Ochikubo-1
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
中納言 “Chunagon" is father of Ochikubo-Hime without control over her stepmother. He has hardly any power to exercise for welfare and wellbeing of his daugter who is bullied at the will of the wicked mother. His presence and influence is so weak that the poor Princess suffers solitary hardship without reliable supporters except for a smart and bright young maid who has stood by and protected the Princess at all times since their childhood.
大君 “Ooigimi" is the oldest daughter of Chunagon and the stepmother. She lives in the west wing of the house where her husband comes and spends.
中の君 “Nakanokimi" is the second daughter of Chunagon and the stepmother. She lives in the east wing of the house where her husband comes and spends.
三の君 “San’nokimi" is the third daughter of Chunagon and the stepmother. The ceremony for coming-of-age for marriage is about to be held for her.
四の君 “Yon’nokimi" is the fourth daughter of Chunagon and the stepmother. The ceremony for coming-of-age for marriage is about to be held for her.
落窪の君 “Ochikubonokimi" (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) is the daughter of Chunagon and the late mother who was related to the royal family. Her name comes from the place she was compelled to live in. Ochikubonda in Japanese means a sunken state in English. Her quality of life falls below that of the maids due to the abuse of the wicked stepmother.
北の方 “Kitanokata" is the wicked stepmother. She execises overwhelming control and power over Ochikubo-Hime with malice.
後見 “Ushiromi" is the title given to the smart and bright young maid to Ochikubo-Hime. She gives sympathy and compassion for the poor Princess.
Ochikubonokimi (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) is the heroine of this tale in the position of Cinderella. Kitanokata is the villain, hindering the heroine’s love, peace and happiness. The Princess’s father is useless without any influence. Only Ushiromi is the friend of the Princess so far, but as in the tale of Cinderella, the hero, the Prince, should come and save the poor Princess in the coming episodes.
Culture and Society of Heian Period
Princesses of Heian Period generally get married at the age of twelve to fifteen years old. They usually stay at their parents’ house which their husbands visit. Their life is supported and protected by their parents until their husbands accomplish a success. Father of Ochikubo-Hime is a high-ranking official called Chunagon and so the Princess should have been well-off, not being left in the dire conditions. In addition, considering her lineage, the Princess should have got married to any nobleman. She also should have had a nurse（乳母 めのと）at her side. In Heian Period, a nurse takes care of princesses instead of their mother even after they have grown up. Although it is not known why Ochikubo-Hime does not have any nurse, the stepmother, Kitanokata, may deprive the Princess of her nurse. In general, children of such nurses grow up with the princesses and become the loyal servants to them. Ushiromi, the young maid to Ochikubo-Hime, may be one of such children growing up with the Princess. She must have been the ray of hope for Ochikubo-Hime without other dependable back-ups.
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「おとども、ちごよりらうたくや思しつかずなりにけむ。まして北の方の御ままにて、はかなきこと多かりけり。はかばかしき人もなく、乳母もなかりけり。」
（Otodo-mo Chigo-yori Rotaku-ya Oboshi-Tsukazu-Nari-ni-ken / Mashite Kitanokata-no-On-mama-nite, Hakanaki-koto Ookari-keri / Hakabakashiki-Hito-mo-Naku, Menoto-mo Nakari-keri）
らうたし（←らうたく）
Rotashi（←Rotaku）
wanting to take good care of ⇒ feeling pity toward ⇒ feeling (great) affection toward
In this part above, らうたし is probably used in meaning that father of Ochikubo-Hime has not felt (great) affection toward the Princess.
はかなし（←はかなき）
Hakanashi（←Hakanaki）
no aim; not reliable ⇒ ① not dependable; immature; ② transient, short-lived; insignificant
In this part above, はかなし is probably used in meaning that father of Ochikubo-Hime is unreliable for the Princess.
はかばかし（←はかばかしき）
Hakabakashi（←Hakabakasiki）
progress made as it is intended ⇒ speedy progress ⇒① reliable, dependable; trustworthy; ② clear, definite; outstanding, prominent, remarkable / ①⇒ properly, finely
In this part above, はかばかし is probably used in meaning that Ochikubo-Hime has no reliable backups from anyone.
In this episode, an emphasis is laid on the helpless solitude of Ochikubo-Hime due to brutal abuse by the evil stepmother. Such adversity prompts readers to expect the Prince’s heroic achievements to save the Princess; how the Prince will bring and realize love, peace and happiness to/for the Princess, which will be depicted along as the story develops.
Apart from the Tale of Ochikubo-Hime, a variety of topics relating to the Heian Period are discussed in this series.
「冬ながら 空より花の 散りくるは 雲のあなたは 春にやあるらむ」
(Fuyu-nagara Sora-yori-Hana-no Chirikuru-wa Kumo-no-Anata-wa Haru-niya-Aruran)
(Amidst the freezing cold, white petal-like falls tell the arrival of a hearty cordial tenderness behind the cloud.)
This waka (traditional Japanese poem) was made by 清原深養父 (Kiyohara-no Fukayabu) who is grand-grandfather of (清少納言 (Sei Shonagon), the wirter of『枕草子』(Makura-no Soshi). While grand-grandfather of Sei Shonagon stands in a snowfall, he extends his imagination beyond the dark cloud, trying to see the coming of a spring. It may be read that he makes an effort to find a ray of hope in despair. Maybe he wanted to bring comfort and encouragement for those who is going to give up hope. His possible aim is to remind you that hope is always there if you do not notice it.
The writer of Tale of Ochikubo-Hime is —
unknown; however, it is said that two people were involved in the writing of Tale of Ochikubo-Hime; the first one is 源順 (Minamoto-no Shitago) and the second one is 清少納言 (Sei Shonagon). Minamoto-no Shitago is one of the authorities on waka (classical Japanese poem) chosen as “Five Members to Engage in Selection of Waka" under the order of Emperor Murakami. Those five members include the father of Sei Shonagon, 清原元輔 (Kiyohara-no Motosuke), who was a good friend of Minamoto-no Shitago. Tale of Ochikubo-Hime can be broadly divided into two parts; the revenge (retaliation) part and the repayment (reward) in gratitude part. A rough guess is that first Minamoto-no Shitago wrote the revenge (retaliation) part and then Sei Shonagon added the repayment (reward) in gratitude part. The model of Ochikubo-Hime is said to be Empress Teishi with a title called Chugu.（中宮定子） Empress Teishi is the first wife of Emperor Ichijo. Upon fall of her father, 藤原道隆 (Fujiwara-no Michitaka), Teishi was faced with severe conditions. Sei Shonagon is a loyal servant to Empress Teishi and her essay titled Makura-no Soshi may be written only for Empress Teishi. The hero, the Prince, of Tale of Ochikubo is said to have been modeled on 藤原道頼 (Fujiwara-no Michiyori), a son of Fujiwara-no Michitaka and a brother of Empress Teishi. The fall of Fujiwara-no Michitaka and his family was brought about by 藤原道長 (Fujiwara-no Michinaga), a brother of Fujiwara-no Michitaka, who led aggressive attacks on his brother, Fujiwara-no Michitaka. Considering such brutal deeds, Minamoto-no Shitago may have written the revenge (retaliation) part to call attention to unreasonable treatment; however, Sei Shonagon may have thought that such revenge (retaliation) would cause damage, disgrace or shame to the Fujiwara-no Michitaka family, including Empress Teishi and Fujiwara-no Michiyori. Such difference in attitude between Minamoto-no Shitago and Sei Shonagon may result in the opposite stance in writing of Tale of Ochikubo-Hime. Both Empress Teishi and Fujiwara-no Michiyori died young due to merciless aggression under the control of Fujiwra-no Michinaga. Sei Shonagon is great in that she was not badly affected by such hostility; she seems to have always given consideration, comfort and compassion to her precious one. While reading Tale of Ochikubo-Hime in this site, it will also be considered what Sei Shonagon aims at with Makura-no Soshi.
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There once lived a princess in Heian-kyo, Japan. Her mother who was related to the royal family died when she was very young. While her sisters-in-law led a luxurious life, the princess was forced to struggle in poor and miserable circumstances due to her stepmother who got her own way. Her small and humble place was sunken at the end of the main building of the family and she was called Princess Ochikubo (which means a “sunken" state in Japanese). The princess was helpless without a nurse or other backups except a smart young maid who had served her since they were children. They stuck to, comforted and were considerate to each other.
Thank you for reading this English version.
❗️This English version is only published and available in the websites of おちくぼ物語 in English and in Japanese https://jacl-en.it-is-the-tale.com; https://jacl.it-is-the-tale.com.
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❗️No one may use this English version for any purpose except for reading.