Thus did a new year begin [1037]—the court lively with contemporary flair. The emperor partook of the elixir, and the presentation of the healthful food and drink for the first three days of the New Year[1] was very splendid and auspicious. On the 7th, Princess Genshi, the daughter of the former minister of the ceremonial, Prince Atsuyasu, entered the palace as a consort. Since Lord Yorimichi himself attentively saw her to her needs, everyone followed, and did their utmost to make for a magnificent occasion. The emperor’s messenger was Yukitsune, the minor captain of the fourth rank. He was the son of Major Counselor Yukinari, who possessed a gifted hand. Presently he is the adopted son of Provisional Major Counselor and the Minister of Popular Affairs Nagaie.[2] As one would therefore expect, Yukitsune caught everyone’s eye for his handsome features. With the princess’s entrance into the palace, imperial messengers frequented the halls.
The lord’s wife was also staying there in the Kokiden and Tōkaden, which the princess was using as her chambers. Since the emperor lived in the Nashitsubo,[3] it was a long walk from the Kokiden, especially because the Sen’yōden and the Reikeiden were the chambers of Princess Teishi 禎子of the first rank,[4] forcing Princess Genshi to take a roundabout way, “the path of the horse”[5] via the Shōkyōden, to get to the Nashitsubo. The morning-after messenger was Sukefusa, the secretary captain, and more so than usual, the reception for him upon his return by the gathered senior nobles was lavish indeed. Because of the lord’s care and attention, the attire of the princess’s attendants was beyond description. Those qualified enough to be her attendants then competed with one another to produce a spectacular show.
Some days after the 10th of the 2nd month, the princess of the first rank was elevated to the status of empress.[6] As the master of her household, Yoshinobu, who had been the master of the previous empress’s household, was so designated. Sukehira, the captain of the right-gate guards was selected as the provisional master. As for the second and third-ranking officials, appropriate courtiers were named to these posts.
In the 3rd month, Princess Genshi 嫄子, the daughter of the former minister of the ceremonial, also became an empress.[7] Princess Teishi was then referred to as the kōgōgū and Princess Genshi was chūgū. For Empress Genshi’s household, Minister of Popular Affairs Nagaie became the master; Captain of the Military Guards Kinnari, the provisional master. As the second-ranking official, Tsunesuke the secretary controller, was so designated. Yukichika and Yasunori were appointed as the provisional second-ranking and third-ranking officials, respectively. The female messenger who relayed the emperor’s order for the princess’s elevation was the daughter of Norisada the former captain of the military guards. She was also the wife of Norimasa, the governor of Tajima province. The mistress of the wardrobe was the daughter of Captain of the Left-Gate Guards Yorisada. Her mother was Consort Genshi 元子, the daughter of Akimitsu the former minister of the left. The daughter of the minister of central affairs, Prince Atsunori, also served Empress Genshi.
Empress Teishi resided at the Yōmeimon no In.[8] Her first daughter, Princess Ryōshi 良子, was the Ise priestess and her second daughter, Princess Kenshi 娟子, was the Kamo priestess, and would later become the wife of Minister of the Left Minamoto no Toshifusa.[9] The second prince, Takahito, was living in the same residence as his mother. With both princesses serving as priestesses, the empress was just left with the young prince, and she spent her days lost in thought. Empress Genshi would soon enter the court, and Her Majesty was told she should also return to the palace, but for some reason, she did not.[10]
I almost forgot to mention that the Retired Empress, Jōtōmon’in, was still mired in sorrow, losing track of the days and months. Lady Rinshi, the wife of the former regent, had refrained from taking a full tonsure because of the presence of her daughter, Empress Ishi, and her desire to visit her at the palace. With her gone, she had shaved her hair off completely.
Princess Shōshi lived in the southern end of the western wing of Jōtōmon’in [Tsuchimikado mansion]. On the northern side of the western wing lived her sister, Keishi, the former Kamo priestess. They were both very pretty, and it was affecting to see them spending their days wearing their layered, black mourning robes, over which they had on long robes, in almost transparent gray. They had an unobstructed view of the garden, and someone, upon seeing the garden in moonlight, must have been recalling the past with this poem:
Without a sullying cloud, let me visit my mistress there, brighter than the moon,
On those luminous lotus petals where my prayers have her lodged.
曇りなくたづねゆかばや月よりも明き蓮に君を住ませて
So did someone long for the deceased empress, not being able to forget her reign.
The 4th month brought the one year anniversary of late Retired Emperor Go-Suzaku’s passing. The song of the cuckoo that very morning startled those who heard it.[11] There is no adequate way to express their feelings. The princesses continued to wear black mourning until the 9th month.[12]
On the 5th of the 5th month,[13] the emperor sent a poem to Empress Teishi:
Together we put the leaves of the sweet flag in the eaves, but now separated,
I wander ever more lost in the muddy paths of love.
もろともにかけし菖蒲をひき別れさらにこひぢにまどふころかな
The empress replied:
Pulled apart, like the leaves of the sweet flag—
I had not expected to cry separately about our un-matching roots.
方々にひき別れつつ菖蒲草あはぬねをやはかけんと思ひし
Upon hearing these words, the emperor was filled with poignant lonesomeness.
The emperor doted upon the Ise priestess, Princess Ryōshi. As for his son, Prince Takahito, how could he not devote attention to him, too? The second princess, the Kamo priestess Kenshi, was adored by her mother, Empress Teishi. Empress Genshi’s situation was splendid indeed, and she appeared very refined.
In the 8th month, the emperor’s first prince celebrated his Coming-of-Age ceremony, and was made the crown prince.[14] Although his promotion to the succession was widely expected, its actualization was cause for much celebration. The master of his household was, as before, Yorimune. The provisional master was the Minamoto Major Counselor Morofusa. The Ōmi Governor Takasuke was the second-ranking official, and the palace minister’s son, Michimoto the attendant, became the provisional second-ranking official. The female messenger who relayed the emperor’s command to elevate Prince Chikahito was Saishō no Menoto, the daughter of the Bizen Governor Nagatsune. The Iyo Governor Nakanori became the third-ranking official of the prince’s household.
At the Kyōgokudono, Princess Shōshi of the first rank, lived on the eastern side, the retired empress and Princess Keishi on the northern side,[15] and the western wing was prepared for the crown prince. After she changed out of mourning, the first princess was going to have her ceremony of putting on of the train. It was understood that she would then marry the crown prince. Her father, the retired emperor, had thought to have her marry the present emperor, but since His Majesty already had two empresses, and because of their age difference,[16] the retired empress must have thought the crown prince to be more suitable.
In the 10th month, there was an imperial excursion to visit the retired empress at the Kayanoin. She was truly splendid, yet remembering how the former emperor and the present emperor (then the crown prince), had made their way to Kayanoin, she could not prevent some dark shadows from entering her mind, which she, without attracting undue attention, hid from everyone.
Empress Genshi held many elegant amusements, such as garden and chrysanthemum matching contests.[17] Empress Teishi heard of these many events that had been enjoyed by others, and her sorrow knew no bounds.
The master of Empress Teishi’s household, Yoshinobu, had fallen ill at the time of Empress Ishi’s forty-ninth day memorial services. He had gotten somewhat better, but he was again feeling very poorly. Ever since he had entered the service of his half-sister, the late Senior Grand Empress Kenshi 妍子, the empress’s mother, he had faithfully looked after Her Majesty with great care.[18] Since the Biwadono had burned down,[19] Her Majesty lived at the Kan’in.[20] The wife of Master Yoshinobu had adopted the daughter (Moshi) of her brother Kinnari, the head of the imperial police. She intended to marry her to the second prince.[21] Kinnari was also the captain of the military guards.
Mourning garb was finally shed, and the princess of the first rank, and the former Kamo priestess had their hair trimmed. The lord himself cut their hair. The princess had on a white, Chinese damask robe, under which she wore various robes featuring chrysanthemum hue combinations. She looked truly elegant, and she radiated beauty. Even if one were to try to paint a picture, a brush could not have done justice to the way her hair flowed down. As for the former Kamo priestess, she was very innocent, pretty, and on many counts, someone of rare qualities. When the lords remembered the former empress and the retired emperor, they looked after these princesses with even greater care.
During this time, the Lord Yorimichi’s son, Michifusa, referred to as the captain, was a middle counselor. He had a striking figure, and was dazzlingly handsome. Palace Minister Norimichi’s son, Captain Nobuie of the third rank was presently a middle counselor, and was married to Princess Kenshi 儇子, the daughter of Koichijōin and Takamatsudono Kanshi.
On the 13th of the 12th month of this year, there was a command that the princess of the first rank was to have her Putting-on-of-the-Train ceremony, and then proceed directly that night to the crown prince to become his consort. The lord and the retired empress directed the preparations, so nothing was inferior to how things were when Empress Ishi was alive. About this time, the crown prince sent to the princess a block of ice carved into the shape of a fan, which was placed on the lid of a writing box. On the paper lining the writing box, Idewa no Ben had someone write in reed script:
Once you, our lord, come to reign, even ice
will keep frozen the ties for a thousand generations.[22]
君が世にあふぎと見れば氷すら千代をかねてぞ結び貫く
She then sent this back to the crown prince.
The day of the Putting on of the Train arrived. The prince’s quarters were on the western side of the hall, and the princess occupied the east, but today, the doors separating the two halves were opened to make more room for the ceremony. The curtain-dais was a gift from the lord. Its curtain was made of grape-colored, double-layered bombycine, and the valance was made of a single-layered white, fulled silk with a woven pattern. The hanging cords were blue and the color of pink plum blossoms. They had plum branches embroidered or woven onto them. The curtain-dais was thus very fancy and quite impressive. The other furnishings had been made at the office of palace works especially under the direction of the late retired emperor, so they were truly splendid and out of the ordinary. One of the comb boxes was simply covered with gold, and the other was latticed with intricate carvings. The senior nobles were each given a set of these boxes, and ordered to make the matching interior boxes for them. They each then set their minds to the task, competing with each other.
The female attendants had on robes of varying colors, over which they all wore pink robes made of fulled silk. Over this, they layered a grape-hued long robe. The next day, over pink-plum robes, they wore Chinese jackets in the color combination of cherry blossoms and fresh spring foliage. In the afternoon of the day that the crown prince was to come, the attendants split into groups of fours, wearing matching colored robes in fulled silk. The crown prince and the princess looked auspiciously lovely together. His Highness was thirteen; Her Highness, twelve. There were five layers of robes. Those who were wearing robes the color of willow leaves had embroidered in white thread the outline of waves as though they had been frozen, in allusion to the poem: “The willows have no energy, / their branches start to move; / the pond shows patterns, little waves, / its ice completely thawed.”[23]
On the 27th, they entered the palace. The crown prince occupied the Umetsubo, and the princess of the first rank used the Fujitsubo, as she had in the past. The eastern side of the Fujitsubo served as the lord’s office. The princess also used the western side of the Umetsubo as her apartments when visiting the prince. The lord, the palace minister, and her other uncles would visit Her Highness whenever they entered or left the palace. During the three days the crown prince had visited Tsuchimikado to wed the princess, the lord held fast onto the prince’s shoes, and spread the blanket over the young couple.[24] His kind thoughtfulness and his behavior, which was like a parent’s, must have stemmed from his heartrending memories of the past. The emperor and the empress had so adored their daughter, and they had harbored such high expectations for her future.
The attendants who had been with the princess for a long time felt their chests tighten when they confronted the Fujitsubo again. They must have remembered the moment at dawn when the empress left the palace for the last time, leading Idewa no Ben to utter her poem with the words, “without any assurance.” Imaging what they must be feeling, Ben no Menoto sent a poem to the princess’s attendants.
Do not shed your tears of longing, for they cannot be wiped away—
my own streaming tears of joy have wet these narrow sleeves.[25]
しのびねの涙なかけそかくばかり狭しと思ふころの袂に
Idewa no Ben replied:
In this light of spring, had they not dried, these ancient
sleeves of mine surely would have rotted away.
春の日にかわかざりせば古の袂ながらや朽ち果てなまし
Indeed, if it were not for the princess’s marriage to the crown prince, there would have been no consolation, Idewa no Ben thought, even as she, on the surface, followed the general mood of those around her. In truth, when she saw reminders of the time Empress Ishi lived there, like the cedar pillar she used to lean against,[26] she felt a surge of sorrow, hardly containable.
Empress Genshi found that her condition was not normal, and it was reported to the emperor that she was expecting a child.[27] How joyfully did the nobles then declare their congratulations to His Majesty. As for Empress Teishi, Princess Ryōshi was down in Ise serving as the priestess, and Princess Keishi was in Murasakino as the Kamo priestess. Everyone in the family was therefore living separately.[28] Despite her high birth, the empress, too, experienced hardship.
The emperor’s character was truly splendid, as it should be for a sovereign, and he was also serious, able to make appropriate decisions for governance. His figure, too, was impressive. He felt very sorry for the princess of the first rank for losing her parents. Whenever the rain and wind blew harshly, he would send emissaries to inquire after her. He must have had the late emperor’s last wishes in mind, to be so considerate of the princess that it almost seemed excessive. Since His Majesty was under a directional taboo to the north, he did not enter the Seiryōden, for he then would not have been able to visit the Fujitsubo.
The fall moon was shining clearly as the princess’s female attendants, wandering around the palace, caught sight of the decaying long bridge. It was how the late emperor used to go to the Shishinden from the Seiryōden. Moved, they composed poems:
To span our sovereign’s reign: this long bridge did not fulfill that mandate—
what use then even had it not decayed?
君が世を渡しも果てぬ長橋のなににかせましわれ朽ちずとも
Wandering everywhere ceaselessly I look, but not even a shadow
has that bridge left behind—how I mourn our sovereign!
尽きもせずめぐりて見れど影をだに留めざりける君ぞ悲しき
At the palace where nothing has changed,
only our sovereign has sadly gone somewhere.
何ごとも変らざりける百敷にあはれ君しもいづちなりけん
Also, at the Pine Grove Banquet Square[29] of the palace:
Now is the last time, I had sadly thought,
but now I again encounter the bond of the Pine Grove Banquet Square.[30]
あはれにも今はかぎりと思ひしをまためぐりあふ宴の松原
Many such poems were composed, then collected into a small book. An attendant of the retired empress asked to see the book, so it was presented to her. When it was returned, Ben no Myōbu had pasted some poems inside:
To hear even just a small fragment saddens me,
so what must it be like—to see the same scenery of the past?
かけて聞く片端だにも悲しきに同じわたりをいかに見るらん
Losing sight of their shadows, I lost my way,
even though the moon shone clearly as in the past.[31]
かきたえて影見ぬ闇にまどふかな月もすみける昔ながらに
And so forth was it written to moving effect. When one realized that such poems could not have been written by a stranger, they became all the more affecting.
In the 3rd month, the retired empress entered the palace. There was no spare time during her passage, so she did not get to visit the princess of the first rank. From Her Highness:
Besides the tree from which the blossoms have all now scattered—
that you would not stop by, I had not considered.[32]
君はなほ散りにし花の木のもとに立ち寄らじとは思はざりしを
The reply:
The scattering of the flowers made me lose my way in grief,
so how could I make my way to the base of the tree?
花散りし道に心はまどはれて木のもとまでも行かれやはせし
The princess’s hand was very youthful and elegant.
The Seiryōden was torn down to be newly rebuilt. It was very affecting to see the demolition from the Fujitsubo, where someone uttered:
Immovable did I think the Mansion of Jewels,
yet it has crumbled, swept away by tears.
動なき玉の台と見しものを涙とともにこぼれぬるかな
Another person:
When the palace had been polished leaving no clouds, we hardly thought—
that it would, like an old house, crumble with the raining tears.
雲りなく磨きし時は思ひきや涙ふるやにこぼれ果てむと
There were many others, but I have forgotten them.
Because of her condition, Empress Genshi left the palace. Esoteric Buddhist services and sutra copying were commissioned in grand numbers. A princess was born.[33] The empress regretted the sex of the child, but large numbers of appropriate women gathered to serve as the child’s wet-nurse. Soon Her Majesty returned to the palace along with the baby. Because his two earlier daughters were far away,[34] the emperor found his new daughter to be quite beautiful in her novelty.
The retired empress was still grieving over the late emperor, and she no longer took part in the elegant pastimes she once enjoyed. Her attendants kept the rustle of their robes hushed, and conducted themselves with even more restraint. She had said, “Can one turn one’s back upon the world for a second time?” And indeed, she took religious vows for a second time.[35]
The minister of popular affairs, Nagaie, had a wonderful son, Michiie of the fifth rank. About this time, however, he passed away, and the mother, Minamoto no Ishi 懿子, was extremely distraught. She was formerly called Naishi no Suke in the service of the retired empress, and she eventually rose to the third rank. But now she became a nun. It was heart-breaking. She was considered one of the fortunate people of this world, and this tragedy would not damage that reputation, yet it was particularly regrettable that a mature child should have died. Besides this son, she still had two daughters.[36] The minister, too, bewailed his son’s passing. He lived in a residence called Mikohidaridono, which he had elegantly built on Ōmiya Avenue. The way the streams flowed and the old pines stood in the property were nothing like what one would find at a regular place.
After a while, Empress Genshi again found herself in an irregular condition. It was wonderful news, people said. About this time, there was an oracle from the Ise Shrines that said, “If there is no Fujiwara Empress, bad things will happen.”[37] So it was then decided that Palace Minister Norimichi’s daughter, Mikushigedono Seishi 生子, would enter the palace. Preparations for the marriage were being hurriedly advanced so that it could take place in the beginning of the 7th month. Then there was a fire at the palace on the 27th of the 6th month.[38] The emperor moved to the Kyōgokudono, which the retired empress had been using. The princess of the first rank went to the Hōjōji, where she stayed in Jōtōmon’in’s hall in the northeast corner. How truly shocking, the emperor also bemoaned, for such a calamity had not occurred for many years.[39] The retired empress and the princess then moved to the main hall of Sanuki Governor Norifusa’s residence on Konoe Street. The crown prince occupied the western wing. The former Kamo priestess, Princess Keishi, moved to the Konijōdono, which she had renovated upon inheriting it from her mother. The palace minister, too, was filled with much regret.
In the 9th month, Empress Genshi again gave birth to a girl, Princess Baishi 禖子, but after nine days, the mother passed away.[40] The emperor lamented this terribly sad tragedy. The lord’s wife caressed the newborn baby, taking her as a precious memento of her adopted daughter. The Awa third-ranking official in Empress Genshi’s household, Yasunori, went to pay his respects to the novice princess of the first rank, the late empress’s aunt, before setting off to his post as the governor of Awa province.[41] Yet with such an event, he expressed his belief that his trip would be postponed. Hearing this, an attendant of Princess Shūshi, Sagami, passed him this poem:
In the unceasing rains of the storm deep in the autumnal mountains,
at Ōyodo surely no boats would be launched.[42]
時雨する秋の深山の嵐にはよに大淀の船出せじかし
On the day of the forty-ninth day services, it rained. To Yukichika,[43] Idewa no Ben sent the following poem:
What must people be feeling—
when even the autumnal rains fall knowing the sadness of this day.
まして人いかなることを思ふらん時雨だに知る今日のあはれを
Again, someone recited:
The fog does not let up for the empress’s people—
how much wetter still must their sleeves be from the autumn rains.
霧はれぬ秋の宮人あはれいかに時雨に袂濡れまさるらん
One of the late Empress Ishi’s attendants, Izumo, sent to Shimotsuke:[44]
How heavy must your mourning be, for even I, so inconsequential,
have been made to feel this autumn’s sorrow.
いかばかり君嘆くらん数ならぬ身だに知られしあきのあはれを
Similarly, there were many affecting moments.
Quickly did the days and months pass. In the 12th month, the palace minister’s daughter, Mikushigedono Seishi, finally entered the palace. Not much time had elapsed from Empress Genshi’s death, the lord thought.[45] Seishi was twenty-six that year. Having wondered all these years when this was ever going to happen, Norimichi devoted all his energy to this event. His wife was Emperor Sanjō’s daughter, the Second Princess Shishi 禔子, who accompanied her daughter on this occasion. There were no new attendants, so they all had a relaxed, practiced air that was pleasing to the eye. Seishi went to the Kyōgokudono. She was very endearing, and possessed an elegant beauty. Her hair was also quite splendid. She auspiciously received the emperor’s warm affection, and stayed by his side. The minister did not for a moment leave his duty, his deep love for his daughter making him sensitive to all of their needs.
The following year, the Kyōgokudono burned down,[46] so the emperor moved to the palace minister’s Nijō residence. What a terrible disaster, His Majesty lamented.[47] The former Emperor Go-Ichijō had ruled for over twenty years, but nothing like this ever happened. It pained the emperor greatly that his reign, yet so short, had already met two such devastating fires.
During this reign, it was rumored that Archbishop Meison would be named the Abbot of Mount Hiei.[48] The monks of the Mountain were very angered, and came rioting down, damaging the gate of the lord’s residence. It was terrible.
And so, the emperor came to be very fond of his consort, Seishi, and had her serve him by his side. As she grew accustomed to His Majesty, she grew even more beautiful. Whenever he came, pulling aside the blinds, she showed such discernment, and made the most trivial things interesting. How did the minister with his thick-bearded face ever manage to raise such a daughter, who did not even have a mother? How wonderful is her handwriting—the emperor thought in amazement. Her attendants also conducted themselves with great elegance, and could never be caught slacking. Possessing such grace and discernment, they appeared to be from distinguished lineages.
On the 7th of the 7th Month, the emperor remembered late empress, and sent to their young daughter, Princess Yūshi, the following poem:
Last year, today, the stars that were separated met again,
yet how sorrowful am I, for whom there is no precedent.[49]
去年の今日別れし星も逢ふぬめりためしなき身ぞ悲しかりける
In response:
With autumn, stars flood heaven’s streams with light,
yet when I think of that person even whose shadow I cannot see, how sad.
秋くれば流れまされど天の河影だに見えぬ人ぞ悲しき
From the crown prince to Princess Shōshi:
That meeting with one’s lover tonight, I defer to the Weaver Maid,
but how I wish I had crossed the Magpie Bridge.
あふことはたなばたつめにかしつれど渡らまほしき鵲の橋
Emperor Go-Suzaku was known as being a serious and thoughtful man, but he was also very talented in poetry. The lord’s son, Michifusa, was appointed a supplementary provisional major counselor.[50] He was superior in both appearance and manner.
The palace was eventually rebuilt, and it was possible for the emperor to take up residence there once more.[51] Empress Teishi returned to the palace for the second prince’s first reading.[52] The emperor was delighted to see that his son had grown, but sadly, he could not overlook the months and years that had passed since they had last meet.[53] After the ceremony, the emperor stopped them, so they remained with His Majesty at the palace. The empress stayed at the Kokiden. The Fujitsubo was reserved for the lord’s granddaughters, Princesses Yūshi and Baishi, when they came to visit. The Umetsubo was occupied by the palace minister’s daughter, Consort Seishi. The crown prince resided at the Nashitsubo, according to custom. The princess of the first rank lived at the nearby Sen’yōden, and made the northern wing of the Nashitsubo[54] her apartment when visiting the crown prince. The covered hallways between the wings were delightful. Also, the side doors to the arched bridge and its Chinese gables were particularly interesting in their contemporary flair. The emperor constantly visited the Fujitsubo, concerned about his daughters. The Fujitsubo was a most superior hall, and despite being a part of the rear palace, it rightly had a high fence around it that limited one’s view. It was very tastefully done.
Novice Princess Shūshi 修子 of the first rank had adopted Enshi 延子, the daughter of Yorimune, the master of the crown prince’s household. The princess wished for Enshi to become an imperial consort, so she had her introduced to the palace.[55] The princess accompanied Enshi, and she made some visits to the emperor. She left after three days. Master Yorimune, like his brother Norimichi, dutifully remained at the palace to see to any needs that might arise. In other marriages, the lord’s son, Major Counselor Michifusa, wedded into the family of Minamoto no Morofusa.[56] Morofusa elaborately took care of his new son-in-law.
The palace had a very contemporary air, and was quite wonderful. The lord’s granddaughters, the princesses, were there. Their attendants could not help forlornly reminiscing about the past. Seeing the Umetsubo Consort, Seishi, ascending to her apartment, for instance, provoked many memories for them. After four or five days, the princesses left the palace. The Sen’yōden and the Reikeiden were quite close to each other, so Kaga no Saemon[57] and Idewa no Ben exchanged poems with one another. These halls directly faced the Nashitsubo, a pleasing arrangement. Nobles would occasionally come for a concert, playing the lute and the thirteen-stringed zither together. In the lovely season of the 4th month, they would come to the various covered walkways and the doors to the bridge, courting the female attendants in their rooms. Their knocking sounded much like the rail’s cries.[58] In even the way these gentlemen wooed them with their soft words, there was indeed no place like the palace, the attendants later talked among themselves—a most natural reaction.
Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention that this spring [1042], the emperor sent a poem to the Umetsubo Consort:
During the spring drizzle, just like the threads of the green willow—
my heart is entangled, very much in love.[59]
春雨の降りしくころは青柳のいと乱れつつ人ぞ恋しき
In response:
At this time when the threads of the green willow are all tangled up,
can you not devote your love to a single strand?
青柳のいと乱れたるこのごろは一筋にしも思ひよられず
The emperor then answered:
Though the threads of the green willow sway to and fro,
the dye that seeps my heart does not change.[60]
青柳の糸はかたがたなびくとも思ひそめてん色は変らず
Again, Seishi sent back:
The pale green willow, its color is hardly deep,
so how can I rely upon it not to change?
浅緑深くもあらぬ青柳は色変らじといかが頼まん
That year, after the Gosechi and Special Kamo Festivals were over, there was a divination that declared, “Early in the 12th Month, the palace will burn down.” The emperor was in reclusion at that time. He wondered skeptically if there could possibly be a fire in the next day or two, as people were saying. Indeed, on the second day, the palace burned.[61] There is no way to describe the horror of the tumult as the ladies made their escape. Bewildered, the emperor was filled with sorrow.
I almost forgot to mention that when the emperor was at the Nijōdono, a cormorant was eating some fish, about which Novice Major Counselor Kintō heard. Kintō then wrote to his granddaughter, Consort Seishi, “A cormorant was eating some fish,” he remarked with the following poem:
How did the cormorant know, even vaguely—
the emperor’s visit would let it pay homage to such a splendid reign?[62]
いかでかはうはの空には知りにけんかくめ見ゆるに世にあへりとは
When the emperor saw this, having gone to Seishi’s apartment, he wrote:
While praying for my reign, I loosened my net—to see a sign:
catching not just fish, but even flying birds.[63]
祈りつつゆるぶる網のしるしには飛ぶ鳥さへもかかるとぞ見る
Receiving this poem, the major counselor responded:
[The poem is missing.]
In the 11th month, the emperor had a mountain of snow made in the garden in front of the courtiers’ chamber of the Seiryōden. “Compose some poetry,” he declared, while offering one of his own:
The heavens have heard our prayers for a bountiful year—the sign:
this falling powdery snow surely turning into a mountain.
天地のうけたる年のしるしには降る淡雪も山となるらん
This, and the previous exchange with Kintō, occurred some time ago.
And so, with the fire at the palace, the emperor moved to the Ichijōin.[64] It was confined, but it befitted its role as the provisional palace. Umetsubo Consort Seishi found her room to be rather small, so she stayed in her apartment closer to the emperor. Reikeiden Consort Enshi went up to the emperor by walking past the shutters and along the corridor just outside Princess Shōshi’s room. The Umetsubo Consort’s room was also close to the princess’s at the Ichijōin, though they were far away at the palace. The crown prince resided in the same building as the princess—he was on the southern side, and she on the northern side. One could easily hear the nobles wooing the attendants of the other ladies. It was quite captivating.
Tsuneie the controller, Minamoto no Tsunenobu the minor counselor, and Sukenari the minor captain, paid a visit to the princess. They provided amusement by playing the lute. The controller uttered:
In the autumn night, under the harvest moon, the playing of lutes tonight …
秋の夜の半ばの月を今宵しも
Idewa no Ben then finished the poem:
To enjoy just this moment is sheer happiness.
一時めづることぞうれしき
On the 7th of the 7th month, Chūjō, an attendant of the Umetsubo Consort, composed a poem for Suketsuna the minor captain, who was in the courtiers’ chamber of the Seiryōden:
Tonight is the night of the astral lovers, but hardly visible is the heavenly stream,
above the clouds—how is it over there?[65]
今宵こそしるくも見えぬ天の河雲の上にはあらぬわたりか
I have forgotten Suketsuna’s response.
Since Sanesuke the Ononomiya minister of the right resigned as a major captain,[66] the lord’s son, Michifusa the major counselor, assumed this additional position. The master of the crown prince’s household, Yorimune, was terribly disappointed and shut himself up in his residence.[67] Michifusa’s expression of gratitude for his appointment was marvelous.
On the 1st of the 12th month, the Ichijōin then burned down. To say that it was terribly shocking would be too measured. The emperor moved to the Kayanoin. The crown prince moved to the Kyōgokudono, accompanied by his consort, the princess of the first rank. It was wonderful that First Princess Yūshi and the lord’s wife, Takahime, were also staying at Kayanoin. The First Princess used the eastern side of the hall, occupied by the retired empress, and the hallway on that side. The lord naturally wondered what he should do to entertain the emperor. The eastern wing was not rebuilt,[68] and instead, hills and streams were made. The way the jets of water raced against each other down the waterfall was extremely delightful. To an attendant of the retired empress, Idewa no Ben recited:
That in the cascading waterfall the master’s spirit is visible,
from past to present: this has not changed.[69]
滝つ瀬に人の心を見ることは昔に今も変らざりけり
It was indeed so magnificent that one was forced to assume that the construction of the major counselor’s residence,[70] about which Ise composed, “bursting forth from the weirs,” could not have been as spectacular as the Kayanoin.
A new year arrived [1044]; the atmosphere was festive everywhere. The affection in which the emperor held his Umetsubo Consort grew ever more wonderful as the days and months passed by, people declared. Yet for some reason, there were also rumors all to the effect that she probably would not be able to become an empress.[71] How would they know? During this reign, austerity laws were enacted—one could wear only five robes at a time; pink robes were prohibited. Thus, there was no extravagance, but for each occasion, the retired empress, for instance, managed to have her attendants attire themselves in a very stylish manner. However, the austerity measures were indeed regrettable.[72]
In the 5th month, the Eight Expositions on the Golden Light Sutra were held. It was also the time of the Sweet-Flag festival. The Umetsubo Consort was staying in her apartment. Her attendants were all wearing fulled, iris-colored robes and Chinese jackets. Outside, they hung medicinal balls with sweet flag. Their roots were then soaked in the stream just outside Her Highness’s chambers. It was splendid how she came out and sat on the veranda. At the Reikeiden, too, the attendants of Consort Enshi wore elegant attire suitable for the occasion. On the covered walkways, they played together on the zither and the lute, while the nobles composed poetry, enjoying the music. On the 5th, Kaga no Saemon, an attendant of Consort Enshi, sent a poem to Princess Shōshi’s Idewa no Ben:
From my sleeves, how am I to hang the leaves of the sweet flag?
How I wish to see the sleeves of one who is accustomed to all this.
袂にはいかでかくらん菖蒲草なれたる人の袖ぞゆかしき
Idewa no Ben replied:
I would show you how to do this myself if I could,
the noble, nine-layered way of tying on these sweet flag leaves.
へだてなく知らせやせまし九重(ここのへ)のおろかならぬにかくる菖蒲を
“This Idewa no Ben, she is an accomplished woman of great taste and discretion,” some nobles were saying to one another. “The princess’s residence has a distinctively wonderful air to it—perhaps it is because of Idewa no Ben’s aura [匂ひ nihoi].” Hearing these words, an attendant of the Umetsubo Consort relayed to Idewa no Ben:
Hearing that it stains your body, though not a color
how I wish to see that dye that is your “fragrance.”
身にしむと聞くぞゆかしき色ならでいかに染めける君が匂ひぞ
Her response:
Who has been scattering such talk of a flower’s scent—
past its prime, only fading with the passing of each day?[73]
誰かさは語り散らすぞ日に添へて盛り過ぎゆく花の匂ひを
Empress Teishi was also very elegant with a contemporary flair, reminiscent of her mother, the late Senior Empress Kenshi. Recently, reminiscences of the past pervaded the entire court, eliciting deep emotions. During Emperor Go-Ichijō’s reign, people remembered, there had only been one empress, and they had resembled a usual couple, but during this reign, there were numerous consorts. Still, Emperor Go-Suzaku was very conscientious and not at all wanton. As for governing, the former retired emperor had entrusted the affairs of the state to the lord and others, choosing to remain ignorant of the mundane minutiae, thus preserving his ever dignified presence. The current emperor was very proper, and extremely handsome. His learning, too, was very deep, making him a gifted sovereign.
Emperor Go-Ichijō’s appearance had also been truly impressive, and there had been no one in this world that did not mourn his passing. His children, the princess of the first rank and the former Kamo priestess, were treated with the utmost, deserved respect as children of such a distinguished emperor, people said. Whenever a slightest need arose, nobles—beginning with the regent and the palace minister—flocked to their chambers to assist them. Remembering his father’s last wishes for his daughter, the present emperor, who was exemplary in his thoughtfulness and conduct, had the crown prince marry the princess. For every occasion, or whenever the winds blew harshly, the emperor inquired of them by sending a messenger.
Retired Empress Shōshi was still extremely splendid. Though the reigns had changed, both the former and present emperors were her sons, so she remained as exalted as ever. Her appearance was dignified; her demeanor not at all frivolous. In all manner of things, she was impressively wonderful.
There was an imperial procession to Kayanoin to view the horse races sponsored by the lord.[74] The retired empress was going to attend as well. The female attendants of the lord’s princesses, Yūshi and Baishi, were dressed marvelously. After the races, the retired empress and the princesses stayed at the palace. Since it was so cramped, they stayed in the Umetsubo apartments.[75] The furnishings were just as Consort Seishi had left them when she had used the room. Everything was maintained in impeccable condition, unparalleled elsewhere, that when the consort’s attendants left for the Umetsubo proper (so that the princesses could use the apartment), their attendants could not help remarking among themselves the distinctiveness of the curtains and the dais cushions, and of the extraordinary fragrance that still lingered there.
The title seems to refer to the Tanabata exchange of poems between Crown Prince Chikahito and Princess Shōshi. In one variant manuscript, Chikahito’s poem contains the phrase, “kure matsu hoshi ni,” but it does not appear in the older manuscripts.
[1] The hagatame was a series of rites occurring over the first three days of the New Year, in which the emperor partook of foods and decoctions to ensure longevity (see FF 381).
[2] Nagaie adopted Yukitsune probably because of his first marriage to Yukinari’s daughter.
[3] Emperor Go-Suzaku lived in the Nashitsubo as the crown prince, and he remained there even after ascending the throne. From Taira no Yukichika ki (of which only entries from Chōryaku 1 survive), one learns that the diarist crossed the Ryōki, Jijū, and Shōkyō halls to reach the Kokiden, confirming the avoidance of the Reikeiden mentioned below (Chōryaku 1 [1037], 1st month, 29th day).
[4] Princess Teishi married Emperor Go-Suzaku while he was still the crown prince in 1027 (see FF 729–32).
[5] According to the Daidairizu kōshō (a late 18th-century reconstruction of Heian-period maps of the greater imperial palace), the mendō 馬道 was a central hallway running north to south in the Shōkyōden.
[6] According to Kiryaku and Taira no Yukichika ki, Genshi became empress on the 13th.
[7] Genshi was promoted to the status of empress on the 1st of the 3rd month, and on the day same day, the previous chūgū, Teishi, was named kōgō or kōgōgū (Fusō ryakki). While in previous generations the change to kōgō status would be considered a demotion, because Genshi never had any sons, Empress Teishi (with her son, the future Emperor Go-Sanjō) enjoyed a degree of security the previous kōgō would have envied.
[8] Yōmeimon no In may refer to Biwadono, since it lies on the Konoe Ōji, the road coming out of the Yōmei Gate of the palace. However, later on we learn that Teishi normally resided at the Kan’in. She presumably moved out of the palace after the introduction of Genshi. After taking Buddhist vows, she will be known as Yōmeimon’in.
[9] The affair between Kenshi and Toshifusa is detailed in Book 37. Iwano Yūkichi has speculated that the statement of this relationship was added by a later hand (Matsumura, Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku 6:402).
[10] The narrator is somewhat disingenuous here, perhaps in a bid to underplay the tension between Genshi and Teishi.
[11] An allusion to a poem by Ki no Tsurayuki, composed on the anniversary of Fujiwara no Takatsune’s death: “I heard this morning / a cuckoo’s voice raised in song, / and the thought struck home: / it was this very season / when we parted forever” 郭公今朝鳴く声に驚けば君を別れし時にぞありける (Trans. McCullough, Kokin wakashū, 185).
[12] Their mother, Empress Ishi, died in the 9th month. The normal mourning period for one’s parents was one year.
[13] The 5th of the 5th month marked the Tango no sechi, the Sweet-Flag Festival (see FF 412).
[14] According to Taira no Yukichika ki, Prince Chikahito celebrated his genpuku in the 7th Month (2nd day, Chōryaku 1 [1037]). He became crown prince on the 17th of the 8th Month.
[15] The Kyōgokudono refers to the Tsuchimikado, but this statement contradicts the earlier description of where the princesses lived. Perhaps there was a change.
[16] Princess Shōshi was twelve and the emperor was twenty-nine.
[17] The senzai awase 前栽合 was a contest in which the left and the right teams offered competing miniature landscapes with poems (rather like the suhama, the presentation trays for poems at a poetry contest). For a more detailed description of a contest, see an example from 966 (EM 1:56–57, FF 92–94). The kiku awase featured chrysanthemums with poems. In his diary, the Shunki, Fujiwara no Sukefusa records a kiku awase sponsored by Empress Genshi on the 16th and 17th of the 10th month, Chōryaku 2 (1038).
[18] Yoshinobu was appointed the provisional second-ranking official to Empress Kenshi’s household in 1012 (Kugyō bunin).
[19] The Biwadono was the residence of Kenshi, and then Teishi, but according to Shōyūki, it burned down on the 9th of the 11th month, Chōgen 1 (1028), and was not rebuilt for quite some time.
[20] The Kan’in, the residence of Fujiwara no Kinnari, also burned down in 1028, but it was rebuilt by the time Teishi moved in on the 27th of the 4th month, Chōgen 8 (1035), according to Sakeiki.
[21] As seen in Book 36, this intention was realized in 1046 when Moshi 茂子 married Prince Takahito, the future Emperor Go-Sanjō. Kinnari’s family then scaled heights unimaginable for a heretofore tangential Fujiwara lineage, becoming the maternal relatives to Emperor Shirakawa. Taikenmon’in, empress to Emperor Toba, the mother of Emperors Sutoku and Go-Shirakawa, was also a descendent of Kinnari. Kinnari’s success was due to luck, namely a lack of competing progeny. Emperor Go-Reizei died early without any heirs, and Empress Genshi had no sons.
[22] There is a pun with “ōgi” あふぎ which means both “fan” 扇 and “to meet” 会ふ.
[23] A poem by Bai Juyi in Wakan rōeishū (Trans. Thomas Rimer and Jonathan Chaves, Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing, 30).
[24] These actions seemed to reflect folk customs that tried to ensure a happy marriage takes place. The father-in-law takes the husband’s shoes so he may not run away, and the spreading of the blanket also seems to be a way to make sure the couple goes to bed together.
[25] The poet, Ben no Menoto, is otherwise known as Daini no Sanmi, the wet-nurse of Emperor Go-Reizei and the daughter of Murasaki Shikibu. Her poem here alludes to an anonymous poem from the Kokinshū: “In what might I wrap / the great happiness I feel? / Had I foreseen it, / I would have said, ‘Make wide sleeves / on this robe of Chinese silk.’” (Trans. McCullough, Kokin Wakashū, 189). Ben no Menoto speaks of her happiness upon the marriage of Shōshi with Chikahito, urging Idewa no Ben not to shed inauspicious tears of grief at this time of celebration.
[26] The mention of the cedar pillar (makibashira) no doubt makes reference to the chapter of Genji monogatari by the same name, in which the character, Makibashira, leaves a poem inside a pillar of her home she is forced to leave with her mother.
[27] According to Imakagami, Genshi moved to Takakuratei because of her pregnancy on the 13th of the 11th month, Chōryaku 1 (1037). In that case, this section would have come chronologically before Shōshi’s Putting on of the Train.
[28] Earlier in this chapter, it is said that the second prince is living with his mother. One would think that this would not have changed.
[29] The En no Matsubara 宴の松原 was the open area used for banquets just south of the Burakuin.
[30] Initially, the poet is speaking about her feelings as she left the palace upon the death of the emperor. Serving Princess Shōshi, who has now entered the palace again, she encounters again the En no Matsubara, which she uses in her poem partly for its homonym of en, meaning both “banquet” and “a bond.”
[31] The shadows refer to Go-Ichijō and Ishi.
[32] “Ko no moto” means both the “base of the tree” and “the place where the child is.” Princess Shōshi complains of her grandmother’s failure to visit her.
[33] Princess Yūshi 祐子 was born on the 21st of the 4th month, Chōryaku 2 (1038).
[34] His two earlier daughters by Teishi were the Kamo and Ise priestesses.
[35] The narrator quotes Shōshi’s earlier poem, composed in surrogate by Jijū no Naishi (Book 33). According to Fusō ryakki, Shōshi repeated her Buddhist vows on the 7th of the 5th month, Chōryaku 3 (1039).
[36] These daughters cannot be found in Sonpi bunmyaku.
[37] Ichijō Kanera’s commentary on Genji monogatari, Kachō yojō (1472), states that there indeed was such an oracle in the 4th month of Chōryaku 3 [1039] (quoted in Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku 6:430-1). Shunki also corroborates this oracle in quoting Sukehira, who is recorded as lamenting the disregard for the god’s warning (11th month, 23rd day, Chōkyū 1 [1040]). Although Genshi, Prince Atsuya’s daughter, was adopted by Yorimichi, and seemingly received his and Takahime’s devoted attention, the gods and the public seemingly did not accept her as a Fujiwara. Needlessly to say, this oracle speaks to the drastically changed fortunes of the Fujiwara shortly after Michinaga’s death.
[38] The narrator is implicitly connecting the fire with the oracle.
[39] The last time the palace burned down was twenty-five years ago in 1015, during Emperor Sanjō’s reign.
[40] Princess Baishi 禖子 was born on the 19th of the 8th month, Chōryaku 3 (1039), and her mother died on the 28th.
[41] The full sister to Prince Atsuyasu, Princess Shūshi 修子 was the only surviving close blood relative of Genshi.
[42] The rains are a metaphor for the tears being shed for Genshi’s death. “Deep in the mountains of autumn” (aki no miyama) phonically suggests aki no miya, meaning the empress. Ōyodo is a harbor on the Yodo River, where one would depart for the western provinces on boat.
[43] Taira no Yukichika was the provisional second-ranking official of the empress’s household.
[44] Shimotsuke was an attendant for the crown prince’s consort, Shijō no Miya Kanshi 寛子, the daughter of Yorimichi and Minamoto no Gishi. There is a collection of her poems, Shijō no Miya Shimotsuke shū. In other texts, this poem is sent to Iga no Shōshō, who served Princess Yūshi, Empress Genshi’s daughter. This recipient seems to better fit the context.
[45] In Shunki, Sukefusa records how Yorimichi expressed displeasure at Seishi’s marriage, and tried to hinder it (22nd and 28th day, 11th month, 21st day, 12th month, Chōryaku 3 [1039]).
[46] The Kyōgokudono, serving as the sato dairi (provisional palace), burned down on the night of the 9th of the 9th month, Chōryaku 4 (1040), according to Shunki. On the 10th of the 11th month, partly because of the calamity, the year name was changed to Chōkyū.
[47] One particularly upsetting factor was the loss of the Sacred Mirror, one the three Imperial Regalia. In entries from the 9th to the 12th of the 9th month in Shunki, the emperor’s distress can be seen.
[48] Meison was of Onjōji, the head temple of the (jimon) branch of Tendai, invoking the wrath of the Enryakuji (sanmon) branch. According to Fusō ryakki, hearing these rumors, Enryakuji monks came to protest at Yorimichi’s Takakuratei on the 18th of the 2nd month. Perhaps as a result of these riots, on the 12th of the 3rd month, Major Bishop Kyōen became the Tendai abbot.
[49] Unlike the story of the Tanabata, in which the Orihime and Hikoboshi stars meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month, the emperor laments there is no precedent for him to encounter his deceased consort again.
[50] His appointment came on the 27th of the 10th month, Chōkyū 3 (1042). It was supplementary in the sense that at that time, there could only be four major counselors according to the legal code, but Michifusa became the fifth.
[51] Emperor Go-Suzaku returned to the rebuilt palace on the 19th of the 12th month, Chōkyū 2 [1041] (Fusō ryakki).
[52] Prince Takahito’s fumihajime took place on the 5th of the 11th month, Chōkyū 3 (1042). Ōe no Takachika acted as the reader, and Fujiwara no Sanemasa as the repeater. The text was the Classic of Filial Piety (Imakagami, “Hoshi ai”). For information about the fumihajime, see FF 429.
[53] According to Shunki, the emperor last met his second son on the 17th of the 12th month, Chōkyū 1 (1040). At the time of his first reading, the prince was nine years old.
[54] There is some controversy whether the “Nashitsubo no kita no ya” refers to the northern wing of the Shōyōsha (Nashitsubo) or the Shigeisha (Kiritsubo). See Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku 6:442–43.
[55] The narrator here makes it seem as though Enshi’s entering the palace was solely Shūshi’s idea, although in Book 31, we read of how Yorimune also entertained imperial ambitions for his daughter. According to Nihon kiryaku, Enshi entered the palace on the 26th of the 3rd month, Chōkyū 3 (1042).
[56] Not corroborated in any other source, Michifusa’s marriage to Morofusa’s daughter seems a bit strange, since Morofusa, a brother of Takahime, was also an adopted son of Yorimichi. (Michifusa’s mother was not Takahime, but Prince Tamehira’s granddaughter and Norisada’s daughter.)
[57] Later, it is stated that Enshi was staying in the Reikeiden, so Kaga no Saemon was presumably an attendant of Enshi. Idewa no Ben was with Princess Shōshi in the Sen’yōden. There two halls were immediately to the north and south of each other.
[58] The cry of the rail (kuina 水鶏) was traditionally believed to sound like the knocking on a door.
[59] The willow’s branches are often compared to threads, ito, which also means “very much.” This poem, and the subsequent poems between Seishi and the emperor, all make use of diction related to spring and thread. In all of them, he professes his love for Seishi despite the recent arrival of Enshi.
[60] The swaying of the willow branches represents the emperor’s nights with his other consorts.
[61] On the 8th of the 12th month, Chōkyū 3 (1042), fire consumed the palace (Fusō ryakki). There is no record there, however, of the menacing divination report.
[62] The meaning of this poem has been debated. For a summary, see Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku 6:449. In the Shōgakkan edition, a textual error has been intuited (kakume instead of kamome). The cormorant eating the fish probably captured interest for its repeated motion that resembled bowing.
[63] There are some questions regarding the interpretation of this poem as well. It seems to be based on the passage about the virtue of Emperor Cheng Tang from the classic Chinese history, the Shiji: “Once Tang went out of the city and saw someone who had set nets on all four sides in a field praying, ‘From all four sides under heaven may [birds] fall into my nets.’ Tang said, ‘Hey! This would exhaust them!’ Then he took the nets away from the three sides and prayed, ‘If you want to go to the left, go to the left. If you want to go to the right, go to the right! If you don’t listen to this order, you will fall into my net!’ The feudal lords heard of this and said, ‘Tang’s virtue is the highest. It even extends to the birds and beasts’” (Trans. William Nienhauser, The Grand Scribe’s Records, 1:43).
[64] The move to Ichijōin occurred on the 23rd of the 3rd month, Chōkyū 4 [1043] (Fusō ryakki).
[65] Chūjō remonstrates to Suketsuna that an invitation has not come tonight from the emperor to her mistress. “Above the clouds” refers to the palace. Is there not going to be a crossing of the river, a meeting of the lovers tonight, Chūshō asks.
[66] Sanesuke resigned on the 2nd of the 11th month, Chōkyū 4 (1043). He was eighty-seven at the time.
[67] Yorimune was the most senior of the major counselors, so he had expected to be named to his extra position.
[68] The original Kayanoin was burned down by rioting monks from Enryakuji in 1039. Reconstruction began immediately, and it was completed in the 10th month of 1040 (Fusō ryakki, Hyakurenshō). However, as the narrator notes, there was no eastern wing in the second construction.
[69] The poem alludes to an earlier verse by Ise, found in Shūishū: “From the cascading water bursting forth from the weirs on Otowagawa, one can see the master’s spirit” (音羽川堰き入れて落す滝つ瀬に人の心の見えもするかな). The “master” is the designer of the garden, the owner of the residence, and his “spirit” is his sensibility. The narrator refers to Ise’s poem immediately below. In Shinkokinshū, Idewa no Ben’s verse is identified as Emperor Go-Suzaku’s (SNKBT 503). It may have been a surrogate composition by Idewa no Ben for the emperor.
[70] From the preface to the poem in Shūishū and Ise shū, the owner of the villa was Fujiwara no Atsutada. It was located in western Sakamoto, by the base of Mount Otowa.
[71] One can assume that these rumors were founded on the fact that there was already Empress Teishi. Although Empress Genshi was dead, there may have been discomfort in naming Seishi as the new kōgō especially while Yorimichi, the adoptive father of Genshi, was still alive.
[72] These measures were presumably enacted in response to the series of fires, which, as this text shows, damaged the court morally and financially.
[73] Idewa no Ben was probably around thirty-five at this time. Her birth year has been calculated as being 1008 (Eiga monogatari zenchūshaku 6:460).
[74] The komakurabe at the Kayanoin took place on the 21st of the 9th month, Chōkyū 3 [1042] (Fusō ryakki), but if we follow the chronological sequence here, the narrator places it in 1044. This scene is illustrated in the Koma kurabe gyōkō emaki (Kubosō Memorial Museum of Art, Izumi City).
[75] With the comment about the cramped space, the narrator apparently believes that the palace at this time would have been the Ichijōdono, but in 1042, they would have been staying at the newly rebuilt palace.