Yorimichi, the Uji lord, had been suffering for quite a while, afflicted constantly with one illness or another, until he finally succumbed on the 2nd of the 2nd month [1074]. The way that Minister of the Left Morozane and Grand Empress Kanshi grieved went far beyond the ordinary. When Minister of the Right Morofusa reflected back on all the kindness his stepfather had shown him, his heart was filled with sorrow that was in no way inferior to the sorrow of the other two children. Of course, how could the grief of either his wife, Takakura Lady Takahime, or Princess Yūshi [his grandchild by his adopted daughter, Princess Genshi], be anything ordinary? For eighty odd years, he had been the premier person of this world.[1] How many people must have been affected by his magnanimity during his governance? High and low shed tears no less than when Śākyamuni went into hiding.
The late lord had given much comfort to the monks of many temples of many mountains. According to the season, he would, for instance, send them cloth that kept them cool in the summer, and blocked the cold winds in the winter. Supposing they might be lonely, he would visit them, or encourage those in training deep in the mountains to complete the hundred recitations of the Amida’s name. How could there ever be in this world again someone of his immense compassion? The monks mourned in a very affecting manner.
When Novice Lord Michinaga hid himself away after sixty-odd years of flourishing, even then, how great was the outpouring of grief? The Uji Lord was extremely long lived; he had turned eight-three this year. He had not been particularly busy, quietly residing at his hall in Uji, only to visit, when he wished, ascetics deep in the woods for their encouragement. He was also considerate of those still living in this vulgar world, so one can imagine the multitudes of people mourning his passing. Menials who did not count, or those who had attended to him for many years, were naturally crying with disarrayed abandon that invited pity. A maker of earthen bowls was even exclaiming, “I have been serving our lord for many years, and now that things have come to this, where can I go?” She did not restrain her voice at all, and her words moved one’s heart.
The forty-ninth day services were held with impressive magnificence. For now, they must return to the capital, the family members thought, as they finally departed from the hall at Uji. Their sorrow was even deeper than on the day that the lord passed away. At Uji, when they saw the rooms that he had occupied, his various furnishings, the fan he had casually picked up and used, or the pieces of paper now scattered about, they could not help feeling tremendously bereft. Now, they would be leaving Uji, losing sight of all these mementos, a thought that filled them with an even greater sense of loss. They must at least give the monks some of these things as keepsakes for their lord, Morozane thought.
And so time passed, and people’s robes returned to color from mourning. As the Ise priestess, Princess Junshi 淳子—the daughter of Koichijōin’s son, Minister of the Ceremonial Prince Atsukata—was selected. Her mother was an attendant in the service of Consort Kishi, the daughter of the former Attendant Consultant Motohira.[2] This attendant was the daughter of the Aki governor, the son of Uji Major Counselor Minamoto no Takakuni, so the princess was of a distinguished lineage on her maternal side as well.
As for the Kamo priestess, Princess Tokushi resigned, so Princess Seishi 斉子 became the new priestess.[3] Seishi was the daughter of Koichijōin and the Ruri Consort, an attendant he had come to love. They had a son, Nobumune, who was promoted to governor of Bitchu province from middle captain. They also had two daughters. Seishi was the second daughter. The world was only full of many auspicious happenings.
Consort Kenshi 賢子 was supposed to be promoted to empress, but there was no position available.[4] Emperor Shirakawa wondered what should be done. He concluded that he would have Senior Grand Empress Shōshi assume the rank of retired empress. Minister of the Left Morozane’s daughter, Consort Kenshi, found herself in an irregular condition, so the imperial proclamation was then quickly handed down on the 8th of the 6th month [1074]. On the 20th, there was a grand banquet. Since many courtiers took charge of various responsibilities, it turned out to be a magnificent affair.
On the 16th of the same month, the senior grand empress assumed the rank of retired empress. People said, “One of the empresses is surely going to be named a retired empress. According to the seniority, it should be Senior Grand Empress Shōshi. If not, Empress Keishi was, after all, the empress to the most recently deceased retired emperor, and the stepmother of the current emperor,[5] so she is very much entitled to this rank as well.” Yet in the end, the senior grand empress took the position. “She’s not even a mother of an emperor,” some people then complained,[6] while others retorted, “Why shouldn’t she become a retired empress?” In any event, people did talk about the promotion since it was unusual, the first time someone other than a mother of an emperor assumed this status. Because she was not an imperial mother, she did not receive the rights to provisional offices, so everything except for the title was the same as they were when she was the senior grand empress. However, some senior nobles argued, “Looking back upon precedents of old, we see that daughters of empresses became consorts, while others even became ruling empresses (tennō) on occasion. Why should the new retired empress, a daughter of an emperor, not receive the rights due to her rank?” Grand Retired Empress Jōtōmon’in offered to the emperor, “Let me transfer my rights to offices and ranks to her.” Otherwise, Kanshi the Shijō Empress assumed the title of senior grand empress, and the other empresses were all promoted in turn, according to precedent.
The grand banquet for the new empress was extremely splendid. Since the minister of the left personally saw to everything, there was nothing lacking to mar the grandeur. The arrangement for the festivities could not have been bettered. On that day, he brought the lion and Korean dog figurines, and arranged wonderfully the fire huts and the guard houses. Please imagine the greetings of the nobles to the new empress.
I almost forgot to mention that during the reign of Emperor Go-Sanjō, the empress’s father, Middle Counselor Minamoto no Akifusa, was promoted to major counselor, along with Captain of the Right Gate Guards Tadaie, the son of Nagaie the late minister of popular affairs. Akifusa thus surpassed his elder brother, Toshifusa, in rank. This must be because His Majesty had in mind the incident with the Kamo priestess.[7] Empress Keishi of the late Emperor Go-Sanjō now had the title of kōgō. Lord Norimichi’s daughter, the previous kōgō, was then called the senior empress. Finally, the previous senior empress, Kanshi, became the senior grand empress. Major Counselor Akifusa, and Reishi, Lord Morozane’s wife,—how happy they must have been to see their daughter rise to the status of empress![8]
The Higashi Sanjō residence was polished without a blemish, the rooms furnished and prepared for the ceremonies. The empress’s appearance, as she sat in her throne with her hair drawn up, was indeed splendid beyond description. For the three days of festivities, her attendants changed garments daily, each attired according to her own taste. As was customary, they all had their hair drawn up, and the way they presented trays of food to Her Majesty was, again, quite marvelous.
Emperor Shirakawa constantly insisted, almost to an unbearable point, that Empress Kenshi come to the palace as soon as possible. Emissaries from His Majesty came day and night without discrimination, prompting some old-time attendants of the palace, as well as people at large, to comment, “In the past and present, there have been many ladies said to have received the devotion of His Majesty, but no one quite matches Empress Kenshi.”
What must have been the feelings of Consort Dōshi, the daughter of Yoshinaga (the master of the crown prince’s household), when Empress Kenshi boisterously passed right in front of her hall upon Kenshi’s entrance to the palace? Her Majesty had come riding in a palanquin, accompanied by Lord Morozane and all the nobles without a single exception. Upon Her Majesty’s brilliant arrival, the emperor spent all his time with her, as he had done previously.
In the womb of Shikibu no Myōbu, an attendant who had been serving Emperor Go-Reizei, Minamoto Major Counselor Akifusa had fathered a very pretty daughter, named Shishi 師子. This daughter was serving Grand Retired Empress Jōtōmon’in at Tōbokuin.[9] Her figure was quite charming, and her character truly fine. The emperor heard of her exceptional qualities, and quietly summoned her. She ended up going to see His Majesty every night. Since she lived off in the mountains,[10] she usually arrived or departed at night or dawn, which was rather atmospheric. Eventually she found herself with child, and bore a son.[11] His Majesty must have been embarrassed by this turn of events, for he stopped corresponding with her afterwards. Distressed, the grand retired empress personally intervened, but one heard that Major Counselor Akifusa had declared, “If she were my daughter, she would have never entered the palace even if the emperor had summoned her. Who has been saying these things about my daughter?” Could he have really said this?
Men called the Grand Retired Empress Jōtōmon’in, or Tōbokuin, according to where Her Eminence was residing these days. Her grief over the death of the Uji lord this past spring far exceeded the usual. Afterwards, she fell ill, and was feeling unwell for quite a while, prompting Retired Empress Shōshi 章子 to pay a visit. (This retired empress was called the Nijōin.)[12] Seeing Jōtōmon’in suffering so much, even through the night, truly distressed Nijōin, who stayed for only three or four days. Empress Keishi also expressed a wish to visit Jōtōmin’in, at least during her illness, for it was otherwise difficult to find the occasion to meet. Yet Her Eminence responded that as she was presently not at her usual residence, “there is not enough space to have the two of you here at once.” The empress was, needless to say, very disappointed.
On the 16th of the 10th month, there was to be an imperial purification, and the world was abuzz in preparation. As the acting consort,[13] the daughter of Fujiwara Major Counselor Tadaie, the son of Nagaie the late minister of popular affairs, was selected. She had been adopted ever since she was a little child by Palace Minister Nobunaga. Even on ordinary occasions, the members of the minister’s household wore clothes of special colors and distinctive styles, so one can image the extraordinary garments he must have been preparing for this ceremony. However, Regent Norimichi said to the minister, his son, “The colors ought to be beautiful in a formal manner. Since none would surpass those selected by the regent, let me choose.” Rather catholic in taste, the colors Norimichi dictated did not match his son’s intentions, but he went by his father’s choices. Fulled robes in vermillion were still not permitted, so the acting consort wore fulled, globeflower robes, a yellow upper robe, and a Chinese jacket in gentian. The fragrance of the incense filling the sky from somewhere was superb.
“On previous occasions, various people sponsored the carriages of the acting consort and her entourage,” Nobunaga appealed. In response, the grand retired empress and the Nijō regent offered to provide two or three carriages each. However, Her Eminence finally succumbed to illness, and passed away on the 3rd of the 10th month. The regent lamented, “Alas, how heartbreaking. Though she was of an age for which this outcome would be naturally expected,[14] I am now at a complete loss. With whom shall I consult in the future? Until now, I had, for all kinds of affairs, sought her advice. Yet it was also very heart-wrenching to see her in her old age left behind by so many of her family members.” Breaking down, he then fell into tears. The Nijō retired empress, as well as Empress Keishi, fell into a deep and lonesome sorrow.
To the regent, the emperor ordered, “Do not go into mourning.” However, Norimichi replied, “No matter how important an affair, I cannot neglect this matter on hand,” and put on robes of mourning. On the night of the funeral, he accompanied the grand retired empress’s body on foot. It was heart-wrenching to watch. Part of the way, for just a little, he departed from custom and rode a carriage. He was seventy-nine years old.[15] How could he walk the entire route? Her Eminence had passed away in her eighty-seventh year. No matter how sad her demise, one had to admit it was bound to come sooner rather than later. Still, it was terribly affecting. That she was able to receive such an impressive funeral, conducted by her brother who had put aside a ceremony of great prominence, was fortunate indeed.
When the Her Eminence climbed upwards into the heavens as clouds and smoke, people who had benefited from her wonderful magnanimity over the many years could not help feeling a renewed sense of tremendous loss. Her bereaved attendants wailed without restraint. Concerned about what would happen to them after her death, she had instructed while she was still alive, “It would upset me terribly if my attendants were to be oddly scattered here and there, ostracized as having once served me. Continue to stay in the western hall [of Tsuchimikado mansion] as you have done in the past.” So that what she had decided would not be contradicted, she had made all the necessary preparations.
The hall at Hōjōji where Her Eminence passed away had been overseen by Kohata Archbishop Jōen, the son of the regent and Koshikibu no Naishi, who had been in the service of Jōtōmon’in. He had recently passed away, however, and he was replaced by His Holiness Jōkaku of Nagatani, another son of the regent. (He was, unlike his elder brother, born of his father’s principal wife, Kintō’s daughter.)
During the forty-nine days after the Her Eminence’s demise, the lord isolated himself in mourning, wetting his sleeves with tears as he remembered the past. Her attendants could not take comfort in the fact that she had been quite old, and remained despondent, feeling bereft of that one person upon whom they could always rely, though the days and even months passed by. If they had not entered her service and remained at their parent’s home, some even contemplated, they might have been better off, not experiencing this utterly devastating sorrow.
As time passed, one began to see less and less of the nobles around her former living quarters. The trays were covered in dust, with one or two attendants still watching over what was left. It was a pathetic sight, and though the skies were brightening with the advent of spring, their minds were pitch black, their grief knowing no bounds.
I almost forgot to mention that Empress Kenshi had been repeatedly told to stay a little longer by Emperor Shirakawa, who begrudged the pending separation from her, until it was very close to the expected time of the birth, when she finally left the palace. From the 15th of the 12th month, there were signs that the birth was imminent. The decoration of the room was changed, and countless esoteric rites and prayers reverberated throughout the hall. Her Majesty was staying at the residence of Iyo Governor Sadatsuna in the southern area of the capital. Since it was very cramped, the stands for the esoteric rituals had to be placed in a borrowed house across the street. She seemed to be in unbearable pain, making people anxiously wonder what was going to happen, when she gave birth to a radiantly beautiful boy, Prince Atsufumi.[16]
There is no way to describe adequately the relieved joy felt by everyone, and there is no need to describe the emotions inside the hearts of Lord Morozane and Major Counselor Akifusa. One can easily imagine the emperor’s reaction when he heard the news. His Majesty had already been constantly sending messengers to inquire about Kenshi during their separation, but now, he sent even more messengers, so that it seemed that the lord gained four or five new retainers. On New Year’s day, upon entering Her Majesty’s room, decorated completely in white for the birth, one felt as though one were entering mountains deep in snow. There, the prince’s light burst forth like the rising, bright morning sun. One could not help feeling that even if one were to peer into a mirror, it would not be so brilliant. It was actually snowing quite heavily outside. A female attendant thought to herself ….
[Missing poems].
The 2nd day of Jōhō 2 [1055] coincided with the seventh-night birth celebrations, so the nobles, without a single exception, assembled at the palace. The white sleeves and the layered hems of the female attendants spread out sumptuously from under the blinds. The rice scattered to ward off evil spirits made it seem as though it were hailing, unbeknownst to the sky. The snow piled up from the previous days thus looked purposefully done, as part of the decorations. Tonight’s festivities were sponsored by the emperor, who went far beyond the usual practice, making for an opulent occasion. When a Chinese casket was brought before the emperor, who then distributed the gifts stored within, the splendid sight was enthralling as a picture. The atmosphere was just the same as the celebrations upon the birth of Emperor Go-Ichijō, recorded by Murasaki Shikibu. Because it would be better not to write at all than to transmit these events inaccurately, I will stop now. I will say, though, that the birth was highly auspicious, for it had been quite a while since a prince was born during the emperor’s reign through such a formal and intimate relationship as this one.[17]
The 3rd day was the eighth day after the birth, and people changed into their regular clothes of various hues. The empress moved to the Higashi Sanjō residence. Her attendants were wearing robes in gradated colors of pink plum blossoms. The emperor, too, made his way to Higashi Sanjō, eager to meet his empress and the new prince. His attendants wore various colors in groups of two, again layering their robes from dark to light.
After receiving the emperor at Higashi Sanjō, the empress then moved back to the palace. The splendor of the ceremonies welcoming her return was yet more brilliant; the palace reverberated with the pomp. As soon as she was back, the emperor visited the young prince. Since it was already getting quite late, His Majesty urged the empress to hurry, whereupon she went up to the imperial apartments with the prince. It was all quite wonderful. While there were some who did not get to be promoted as empress for a long time despite bearing children, or some who were empresses but did not receive the affection of the emperor, Kenshi was fortunate in the three vital points: promoted as an empress, blessed with a prince, and loved deeply by the emperor. One could only marvel at her splendid fortune. Furthermore, it was not like she had to wait long for the child to appear, for she was still younger than twenty when she found herself blessed in all three areas. Sometimes it happened that the family members to whom one wanted to show the child were already gone to another world. However, in Kenshi’s case, the young prince’s grandparents, both her adopted and true parents, were all alive, and not that old, either. The prince’s great-grandfather, Minister of the Right Minamoto no Morofusa, was indeed quite aged, along with his wife, Sonshi. The wife of Minister of Civil Affairs Minamoto no Takatoshi was still young.[18] The empress lived in the Kokiden. The fiftieth and hundredth-day birth celebrations also were held in spectacular fashion, beyond the possibility of description.
Both Crown Prince Sanehito and Third Prince Sukehito spoke charmingly for their age, and were surprisingly mature.[19] This latest young prince was also an impressive, fine boy, so the lord’s wife, Reishi, embraced him tightly. The emperor also did not part from him for even a moment, happily playing with his new son. There were three wet-nurses: the wife of Assistant of the Military Guards Toshisuke, the daughter of Shinano Governor Kiyozane, the daughter of Suō Governor Yoshitsuna. The wife of Lesser Captain Takamune and others also came to serve.
Eventually, Empress Kenshi again found herself in an irregular condition. So marvelous was the news that one did not have any words of congratulation. Naturally, well-born ladies flocked to serve the empress, and her household prospered in full bloom.
On the 24th of the 9th month, Minister of the Left Morozane proposed to go on an excursion to Ōigawa to view the autumn foliage.[20] As the nobles gathered to join, and the minister was changing to hunting attire, different from his regular, formal clothes, Regent Norimichi came down with a malady of the nerves, so the excursion was cancelled. After three or four days, the regent passed away.[21] The emperor duly proclaimed the minister of the left as the new regent.[22] The red lacquered dishes and the tray stands were passed down to Lord Morozane, with no end to the splendor.[23]
The former regent would have no doubt liked to see Palace Minister Nobunaga inherit the post, but when he thought of the magnanimity with which the Uji Lord Yorimichi had let him assume the post, how could he not act as he did, returning the favor by allowing Yorimichi’s son, Morozane, to succeed him? Besides, were Norimichi to try to have his son named regent, the emperor surely would not have approved.[24] During the reign of Emperor Go-Sanjō, when people had been gossiping that Yorimichi would be handing over the regency to his brother, then Palace Minister Norimichi had said, even then, “Were the Uji Lord to hear these rumors, it would pain me greatly.” Regent Norimichi possessed an affable, truly impressive character.
The former retired emperor, Go-Sanjō, had a very direct and forceful personality, and was not one to follow other people’s suggestions. Regent Norimichi, as well as his predecessor, thus could not always do as he pleased, but towards the end of His Eminence’s life, they reconciled. Eventually, they became so close that, during His Eminence’s final illness, Norimichi faithfully served him by his side, the retired emperor asking Norimichi’s whereabouts if he was away for even a moment. It was with these thoughts of the former sovereign that Norimichi dutifully attended to Crown Prince Sanehito, accompanying His Highness’s processions, for instance. When, reminded of his father, the regent burst into tears upon seeing the crown prince, His Highness remarked, “Why are you crying? You have a pain somewhere? You should have a woman who does massage rub you down, like I am going to do.” The regent both laughed and cried.
Senior Empress Kanshi and the Palace Minister Nobunaga were also heart-stricken by the regent’s demise. The regent’s wife, Princess Senshi 嫥子—what must have been her feelings?[25]
Minister of the Left Morozane’s position was truly a splendid one. His young son, borne by his principal wife Reishi, recently had his coming-of-age ceremony, and was a middle captain. This year [1076], he was selected to act as the Kasuga messenger. One was moved to remember the time long ago when the Uji lord had served as the messenger while he had still been a lesser captain, and how his father, Novice Lord Michinaga had uttered, “today I send off my anxious heart.”[26]
Lord Morozane had set his eyes upon Minamoto no Yorikuni’s daughter, who was serving his sister, Senior Empress Kanshi. They had two boys: Ietada, a lesser captain; and Jōi 静意, who was given to Ninnaji Prince Moroakira. The lord indeed had many children here and there. During the same period, with other women, he fathered a number of children, though he acted as though they were not his. Those women were not very high-ranking, but were middle-ranking attendants in service at various places with a reputation for having pretty faces. For instance, there was Chūnagon no Kimi, who used to serve the late grand retired empress. She was the daughter of Mino Governor Motosada, who was a son of Minister of the Right Yorimune. With Chūnagon no Kimi, Morozane had another large group of children.[27] The late grand retired empress had become very concerned, and looked after Chūnagon no Kimi with great solicitude. Moreover, Her Eminence assigned wet-nurses of considerable rank to Chūnagon’s children, whom she kept by her side. “To be caught in new bonds at this point in life,” people grumbled to Her Eminence, but she devotedly cared for them anyway, thinking, “If my longstanding prayers for the afterlife are blocked by these new attachments, so be it; let me try to do the best for them while I am still in this world.” Yet with the passing of the grand retired empress, one wonders how she is faring now. Lord Morozane took in the two boys, one hears.
Meanwhile, Empress Kenshi gave birth this time to a girl, Princess Teishi 媞子.[28] Since the birth of a girl had been a rather rare event, the lord’s wife was especially delighted. Of course, having a string of boys in succession was also quite splendid, as was having a mix of both, as it now turned out. But most people were expecting a boy, so Reishi adored this lovely princess, partly out of pity. One of her wet nurses was Saishō no Menoto, a daughter of Uji Major Counselor Takakuni and a daughter of Yorikuni. Another was Hōki no Menoto, a daughter of Shijō Middle Counselor Sadayori.
Learning to talk very well, young Prince Atsufumi spoke teasingly to the little princess. They were both beautiful and quite marvelous in their own ways. Thinking to show the prince what a horse race was like, the emperor had a model made, with a miniature fence woven of gold and silver, and figurines of courtiers riding on horses. His Majesty also had replicas made of viewing carriages, which he showed to the prince.
About this time, the regent went on an excursion to view the Nunobiki waterfalls that looked like unfurled rolls of cloth.[29] The scenery while on the road was quite captivating, and the figures of the courtiers in their hunting robes, each in their own styles, were beyond portrayal in magnificence. The scene that greeted them at the falls must have been just as Narihira described.[30]
Regent Morozane
How fortunate that the mountain goddess washed her cloth here—
for we have come here to this Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.[31]
晒しけんかひもあるかな山姫のたづねてきつる布引の滝
Master of the Empress’s Household Akifusa
The water’s color looks simply white as snow;
who bleached their cloth in the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth?
水の色ただ白雪と見ゆるかな誰晒しけん布引きの滝
Master of the Grand Empress’s Household Sukeie
How astonishingly high into the clouds does it appear to reach—
The Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth, whose name flows around the world.[32]
めづらしく雲居はるかに見ゆるかな世に流れたる布引の滝
Provisional Master of the Empress’s Household Minamoto no Tsunenobu
The fall’s cascades roar down from above the clouds—
like white threads that never end.
雲居よりとどろき落つる滝の瀬はただ白糸の絶えぬなりけり
Middle Captain of the Third Rank Moromichi
Since the water seems to come from the sky, with white clouds
rising does one confuse the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.[33]
水上の空に見ゆれば白雲の立つにまがへる布引きの滝
Provisional Middle Counselor Minamoto no Masazane
No matter how many times I return, each time I go to Ikuta forest,
I never tire of seeing the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.[34]
たちかへり生田の森のいくたびも見るとも飽かじ布引の滝
Middle Captain Kinzane
Unchanged with time’s flow, the mountain goddess washes cloth,
shattering white jewels at the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.
世とともにこや山姫の晒すなる白玉割れぬ布引の滝
Harima Governor Takashina no Tameie
Obfuscated by rising mists, the water’s source cannot been seen,
though reaching the sky: the sound of the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.
水上は霧たちこめて見えねども音ぞ空なる布引の滝
Ietsuna [the brother of Morozane]
How long are they—I would like to know: those long, vertical strands
the mountain goddess has drawn to weave the Waterfall of Unfurled Cloth.
幾尋と知らもほしきは山姫のはるかに綜たる布引の滝
A new year arrived, turning to Jōhō 4 (1077). Everywhere, it seemed more festive than usual. At Empress Kenshi’s court, for example, offerings of rice cakes for Prince Atsufumi and Princess Teishi filled the air with auspicious joy. There is also no way for me to describe the beauty of their wet nurses. On the 2nd, the regent held his special banquet with true magnificence. The female attendants wore pink, plum-blossom robes layered from dark to light, over which they had on fulled, spring-green robes. There were austerity measures in place, so they were limited to five layers of robes. Because their robes were thick, filled with cotton wadding, it did not look like they were wearing only a few layers of clothes. On the other hand, when one wears many layers, thick, cotton-filled robes can be a bit cumbersome, but with just five layers, thin robes would not have been very interesting when seen from under the blinds. The attendants thus made the correct, balanced choice, for the display was quite impressive. Nobles gathered and played music for amusement. Minister of the Right Morofusa recited some poetry.
Middle Captain Moromichi was of third rank. Last winter, he entered Popular Affairs Minister Toshiie’s household as his son-in-law. There was some talk that Moromichi was to marry one of the emperor’s sisters, but for some reason, Lord Morozane, his father, decided on Toshiie’s daughter. Naturally gratified by the honor, the minister took especially good care of his son-in-law. Moromichi’s wife was Zenshi 全子, the fourth daughter. The minister had one son by Zenshi’s mother, his principal wife, the daughter of Minamoto no Takakuni. He was named Morokane, and was a consultant middle captain, but last spring, he passed away. By other wives, he had plentiful children. Indeed, the progeny of Toshiie’s father, Novice Minister of the Right Yorimune, was truly abundant in number.
From after the 10th, the current minister of the right, Morofusa, began suffering from an indisposition of the nerves. Some days passed, but he did not get better. His children and wives all anxiously wondered what was going to happen.
On the 11th, there was an imperial procession by Yōmeimon’in [Retired Empress Teishi]. She went to the Higashi Sanjō residence, whereupon she saw before her the emperor’s splendor, a sight that profoundly moved Her Eminence. When the emperor came to pay his respects, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Many received promotions for their service in the procession.
Minister of the Right Morofusa’s affliction was not improving at all, and he suffered greatly, causing him frightening alarm. On the 20th, his condition became seriously grave, so Lord Morozane’s wife, Reishi, came to visit her father. On the 17th of the 2nd month, an imperial proclamation was handed down, promoting him to chancellor. His position was truly impressive. After all, his pedigree was impeccable—his father was the minister of central affairs, Prince Tomohira, the son of Emperor Murakami, and his mother was the daughter of the minister of the ceremonial, Prince Tamehira, another son of Emperor Murakami. The mother of Prince Tomohira, the Reikeiden consort, Princess Sōshi 庄子, was also of exceptional birth, being the daughter of Prince Yoakira. Therefore, Morofusa was not of common blood on either his paternal or maternal side. As for his appearance, it was affable and endearing, while his demeanor was very dignified. Moreover, his learning was immense, and his calligraphy could not have been more impressive. As for his progeny, his granddaughter, Kenshi, was the empress, and he looked after the first prince. His daughter, Reishi, was the wife of Regent Morozane. Between them they had two sons who were major counselors (Toshifusa, Akifusa), a consultant middle captain (Morotada), and Ninkaku the Hōjōji Abbott. They were truly a superlative family.
In the midst of this prosperity, Morofusa passed away. Shocked by the loss, everyone was mired in the profundity of their sorrow. There is no way to describe the grief of the wife of the late Major Counselor Michifusa or his younger daughter. The wife of the Lord Morozane had never experienced a death of someone so close. She could only mourn in a bewildered, almost unconscious state. When they changed into mourning robes, the atmosphere was very affecting. What thoughts must have filled the heart of Sonshi 尊子, Morofusa’s wife? Ever since Minister Morofusa was a middle captain, she had been by his side for these many years, until she was in fact over seventy years old. Her anguish must have been beyond words. Still, despite her profound grief, she uttered the Buddha’s name dusk and dawn, and copied sutras. His sons, the lords, also gathered in mourning, but they were able to console one another while they were together in seclusion. After the initial period of mourning was over, the monks departed, and the lords all returned to their respective homes. It was then that they felt a renewed sense of loss, a terrible loneliness that made everything seem different from before. It was indeed sad beyond words.
When Sonshi married Morofusa long ago, three of her sisters, Shōshi 彰子, Kenshi 妍子, and Ishi 威子, were empresses. Consort Kishi 嬉子 married to the crown prince, and Consort Kanshi 寛子 was married to Koichijōin. In contrast, Sonshi’s husband was a mere middle captain, which she had regretted with much chagrin. However, her sisters died before they had even reached forty years of age. Only Grand Retired Empress Shōshi lived a long life, along with Sonshi, who was able to be with her husband until she was in her seventies, taking care of their large brood of children—a truly marvelous life. To be able to call her sisters empresses was in itself quite wonderful, though they did die at a young age. Sonshi was, moreover, the mother of the regent’s wife, Reishi, and two major counselors (Toshifusa and Akifusa). Among her grandchildren, she had Empress Kenshi, who gave birth to Prince Atsufumi and Princess Teishi. To be able to see the births of her great grandchildren was certainly a splendid fortune.
Morofusa had intended to have his daughter, the wife of late Major Captain Michifusa enter the palace, but Emperor Go-Ichijō already had Novice Lord Michinaga’s daughter, the late Empress Ishi. As for Emperor Go-Suzaku, Yōmeimon’in (Teishi) had then already entered the palace, being referred to as the princess of the first rank. Both the late Nijō Regent Norimichi and Horikawa Minister of the Right Yorimune therefore could not readily find a place for their daughters at the palace. Finally, in their latter years, their daughters Seishi and Enshi were married to Emperor Go-Suzaku, yet they remained unable to achieve their fathers’ ambitions of becoming empresses. In this situation, Minister of the Right Morofusa saw that it would be futile to try to compete, so he gave up. In the end, however, he was able to see his granddaughter, Kenshi, become an empress: Regent Morozane’s wife had adopted her niece, and she entered the court of Emperor Shirakawa with spectacular results. The emperor’s love for her surpassed the ordinary, and she appeared sure to become the stuff of legend—a wonderful fate, indeed.
To replace Morofusa in the position of major captain of the left, Lord Morozane’s son, Moromichi the middle captain of the third rank, became a consultant [saishō or sangi], concurrently holding the post of major captain of the left. To be called the consultant major captain had a wonderfully modern flair.[35] By comparison, his father had been a middle captain when he was a middle counselor [chūnagon]. In the 4th month, ceremonies marking the start of Moromichi’s service were held at the lord’s residence. Moromichi’s wife, a daughter of Toshiie, also attended. They were indeed a lovely couple. The major captain was sixteen this year, but he was already well-built, very attractive, and all in all, a most splendid courtier.
During this reign, the imperial procession to the Kamo Shrine occurred on the day of the Miare festival.[36] In the year that the emperor began making his pilgrimage on this day,[37] Suketsuna the middle captain recited:
[Missing poem.]
For the regent’s procession to the shrine the day before the Kamo festival, as customary, all the people of this world gathered to serve as his outriders, and all the nobles assembled around him, so that the lord appeared genuinely magnificent. Middle counselors and consultants also came to serve. In an impressive manner, the consultant major captain kept guard at the back of the procession with military escorts to his left and right. Attractively plump, he also possessed an alluring elegance.
Consort Dōshi, the daughter of Yoshinaga, the master of the crown prince’s household, despaired of the amorous world and left for her parent’s home.[38] Taking pity on her, Emperor Shirakawa granted her equality with the three empresses. Lord Yoshinaga and the consort must have no doubt been very moved and happy. Because of his extraordinary devotion to Empress Kenshi, His Majesty’s affection for Dōshi might not have been all that strong, but how could he abandon her? Such a magnanimous gesture was not commonly done at all. During the Nijō Regent Norimichi’s time, Senior Empress Kanshi 歓子 was given this status because she, too, had been similarly spending her days in gloom at her parent’s home. But in the past, when one consort rose to the status of empress, others all remained consorts, even though they may have borne many imperial children, so Dōshi’s promotion was a rare honor, and quite marvelous.
Although Dōshi had not been in the palace for two or three years, she returned this year [1076], having been summoned by the emperor. However, in the 12th month, the emperor moved to the Rokujō residence, and she left for home. Perhaps the consort did not follow His Majesty because the Rokujōdono was cramped. Only Empress Kenshi with the prince and princess made the move. Meanwhile, Dōshi found herself in an irregular condition. Needless to say, her father, the master of the crown prince’s household, was extraordinarily joyful.
In the 4th and 5th months, an epidemic of measles broke out, and one heard that many people were afflicted. In the 6th and 7th months, the epidemic escalated considerably, and one heard that everyone was suffering from the illness. The previous outbreak of measles came fifty-three years ago, so old and young alike, parent and child, all were afflicted with few people left standing. Since each family naturally had few members in their sixties or seventies (who escaped the illness), it was a terrible situation.[39]
There have been other outbreaks of the measles in the past. The epidemic in which the Handmaid Kishi passed away [in 1025] had in fact not been as severe as this one. It was probably three hundred years or so since an epidemic of this magnitude struck the capital.[40] As it grew late in autumn, many high-ranking personages fell ill. Emperor Shirakawa, Empress Kenshi, Prince Atsufumi, Princess Teishi, the regent’s wife, Major Captain Moromichi—they all were ill at about the same time. Countless prayers were performed.
Among the epidemic’s fatal victims was the minister of ceremony, Prince Atsukata. Since the current Ise priestess, Princess Junshi, was his daughter, she resigned. In the 8th month, Horikawa Middle Counselor Yoshitaka, the son of the late Minister of the Right Yorimune, also passed away, as did Master of the Right Capital Sector Michiie, Assistant of the Military Guards Korezane, and Chamberlain Iezane. The wives of the middle counselor and of the assistant of the military guards succumbed to the illness as well. It was a shocking time. Tajima Governor Takafusa and the assistant in the crown prince’s household, Taira no Tsuneakira, also died. The wives of Popular Affairs Minister Toshiie, the Tanba governor, and Assistant Tsuneakira, all were afflicted, too. Everywhere people were affected, if not by the illness, by the deaths in their families.
Although some days passed, the first prince did not recover from the remnants of the measles. On the 6th of the 8th month, he ultimately passed away. The grief of everyone knew no bounds. Whether the emperor or the regent, their anguish cannot be adequately described. What turbulent emotions must have filled the heart of Major Counselor Akifusa?
Consort Dōshi, the daughter of Yoshinobu, the master of the crown prince’s household, was otherwise known as the Shōkyōden consort. Shortly after the 10th of the 9th month, she gave birth to Princess Zenshi 善子. Although the baby’s sex was a disappointment, she was truly pretty, comforting their hearts.
Emperor Shirakawa pressed Empress Kenshi to return to the palace, but she could not move, sunk in deep sorrow over the death of her son. Let us at least talk over our grief together in one place, the emperor urged, so the empress made her way to the palace. If only she were coming with the first prince, the emperor could not help wishing as he forlornly remembered his deceased son. The prince’s precocious way with words, and myriad other memories of his son flooded the emperor’s mind. How could His Majesty forget the prince’s uncommon beauty? And even if the young prince were not so handsome, how could His Majesty remain unmoved by his death? When the prince was born, Major Counselor Akifusa was the first to embrace him. The presentation of the ceremonial sword from the emperor, and the scattering of rice to ward off evil spirits—these ceremonies had filled people’s hearts with delight, splendid as they had been from start to finish. Now, His Majesty lost this brilliant source of boundless light. How very great must be His Majesty’s sorrow!
Princess Teishi 媞子 was quickly growing up to be a pretty little lady, the emperor recently noticed, looking at her adoringly. She was genuinely fond of her father, and she had a quality about her that elicited intimacy. She had lately been designated to be the next Ise priestess.[41] Empress Kenshi was devastated by the news, for even while she had both of her children with her, Her Majesty had been devoted to them—there being no way she could let them out of her sight for a moment. Now, on top of the death of the prince, she was to be separated from her daughter, a terrible thought that she could only lament. Soon, the empress found herself with child again. No doubt such fortune must be Her Majesty’s destiny.
On the site of the Shirakawa residence, long owned by Uji Lord Yorimichi and occupied by the late Grand Retired Empress Shōshi, who had been troubled by goblins there, Emperor Shirakawa had built grand temple halls.[42] For the past two years, provincial officials were assigned various tasks for their construction. Harima Governor Takashina no Tameie built the Golden Hall, for example. Huge Buddhist images graced all the halls. Having pushed to complete the work, the emperor was able to dedicate the temple on the 20th of the 10th month [1077]. The empress expressed a wish to attend the service, which the emperor discouraged because of her condition. “To miss such a grand event…” the empress complained, asking at least to view the service. Upon her pressing, it was decided that Her Majesty would attend. Her presence would be felicitous indeed.
The colors of autumn foliage and chrysanthemum covered the temple’s grounds, visible as far as the eye could see. These hues seemed radiate with yellow and red rays of light,[43] and the holy location only enhanced the atmosphere. The newly stained vermillion of the venerable, dignified halls, topped with decorations in green across the horizon, presented a scene that could not have differed from what one might see in paradise. The only disparity lay in the fact that the lake, colored like lapis lazuli, was not lined with gold and silver sand.[44] On the surface of the clear lake, people played on boats, while some dramatically pounded the large drums, declaring, “If they’re not struck, they won’t resound!”[45] The entrance of dancers dressed up as lions and Korean dogs was also a sight to behold.
About three hundred monks dressed immaculately in formal garb participated in the procession. Combined with the throngs of monks all around the halls, there must have been about a thousand monks paying their respects. The child dancers, attired in pretty fashion, also enchanted one’s eyes. The procession was, of course, astonishingly magnificent. Appointments were made for the head administrator of this temple, along with the provisional head administrator, followed by the vice and assistant administrators. It was marvelous that monks of the caliber of a holy teacher were selected to serve even as assistants.
It was very late at night when the emperor finally departed. What motivated His Majesty to build such a grand temple? He was still relatively young, and not much time had passed since he ascended the throne. Indeed, it seemed as though the building of this temple was a realization of a vow made in an earlier life. High-ranking Buddhist officials assumed even the relatively low posts of assistant administrators, and they performed dedicatory rites. “The goblins are saying that they will not let a temple stand here,” one heard, but the services went without any incident.
The Gosechi and the Special Kamo Festivals passed by uneventfully in the usual manner. Still, Empress Kenshi lamented the loss of her son. With the coming of the new year [1078], there was the occasion of the celebratory rice cakes for her daughter, Princess Teishi. Yet even then, she could not refrain from expressing her sorrow; such was the terrible state of her heart. As for the regent’s wife, Reishi, she continued to long for her grandson even as the days and months passed, remembering his incomparably splendid appearance. She also recalled with painful nostalgia how her daughter doted on him as her most precious treasure, while the prince, too, adored his mother, following her around everywhere.
On the 1st of the 2nd month, the Eight Expositions on the Lotus Sutra were held on the former grounds of the late Uji Novice, Lord Yorimichi. Shijō Senior Empress Kanshi and the lord’s wife, Takahime, came, returning after four or five days. The date then approached to prepare the birthing rooms for Empress Kenshi, and prayers for safe delivery reverberated loudly.
At the end of the 3rd month, the emperor sponsored a poetry contest at the palace. As usual, courtiers were divided into competing left and right teams. The presentation trays were magnificent beyond description, as customary. It was a reign in which the emperor accomplished everything in the most splendid fashion. The emperor also had a poetry collection compiled, drawing upon poems collected from various people.[46] His Majesty recalled words from the Kokinshū preface: “preserving the memory of the past and renewing what has grown old.”[47] Furthermore, the emperor went back in time, replicating the imperial excursion to Ōigawa, and holding a poetry gathering there.[48] It was a reign filled with marvels.
Shortly after the 10th of the 4th month, Princess Teishi’s ceremony of putting on of the trousers was held. Following the ceremony, she was to leave directly as the Ise priestess. In seeing her beauty, people could not cease to weep, for such was their state of mind faced with their impending separation.
On the 18th of the 5th month, Empress Kenshi safely delivered a baby girl, Princess Reishi 令子. Everyone lamented the fact that the baby was not a boy. The regent’s wife temporarily took care of the baby. Soon, the empress returned to the palace. Like the “white waves splashing back,”[49] the emperor’s affection for Her Majesty deepened with the passing of the days and months.
On the 23rd of the 9th month, the regent, accompanied by his wife, made a pilgrimage to Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine. On the way there, the female attendants wore robes in the color combination of autumn foliage, on the way back, of chrysanthemums. The interiors of the carriages were as splendid as one might imagine. I will not go into the particulars, for they are not of concern to maidens like us. It was truly a reign of only wonderful things, one after another to no end.
For the Gosechi Festival, Major Captain Moromichi sponsored the dancers. They could not be, of course, run of the mill. Retired Empress Shōshi and Shijō Consort Kanshi prepared the almost blindingly lavish costumes of the girl attendants and the serving girls. They picked the prettiest girls to present as a group.
The lustration services for the departing Ise priestess were set for the 12th month, prompting a flurry of busy activity in preparation. There were to be twenty female attendants, each wearing robes of their preferred color, though all were exceptional in their shading and fabrics. To serve as attendants, the emperor summoned ladies of appropriately high birth, treasured daughters of distinguished courtiers. They were terribly reluctant, giving one excuse or another so that their daughters would not have to go to so faraway a place, but all the ladies showed up after His Majesty gave their fathers a scolding. Because of their upbringing, they put up curtains in between so that they could not see each other. In the rear of the priestess’s carriage rode a daughter of Norimichi, the late regent. She had served Consort Dōshi, and was the wife of Middle Counselor Sukenaka. Some of the other attendants were the daughter of Middle Captain Nobumune (a son of Koichijōin), the daughter of Settsu Governor Moroie (who was a son of Dazaifu Governor General Tsunesuke, also a middle counselor), and the daughter of Izumo Governor Munezane (a son of Ononomiya Middle Counselor Kaneyori). All were thus daughters of such respected nobles that daughters of fourth or fifth-ranking masters did not qualify to be considered. Indeed, things did continue to improve from the past!
The empress again found herself with child, and this time, she gave birth to a prince, so there was nothing to mar the celebration.[50] Everyone was elated by the great news.
Major Captain Moromichi had a wonderful air about him, attractive in both appearance and demeanor. Recently, a most beautiful boy was born to him, whom he brought to Lord Morozane. That the lord should think this young grandson, Tadazane, as an invaluable jewel without compare, raising him with devoted care, was quite natural.
The empress again found herself in an irregular condition. Consort Dōshi found her relationship with the emperor distressing, so she was staying at her parents’ home. Princess Zenshi, her daughter now three or four years, was her consolation to wile away her melancholy days and nights. This time, the empress gave birth to Princess Shinshi 禛子. Shijō Consort Kanshi adopted the new princess, for she had nothing to do.
Shortly after his birth, the major captain’s young son, Tadazane, was frequently brought to his grandfather’s residence. On both his mother’s and father’s sides, the grandfathers never tired of doting on the boy. For some inexplicable reason, though, the major captain and his wife, Toshiie’s daughter, drifted apart, their relationship gradually withering. Popular Affairs Minister Toshiie was concerned, especially since he was ill, though not in any specific spot. “What will become of them of all, my children, after I am gone,” he bemoaned. Yet regarding Zenshi, Moromichi’s wife, the father said, “I can remain at ease, since she has the young Tadazane, whom Lord Morozane treasures.” On the other hand, “My sons worry me,” he continued. Indeed, seeing his handsome sons side by side, even an outsider’s heart ached when contemplating their future.
For many years, the master of the crown prince’s household, Yoshinaga, should have naturally been appointed a minister, as his birth father, Yorimune the late master, had long advised. The emperor could not simply neglect this request, so it caused him much consternation.[51] Popular Affairs Minister Toshiie was Yoshinaga’s elder brother. Though Toshiie was technically the most senior major counselor, it distressed him that his younger brother might precede him in becoming a minister. In the end, Palace Minister Nobunaga became chancellor, Popular Affairs Minister Toshiie became the minister of the right, and Master Yoshinaga of the crown prince’s household became the palace minister.[52] However, Minamoto Major Counselor Akifusa complained: “Will my continued failure to be promoted as a minister not reflect poorly on the prince and princess?”[53] The emperor thus bestowed upon Akifusa the concurrent post of major captain. In each of their various posts, these courtiers embodied the meaning of splendor. Although it was entirely understandable why his elder brother Toshifusa failed to be promoted, how could Akifusa not feel a pang of regret?[54] As for the minister of the right, people said, “Minister Toshiie can’t count on Moromichi’s support anymore, but because of his wife, he can take comfort in his grandson, who will prevent him from being humiliated.” For the grand banquets, held in celebration for the ministerial appointments, the lord’s various staff assembled, some of whom acted as outriders for the processions.
Palace Minister Yoshinaga’s daughter, Consort Dōshi, had received the status of equality with the three empresses, so her position was quite marvelous. Emperor Shirakawa’s affection for her ran deeper than most men’s love for their spouses, but Dōshi found Kenshi’s unimaginably frequent traversals outside her hall to be intolerable. “I won’t stay and watch this from nearby,” she thought, moving to her parents’ home. The marriage between Major Captain Moromichi and the daughter of Minister of the Right Toshiie was also strained. As the days and months passed, their relationship grew increasingly distant.
For a long time, the minister of the right had a swelling in his neck. Recently, it became aggravated, and he seemed to be suffering a great deal. He eventually passed away.[55] The palace minister, too, passed away, said to have been afflicted by a spirit possession.[56] It was a terrible period of one shocking happening after another.
As the days and months passed, summer arrived, and ministerial appointments were to be announced. Major Captain of the Right Akifusa could rightly not remain indifferent for the sake of his grandchildren, the prince and princesses. At the same time, the emperor could not help feeling sorry that Major Counselor Toshifusa should have been surpassed in rank by his younger brother, though he continued to serve the court dutifully without rancor. Talented as Toshifusa was with his long record of service, how could he appoint anyone else as a minister, His Majesty thought. Moreover, it was rather unfortunate that Major Captain Moromichi had not yet been promoted as a minister, as he was a son of a regent. That the master of the crown prince’s household, Sanesue, should also be seeking a ministerial appointment was quite reasonable, given that he was the maternal uncle of the emperor. As one of the senior counselors, Fujiwara Major Counselor Tadaie, too, sought to be a minister. However, in the end, the two Minamoto major counselors, Toshifusa and Akifusa, were appointed ministers of the left and right, respectively. The regent’s son, the major captain, assumed the post of palace minister. He must have been about twenty-two years old. By comparison, his father had been appointed to this post when he was eighteen.
The grand banquets at the various celebrating households were magnificent indeed. The sight of three ministers (Toshifusa, Akifusa, and Moromichi) paying their respects to Sonshi, the late Tsuchimikado Minister of the Right Morofusa’s wife,[57] surpassed this world as an emblem of prosperity. That three of her progeny should be ministers at the same time was truly rare and marvelous. Sonshi was blessed both in her longevity[58] and in her happiness. People commented that her splendid state echoed the story, handed down as an example of good fortune, of how the Koichijō minister, Teishinkō Tadahira, called Ononomiya Lord Saneyori and Kujō Lord Morosuke, his “left child” and “right child”, respectively after their offices.
The second prince, Taruhito, reached his fifth year. The sight of him as he sat atop the bleachers, watching the Kamo Festival’s procession, was auspicious indeed. Even more marvelous was how charming he appeared as he traveled to Murasakino to view the ceremonies of the procession’s return. Great Lord Morozane had pulled up a Chinese carriage to the northern guard post, to where the young prince had been carried. Lord Moromichi had accompanied the prince personally, as had all the senior nobles and courtiers assembled to serve. Upon reaching the vast fields of Murasakino, the nobles disembarked from their carriages, sitting in rows across the plains. Whenever the prince peered out of the carriage to get a better look at the festivities, there was no one who was not moved with joy at the sight of His Highness. Lord Morozane[59] looked even more impressive than usual with the young prince at his side, as though a brilliant light had imbued him for posterity. Indeed, more so than the ceremony itself, everyone, without exception, marveled at the splendor about the carriage, or so it has been passed down.
[1] Yorimichi became sesshō in 1017, kanpaku in 1019, remaining in that position until 1068. He was over eighty when he died, but precisely speaking, he was “the premier person in the world” for fifty-two years.
[2] Incidentally, Motohira and Atsukata were full brothers, though Atsukata was a prince since he was adopted by Emperor Sanjō.
[3] The divination naming Tokushi as the priestess had only occurred in the 3rd month of Enkyū 5 (1073), but she had to resign in the 7th month after the death of her father, Emperor Go-Sanjō. Seishi was selected as the new priestess in the 12th month of Jōhō 1 (1074).
[4] As senior grand empress, there was Shōshi 章子. Kanshi 寛子 was senior empress, and there was also Empress (kōgō) Kanshi 歓子, all empresses of the deceased Emperor Go-Reizei. Emperor Go-Sanjō’s Keishi 馨子 occupied the position of chūgū.
[5] Emperor Shirakawa’s mother was Moshi.
[6] The first retired empress, Higashi Sanjōin Senshi, was the mother of Emperor Ichijō. Jōtōmon’in was the mother of Go-Ichijō, and Yōmeimon’in, the mother of Go-Sanjō.
[7] During Emperor Go-Reizei’s reign, Toshifusa had a secret affair with Princess Kenshi, with disastrous results (Book 37). It was then noted how the crown prince (Go-Sanjō), as her full brother, took particular affront at this affair. It seems Toshifusa was not yet forgiven.
[8] Kenshi was the adopted daughter of Morozane and his wife, Reishi. Akifusa is her biological father. Reishi, Akifusa, and Toshifusa were all children of Minamoto no Morofusa.
[9] There will be more on Jōtōmon’in in the following section, in which it is again stated that she was sometimes called Tōbokuin after her place of residence. Tōbokuin (northeast hall) presumably refers to her hall in the northeast corner of Hōjōji.
[10] An interlinear note in one of the Eiga manuscripts identifies her home as Chisoku-in, southeast of Mount Funaoka. While within the bounds of modern-day Kyoto, it was obviously considered off in the mountains in the eleventh century.
[11] He would later become the monk Kakuhō.
[12] The Nijō residence belonged formerly to Ishi, Shōshi and Keishi’s mother. After Ishi’s death, the sisters were raised by Jōtōmon’in, hence Shōshi’s concern.
[13] For information about the nyōgodai, see FF 139. This role was created when the emperor was too young for marriage, but required a “consort” for the purification ceremonies. Later, the role became conventionalized, even when the emperor was an adult and married (in which it could be one of his consorts).
[14] Jōtōmon’in was eighty-seven.
[15] According to Fusō ryakki, the funeral took place at Ōtani, by Toribeno in the southeast edge of the city. It was no doubt a considerable strain for the elderly Norimichi to walk even part of the way.
[16] According to Fusō ryakki, the prince was born on the 26th of the 12th month, Jōhō 1 (1074).
[17] The last such example of an empress bearing the heir during an emperor’s reign was precisely that of Emperor Go-Ichijō (Prince Atsuhira), described by Murasaki Shikibu in her diary, and taken up in Eiga (Book 8).
[18] She was the mother of Kenshi’s biological mother. Minamoto no Morofusa and Sonshi were the parents of Akifusa and Reishi, respectively the biological father and adoptive mother of Kenshi. Reishi’s husband was Morozane, the adoptive father of Kenshi.
[19] They were five and three respectively. Both were Kishi’s children, unlike Shirakawa, born of Moshi.
[20] The diary, Suisaki, dates this excursion to the 10th of the 9th month, Jōhō 2 (1075). Moreover, the event is neither linked with Norimichi’s illness, nor canceled as it is here.
[21] According to Fusō ryakki, Norimichi died on the 25th of the 9th month, Jōhō 2 (1075).
[22] According to Suisaki, Morozane was given imperial inspection rights (nairan) on the 26th. Only after Norimichi’s funeral did he become regent on the 15th of the 10th month.
[23] The suki and the daiban were symbols for the head of the Fujiwara family (Gōke shidai).
[24] The emperor would have presumably objected because he adored Kenshi, Morozane’s daughter. In Kojidan, it is explained that Yorimichi only allowed Norimichi to succeed him because of their father’s will, but they agreed that Morozane should succeed Norimichi. However, Norimichi decided to renege on his agreement. In despair, Morozane and Kenshi then decided to take Buddhist vows, but Emperor Shirakawa heard of their plan, and angrily named Morozane as regent.
[25] For talk about this marriage, see Book 36.
[26] “For those picking young herbs on the field of Kasuga where snow has fallen: / today I send off my anxious heart” 若菜摘む 春日の野辺に 雪降れば 心づかひを今日さへぞやる (EM 1:364, FF 251–52). Michinaga’s poems comes the day after he sent off his son as he messenger, hence he “sends off” his anxious heart the next day after the snowfall.
[27] According to Sonpi bunmyaku, they had two sons and one daughter, but there could have been more children. In terms of just sons, Morozane had, with various concubines, at least seventeen, whose names are preserved in Sonpi bunmyaku (Matsumura, Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku, 7:330).
[28] Princess Teishi was born on the 5th of the 4th month, Jōhō 3 (1076), according to Imakagami. She would later be known as Ikuhōmon’in 郁芳門院.
[29] The date is not certain, but from the offices of the participants, it would have happened in 1075. The Nunobiki Falls are on an upper stretch of the Ikutagawa, located in present-day Kōbe.
[30] The narrator is alluding the episode 87 of Ise monogatari in which the hero visits the Nunobiki Falls: “After making the ascent, they saw a spectacular cascade stretching like white silk across a rock face 200 feet high and 50 feet across. At the very top, the water rushed over a rock lip the size of a straw cushion, spraying globules as big as tangerines and chestnuts” (Trans. McCullough, The Tale of Ise, 130).
[31] Morozane refers to a poem by Ise in the Kokinshū: “Since they are gone now – / those who were clad in garments / uncut and unsewn – / why should the mountain goddess / persist in bleaching her cloth?” 裁ち縫はぬ衣着し人もなきものをなに山姫の布さらすらむ (Trans. McCullough, 302).
[32] The poet is
[33] “Tatsu” ties the imagery of the cloth and the clouds together, since it means both “to rise” 立つ and “to cut cloth” 裁つ.
[34] “Ikuta” could simply be a pillow word, but it is the name of the river on which the falls lie, as well as a homophonic play on ikutabi, “every time.”
[35] Normally, the concurrent post of major captain was usually held in conjunction by someone of higher rank (his father was a middle captain when he was a middle counselor, the next higher office than the consultant). Because there was no precedent for a consultant assuming this post, it had a “modern flair.” Of course, this promotion spoke to Moromichi’s unusually rapid advancement as the scion of the Fujiwara.
[36] For an explanation of the Miare festival, see FF 358n26. It was usually held three days before the Kamo festival in the 4th month.
[37] According to Fusō ryakki and Hyakurenshō, this practice started in Jōhō 3 (1076).
[38] With the arrival and success of Empress Kenshi, Dōshi was feeling neglected.
[39] The narrator seems to be aware that those afflicted with the illness previously would not be stricken again.
[40] A measles epidemic is recorded in 735 and 790.
[41] With the death of her father, Prince Atsukata, Princess Junshi resigned as Ise priestess. Divination selected Teishi on the 2nd of the 8th Month, Shōryaku 2 (1078).
[42] This was the beginning of the immense temple that would later be known as Hosshōji.
[43] The original sentence alludes to a line from the Amida kyō describing Amida’s paradise.
[44] Again, the narrator is comparing the scene in front of her to lines in the Amida kyō.
[45] A line from the Kanmuryōjukyō.
[46] This collection is the Goshūishū, compiled by Fujiwara no Michitoshi.
[47] Trans. McCullough, Kokin Wakashū, 7.
[48] Emperor Shirakawa was following in the footsteps of Emperor Daigo, accompanied by Retired Emperor Uda, who made this excursion and held a poetry gathering at Ōigawa in Engi 7 [908]. The narrator here specifies a poetry contest (歌合), but it was, precisely speaking, a poetry gathering (歌会).
[49] “Would that, like white waves / splashing back on a stream’s rocks, / I, too, might return / time after time for these trysts, / which seem to me all too few” 石間行く水の白波立ち返りかくこそは見め飽かずもあるかな (Trans. McCullough, Kokin Wakashū, 152).
[50] The birth of Princess Reishi was marred by the fact that she was a girl, when a male heir had been desired after the death of Atsufumi. Prince Taruhito was born on the 9th of the 7th month, Shōryaku 3 (1079). He would later reign as Emperor Horikawa.
[51] His mother, Moshi, was the adopted daughter of Yoshinobu, and Yoshinobu was the adoptive father of Yoshinaga, so the emperor could not dismiss this request. The limited number of ministers limited the emperor’s maneuverability.
[52] These appointments took place on the 14th of the 8th month, Shōryaku 4 (1080). The former minister of the right, Morofusa, had died in 1077, creating a vacancy.
[53] Akifusa was the biological father of Empress Kenshi.
[54] Toshifusa was still black-listed because of his earlier affair.
[55] According to Fusō ryakki, Toshiie died on the 2nd of the 10th month, Eihō 2 (1082).
[56] According to Fusō ryakki, Yoshinaga died on the 14th of the 11th month, Eihō 2 (1082).
[57] She was the mother of Toshifusa and Akifusa, the maternal grandmother of Moromichi.
[58] She would have been over seventy at this point.
[59] It is not clear whether tono is referring to Morozane or Moromichi. I have followed the editors of the SNKBZ.