Ochikubo-2
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
Ochikubonokimi (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) has grown up to be a beautiful lady although she suffers severe treatment. The most cruel one is that the life of the Princess is limited to the inside of the family without any link to
the outside world. That means that the Princess is not known to anyone but the people around. Her future is hindered by such treatment. In additon, what she can do is also restricted at the will of her stepmother.
Princesses (daughters) of Chunagon and Kitanokata are nurtured with tender care.
Mother of Ochikubonokimi seems to have been alive when the Princess was six or seven years old.
三郎君 “Saburogimi" is a son of Chunagon and Kitanokata. He is about ten years old. 三 means three or third and thus he is guessed to be their third son.
Kitanokata (stepmother of Ochikubo-Hime) seems to cherish her children.
Kitanokata may be an ordinary woman who can love her children but cannot love those of other women. Even considering such tendency, her bullying seems to be extraordinary. She seems to be wanting to deny the whole existence of the Princess itself. Such hate should drive the Princess in despair, being at a loss for her life. Sadly her great abilities and capacities are not fully used.
Culture and Society of Heian Period
(1) Name to call in Heian Period: Usually the individual names are not used in calling but the titles and other nicknames are called instead. Chunagon and Ushiromi are respectively titles of the Princess’s father and maid. Kitanokata comes from the position of the room of the Princess’s stepmother, which lies in the north of the main building of the family house. Wife and mother usually lives in that north wing and thus the mistress is generally called Kitanokata, which may also indicate the power to control the matters of the house. Ochikubo is named for the Princess’s sunken place to live. Such naming shows the hatred and evil intenition of her stepmother.
(2) Marriage in Heian Period: Brides and (bride)grooms do not meet until grooms visit the brides’ rooms in the brides’ parents house at the first night of the three nights for marriage. Grooms have to visit their brides for successive three nights to become a couple (wife and husband) officially. Even though they do not have a chance to meet before marriage, they can get to know each other about character, qualities, knowledge, education, tastes and others through letters including waka (classical Japanese poetry) sent and received. Talks, tales, rumors and other information spread by families of brides, especially their parents, should also affect grooms’ decision on marriage. In addition, the rank and wealth (economic power) of brides’ father should play a great part in grooms’ decision-making. But it is reasonable in that grooms’ future success should guarantee the brides’ future happiness. In the case of Ochikubo-Hime, the Princess has no means to let her known to anyone in the noble society as her father almost neglects her because he seemingly does not want to get her wife angry. In such situation, the Princess seems to feel that no bright future awaits her.
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「やうやう物思ひ知るままに、世の中あはれに心憂きことをのみ思されければ、かくのみぞうち嘆く。」
（Youyou-Monoomoi-Shirumamani, Yononaka-Awareni-Kokorouki-Kotowonomi-Obosarekereba, Kaku-nomizo-Uchinageku）
あはれ
Aware
deeply touching ⇒ (1) tasteful (2) lovely (3) tender, affectionate
(2) ⇒ (4) sad, lonely (5) pitiful, sorry
(3) ⇒ (6) grateful, noble, sacred
In this part, あはれ probably means that Ochikubo-Hime feels sad and lonely.
心憂し（←心憂き）
Kokoro-Ushi（←Kokoro-Uki）
miserable with too much pain ⇒ unpleasant, unacceptable
In this part, 心憂し probably means that Ochikubo-Hime feels miserable with too much pain.
This episode highlights that Kitanokata holds the power to control the life, future and fate of Ochikubo-Hime. The Princess is helpless even in seemingly small matters. Actually princesses in Heian Period generally cannot live without help of their parents and other supporters. In spite of that, Princess Ochikubo has no choice but to overcome her plight and find and open up any bright hopeful chances. Her only true friend, the young maid called Ushiromi, may play an active part in bringing good luck to Princess Ochikubo.
Apart from the Tale of Ochikubo-Hime, a variety of topics relating to the Heian Period are discussed in this series.
「春は、あけぼの。やうやう白くなりゆく山ぎは、すこしあかりて、紫だちたる雲の、細くたなびきたる。」
（Haru-wa Akebono. Youyou-Shiroku-Nariyuku-Yamagiwa, Sukoshi-Akarite, Murasakidachitaru-Kumono, Hosoku-Tanabikitaru.）
（Dawn in spring is superb. With increasing brightness around the ridges of mountains, the sky faintly shines with long trails of purple-tinted clouds.）
This passege is the first part of『枕草子』(Makura-no Soshi), the essays of 清少納言 (Sei Shonagon). What does Sei Shonagon aim at with this passage? She wrote Makura-no Soshi while she could not serve her mistress, 中宮定子 (Empress Teishi). After his father’s decline and death, Empress Teishi was in dire situations. Sei Shonagon may have wanted to save and support Empress Teishi even though she was apart from Empress Teishi. People in such situations may tend to lose themselves, overwhelmed by painful experiences. They may overlook splendid scenery as they can be blinded by the matters in mind. Sei Shonagon may have wanted Empress Teishi not to be engulfed by any hardships. She may have wanted to draw Empress Teishi’s attention to anything that would sweep away pains and sorrows even for a while. Sei Shonagon may have thought that anything beautiful or wonderful would make people forget about sufferings or adversities. Her idea may be that people can feel joy and happiness in their heart even while they face difficulties. Sei Shonagon may have written Makura-no Soshi only for Empress Teishi.
彰子 (Shoushi), the daughter of 藤原道長 (Fujiwarano Michinaga) who caused a decline of 藤原道隆 (Fujiwarano Michitaka) and his family, became the empress of 一条天皇 (Emperor Ichijo), given the title of 中宮 (Chugu) which Empress Teishi should have used exclusively. Shoushi may have had sympathy and compassion for Empress Teishi, because their fates were decided by the will of Fujiwarano Michinaga. In addition, Shoushi took care of children of Empress Teishi after her death and told her father, Fujiwarano Michinaga, that the children of Empress Teishi should succeed to the imperial throne, which her father rejected. Shoushi seems to have not been affected by her father’s extraordinary ambition (greed). In her difficult position, Shoushi was great in that she had consideration for Empress Teishi.
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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.)