Ochikubo-10

Ochikubo-Hime ignored all letters from Ukon’no Shousho, possibly even without reading. Partly because she may not have known or understood such custom of receiving and answering of letters. Another reason may be her fixed idea that she has nothing to do with such social communication or exchanges. The world in which she actually lives is probably not the real world in which Ukon’no Shoushou (and Akoki and Tachiwaki) mingles with other people but her (imaginary) world in which she probably can be together with her mother at all times. Her heart (and soul) may belong or be connected to her mother in heaven.

Culture and Society of Heian Period

Letters (especially the tratidional Japanese poems, waka) seemed to be an important tool indispensable to start of a love affair/romantic relationship. It is one of tactics to achieve a success in love; men put as much energy in making waka as he can as it is the main medium to make himself understood/provide information about himself. Ordinary letters are not limited in length but waka must take the fixed form and thus his love, passion, wish, hope and others must be condensed in that limited short words. Not only his personality but his sense and education/culture, etc. will be known to the women to whom he sent it. So the women get the clue /key to judge and decide whether or not she gets into the relationship with him. The women are also required to determine the true meaning which the men really want to appeal. Both men and women in Heian Period must do their best to get sophisticated and refined.

Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.

The traditional Japanese poem (waka) has a fixed form; one poem consists of five parts, of which the first and third parts should have five Japanese characters each and the second, fourth and fifth parts should have seven Japanese characters respectively. The poem above is divided into the following parts: the first part is 雲間なき(Ku-mo-ma-Na-ki), the second part しぐれの雨は (Shi-gu-re-no-A-me-wa), the third part 人恋ふる (Hi-to-Ko-u-ru), the fourth part 心のうちも (Ko-ko-ro-no-U-chi-mo), and the fifth part かきくらしけり (Ka-ki-ku-ra-shi-ke-ri). This poem seems to be written when a shower falls; that weather also implies the state of heart of Ukon’no Shoushou, who probably wants to say that he sheds tears in his heart because the Princess would not say even a word to him. Through this poem, Ukon’no Shoushou appeals to the Princess for an interest in him (and meeting him and falling in love with him). In such a way, the traditional Japanese poem was used to tell/convey what he(she) thinks/wants/hopes/wishes/expects, etc.

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