Ochikubo-19
This site gives it a try to read, understand and enjoy a story written in classical Japanese more than a thousand years ago.
Tale of Ochikubo-Hime is a Japanese version of Cinderella which should entertain readers of all ages.
Your joining in this try will be highly welcomed and greatly appreciated.
(Please be informed that this site provides content based on the personal views and opinions of the author of this site.)
Dictionaries and books generally used in this site
『落窪物語』（Tale of Ochikubo）（稲賀敬二）（Inaga Keiji）（新潮社 2017）（Shinchosha）
『全訳読解古語辞典（第五版）』（小型版）（Dictionary for Classical Japanese for Reading and Interpretation, 5th edition, pocket type）（鈴木一雄 小池清治 倉田実 石埜敬子 森野崇 髙山善行）（Suzuki Kazuo Koike Seiji Kurata Minoru Isino Keiko Morino Takaki Takayama Yoshiyuki）（三省堂 2021）（Sanseido Co., Ltd.）
『ルミナス和英辞典（第2版）』（Luminous Japanese-English Dictionary）（小島義郎 竹林滋 中尾啓介 増田秀夫）（Kojima Yoshiro Takebayashi Shigeru Nakao Keisuke Masuda Hideo）（研究社 2006）（Kenkyusha Co., Ltd.）
『ニュースクール英和辞典（第二版）』（Kenkyusha New School English-Japanese Dictionary, 2nd edition）（廣瀬和清 伊部哲）（Hirose Kazukiyo Ibe Satoshi）（研究社 2019）（Kenkyusha Co., Ltd.）
The original text of Tale of Ochikubo can be found in the website below:
（https://www.komazawa-u.ac.jp/~hagi/txt_ochikubomonogatari.txt）
First of all, we see the characters of this episode of Tale of Ochikubo-Hime.
Characters of this episode
Ukon’no Shoushou makes his best to have him accepted by Princess Ochikubo; he seems to be expressing his true feelings honestly without trying to look better or showing off. In fact he can be said to expose himself as he is before the Princess at their first face-to-face meeting. In that sense he may be brave and gallant with his sincerity demonstrated clearly. He may be said a heroic gentleman, at least apparently trying to. However, such efforts do not reach the Princess, who has lost herself in horror caused by the sudden visit (or attack) to her.
Ochikubonokimi (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) is only bothered by her clothes and appearance; it is natural as Ukon’no Shoushou is a perfect stranger to her. No girl or woman meets any man in her room at night that she has never met before, even if he has repeatedly approached her with frequent letters. Her reasonable resisting is justly revealed to the aggressor through her sensible waka (traditional Japanese poem); she explicitly conveys her will not to meet him again. Nevertheless her cute and attractive appearance, voice and atmosphere catches his heart and her sharp words escape his dull mind.
Princess Ochikubo placed in a difficult, awkward situation seems to curse her maid, Akoki, who should have been loyal and faithful to her, as the letters of Ukon’no Shoushou were brought by Akoki. So severely she was driven into a corner. How she felt upon seeming betrayal of her best friend and last resort! But the truth is that Akoki is also deceived in the same way as her mistress. What a terrible tragedy! The future Prince and his servant has brought about the cause for worry or rows. Can this be a course of action before arriving at the final happiness? Ukon’no Shoushou and Tachiwaki should bear great responsibility.
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「からうじて、あるにもあらずいらふ。人ごころ憂きには鶏にたぐへつつ なくよりほかの声は聞かせじ」
（Karoujite, Aru-nimo-Arazu-Irau. Hito-gokoro-Uki-niwa-Tori-ni-Tague-tsutsu Naku-yori-Hoka-no-Koe-wa-Kika-se-ji）
からうじて
Karoujite
at last, finally
あるにもあらず
Arunimo-Arazu
state of substantial death, state of barely living
いらふ
Irau
(reply of cold/purfunctory treatment) answer, reply, respond
人ごころ
Hito-gokoro
① a person’s heart/mind, affection, sympathy/mercy/kindness ② senses, (right) mind
たぐふ（←たぐへ）
Taguu（← Tague）
(a person/things do) ① draw close/near, stand by, be together ② go together, accompany, go along with ③ suit, become, match
(do a person/things) ④ make/get/have a person stand by/be together ⑤ make/get/have a person go together/accompany/go along with ⑥ model, imitate, compare, liken
じ
Ji
① will not (showing a negative guess) ② will not (showing a negative intention)
人ごころ憂きには鶏にたぐへつつ
＝ Princess Ochikubo feels strong repulsion against the mind/intent of Ukon’no Shoushou and so likens her to the birds (telling the ending time)
なくよりほかの声は聞かせじ
＝ Princess Ochikubo likened to the birds (telling the end of their meeting) will not let her voice heard unless it is the same one as that of the birds (telling the end of their meeting)
The sentence above seems to be the Princess’ direct verbal blow at Ukon’no Shoushou against the fact that he forcibly has his own way with her upon abrupt visit to the Princess’ private place. While Ukon’no Shoushou grumbles about the birds of dawn, the Princess just only repels and resists his way of her treating (which should be justified considering her position at that time) and hands down the sentence that he shall not have anything to do with her (in other words that she will never ever meet or see him again); The reason for likening her to the birds of dawn will be to show her will not to get into a love relation with him. She may tell him not to come and see her as she has no intention to accept you. WIth this poem, she may order him to abandon his hope(wish/dream) of romantic relationship with her. Dawn is the time when Ukon’no Shoushou has to leave the Princess and is announced by the birds crying, which are compared to the Princess.
There seems no mutual communication between Ukon’no Shoushou and Princess Ochikubo. He is unilaterally just asking to be accepted and she would never ever say yes. Their first meeting appears to end in collision and discord. Especially this first visit must have left a deep, serious scar in the sensitive heart of the Princess. How will he heal it? And how will he fill the gap between his Princess and her unfortunate maid falsely charged with this incident?
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You can read English version of Ochikubo-Hime for charge. (No refund is available.) ([Caution!] This English version is the same one as that provided for charge in the site of おちくぼ物語 in Japanese https://jacl.it-is-the-tale.com.)