami now became Kowachi no Kami and
others went from the city to meet them. It so
happened that Genji was to pay his visit to the
temple of Ishiyama on this very day. This became known
to Hitachi, who, thinking it would be embarrassing if they

(01:08):
met with his procession on the road, determined to start
very early. But somehow or another time passed on, and
when they came to the lake coast of Uchidi modern Odds,
a place along Lake Biwa. The sun had risen high,
and this was the moment when Genji was crossing the

(01:29):
Awata Road. In the course of a few hours, the
outriders of Genji's cortege came in sight, so that Hitachi's
party left their several carriages and seated themselves under the
shade of the cedars on the hill outside of Osaka
in order to avoid encountering Genji and his procession. It

(01:49):
was the last day of September. All the herbage was
fading under the influence of the coming winter, and many
tinted autumn leaves displayed their different huthe whose over the
hills and fields. The scene was in every way pleasing
to the eyes of the spectators. The number of the
carriages of Hitachi's party was about ten in all, and

(02:12):
the style and appearance of the party showed no traces
of frosticity of taste. It might have been imagined that
the party of the Saigu journeying towards or from Ice
might be something similar to this one. Gnji soon caught
sight of them and became aware that it was Hitachi.
He therefore sent for Skaida's brother, whom we know as Kokkimi,

(02:36):
and who had now been made Uyemon no Suke from
the party, and told him that he hoped his attention
in coming there to meet them would not be considered
unfavorable this. Kokimi, as we know, had received much kindness
from Genji up to the time of his becoming a man,
But when Genji had to quit the capital, he left

(02:57):
him and joined his brother in law in his official province.
This was not viewed as very satisfactory, but Genji manifested
no bad feeling to him and treated him still as
one of his household attendants. Yukon no Jio, a brother
in law of Cirkada, on the other hand, had faithfully
followed Genji to his exile, and after their return he

(03:21):
was more than ever favored by Genji. This state of
things made many feel for the bad taste of the
ordinary weakness of the world exhibited by the faithfully following
of one when circumstances are flourishing and deserting him in
the time of adversity. Kokimi himself was one of those
who fully realized these feelings and was pained by them.

(03:43):
When Genji finished his visit to the temple and was
coming back. Kokimi once more came from the capital to
meet him. Through him, Genji sent a letter to his sister,
asking her if she had recognized him when he passed
at Osaka, and contained the following as onward we our
way did take on meeting path, both I and you

(04:05):
we meant not for by this saltless lake no milney
by its waters grew in Handing the letter to Kokmi again,
she said, give this to your sister. It is a
long time since I heard anything from her. Still, the
past seems to me only like yesterday. But do you
disapprove of my sending this? Kokimi replied in a few words,

(04:28):
and took the letter back to his sister and told
her when he gave it that she might easily give
him some sort of answer. She did, indeed disapprove of
treating the matter in any way more seriously than she
had formerly done. Yet she wrote the following by barrier
house own name, unkind that bars the path of friendly greeting.

(04:50):
We passed along with yearning mind, but passed alas without
a meeting. After this time. Some other correspondence now and
then passed between them As time rolled on, the health
of her aged husband visibly declined, and, after fervently enjoining
his sons to be kind and attentive to her in

(05:10):
due time, he breathed his last. For some time. They
were kind and attentive to her, as their father had requested,
and there was nothing unsatisfactory in their behavior towards her.
Yet many things which were not altogether pleasant gradually presented
themselves to her, and so it is always in life. Finally, Cicicada,

(05:32):
telling her intentions to no one beforehand, became a nun.
End of Section seventeen.
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