Ochikubo-12
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 may have decided to meet and talk with Princess Ochikubo by all means as he hurried Tachiwaki up for start of their affair. His understanding of her personality may have deepend while he could not get any answer from her. It might contribute to an increase in seriousness of his love for the Princess.
Tachiwaki has been under pressure for realizing the dream of his master, but the conditions have not permitted it, resulting in a just on-looker; however, he is smart and shrewd and thus he should have been watchful of any chance as small as a pinhole.
Chunagon (Father of Ochikubo-Hime) will go to the Ishiyama Temple to express his gratitude to the God, taking his family and almost all of their servants and maids, among others, which excludes Ochikubo-Hime as her stepmother, Kitanokata, prohibits her participation. But he may not know whether the Princess will come. It may be said that he is broad-minded but it is desirable that he should also bear in mind the Princess.
Ochikubonokimi (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) is kept out from those who will be taken together to the temple by Chunagon at the will of the stepmother. It is not known whether the Princess wants to take part in the travel; she may strive to think or feel nothing about such an event as she always ends up in left out.
Ben’no-Okata has a warm heart to consider the situation of Princess Ochikubo and propose to Kitanokata that she shall be allowed to come with them. This maid may sympathize with her and openly takes sides with her at the risk of getting the mistress angry.
Kitanokata seems to be full of hatred for Ochikubo-Hime. She may only want to see how her stepdaughter suffer and so use every opportunity that she can abuse her. The mistress does not care what other people think upon hearing her offensive and cruel words directed at the Princess.
Akoki is thoroughly loyal to her Princess and adaptible for the benefit of the Princess; she is not upset under any circumstances and does not fear any words, actions and treatment of Kitanokata. In fact, she faces the mistress resolutely without retreat. In the end she gets what she wants but not for herself, for her treasured Princess.
Princess Ochikubo is under the influence of her villainous stepmother at all times whether or not she knows or is aware of it. However, the Princess may live in peace and safe in that she does not fight against her stepmother; she goes along with her reality which she cannot change. Partly because she is consicious of her weak position but she is rather smart and adaptible, wise and sensible, even in her desperation. Contrary to such Princess, why is Kitanokata keen to be hard on her stepdaughter? Maybe she is only dragged around/down by her own desires.
Culture and Society of Heian Period
The rare opportunity for women of the noble society in Heian Period to go out seems to be a visit to a temple or shrine. Noblewomen and their maids and other servants are also permitted to follow. Men enjoy a freedom to move without restriction. (In the tale of Ochikubo-Hime, Tachiwaki seems to move around under the direction of his master and Ukon’no Shoushou will also able to go anywhere at his free will.) Not only the site of destination but also various places and sceneries on the way please those women. Maybe on the pretext of dedication of sincerity to gods, they take pleasure in seeing and feeling anything that they cannot experience in their daily life. Such rarity may be the source of curiosity and delight for them. Princess Ochikubo is prohibited from that joy and amusement at the vicious discretion of her stepmother. Kitanokata seems to obstruct and even smother her stepdaughter by confinment.
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「いとわりなきことも。よくはべなり。さぶらへとあらば参らむ。かくをかしきことを、見じと思ふ人はありなむや。おんなだに慕ひ参る道にこそあめれ」
（Ito-Warinaki-Koto-mo. Yoku-habe-nari. Saburae-to-Araba-Mairan. Kaku-Okasiki-Koto-wo, Miji-to-Omou-Hito-wa-Ari-nanya. On’na-dani-Shitai-Mairu-Michi-ni-koso-A-mere）
わりなし（←わりなき）
Warinashi（← Warinaki）
no reason ⇒① unreasonable, indiscreet ② unbearable, intolerable, unendurable ③ (of degree) gross, extraordinary, reckless(ly), excessive(ly) ④ forcibly, unreasonably, irrationally ⑤ exceptional, outstanding, special, remarkable, excellent
②⇒⑥ unavoidable, inescapable, inevitable
こと
（言）① word, language, things spoken ② rumor, reputation ③ traditional Japanese poem
（事）④ act, action, movement ⑤ event, ceremony ⑥ happening, occurrence, affair, phenomenon ⑦ matters of consequence, special event, incident, accident ⑧ circumstances, situation, significance, meaning, reason ⑨ work, business, task, duty, job, mision, official affair ⑩ to do something ⑪ showing a strong emotion such as admiration and surprise with affirmation/assertion
いとわりなきことも＝ How so indiscreet your charge is!
はべなり＝ Habe (ru) + nari ＝ showing politeness + showing a definite statement
よくはべなり＝ Are you sure that it is acceptable/all right?
さぶらふ（←さぶらへ）
Saburau（←Saburae）
wait for an order/a direction by (the side of) a noble man/woman ⇒① (close to a noble man/woman) serve, wait on ② (to a noble man/woman) visit, call on ③ a polite way of saying be or exist ④ showing politeness
あり（←あら）
Ari（←Ara）
① exist, (a person) be, (of things) there is/are ② live in this world, lead a peaceful life ③ happen/chance to be (present) there ④ time passes ⑤ surpass, exceed, prosper, flourish, thrive ⑥ showing respect by honoring ⑦ showing/explaining a current state ⑧ showing a definite statement
さぶらへとあらば参らむ＝ what you say means to serve close to you and I will follow you
かくをかしきことを＝ such interesting/fascinating/entertaining event/special occasion
見る
① notice with eyes, look at, see ② watch, view ③ judge upon seeing, think, consider ④ experience, suffer ⑤ see, meet, face ⑥ look after, take care of, attend to, serve ⑦ become a married couple, take someone as a wife, have relations with, be intimate with ⑧ try to do someting, attempt
人
① humans, human beings ② people in the world, everybody ③ other persons/people, someone else ④ adult, grown-ups, full-fledged man ⑤ right person, excellent person, competent/capable/talented person ⑥ personality, grace, dinginity, nobility ⑦ certain person, specified person, that person ⑧ (social) position/standing/status, birth, family background, lineage, pedigree ⑨ servant, retainer ⑩ presence of people, village, human habitation ⑪ (used to call between intimate man and woman) dear, darling, honey
なむや
① propose to do/how about doing something ② taking a form of question but actually showing the speaker’s firm opinion/thought/conviction in an ironic way
見じと思ふ人はありなむや＝ No one would see/view ((natural) beauties on the trip)/ Is there anyone who will not do the sights of (places of scenic interest)?
をんな（おんな）
① woman, adult female, mature woman ② wife, girlfriend
あめれ＝ A(ru) ＋ mere ＝ showing/explaining a current state ＋ seemingly/apparently
おんなだに慕ひ参る道にこそあめれ＝ the journey/walk seems the one in which even elderly women follow the group of people who will start for the temple.
Akoki is daring, brave, reliable and trustworthy. She does not flinch, shrink or wince before nor fear Kitanokata; on the contrary she even lies to the mistress out of her justice for her cherised Princess. She is marvelous just as her real mistress is.
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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.)
Ukon’no Shoushou was disappointed that Princess Ochikubo really did not know the manners for exchange of letters; however, his strong impression of her profoundly compassionate personality according to Tachiwaki prevails and he has become more attracted to the Princess, pressing Tachiwaki to arrange the secret date with her. Despite their zeal, the house of Chunagon, the father of Ochikubo-Hime, has always a lot of people in and out as three daughters have husbands coming and thus they could not find a chance to go and meet the Princess stealthily. After their irritating days doing nothing, a golden opportunity has come; the family of Chunagon would make a visit to the temple of Ishiyama to repay the wish granted and anyone including servants, maids and other workers, both young and old, may come together. In this party Princess Ochikubo is not included, which a maid called Ben’no-Okata noticed and asked Kitanokata to take the Princess with them as leaving her alone would be pitiless, but Kitanokata turned down, saying “That orpahn has never gone and should not go on such an outing. She will not be wanted on the way as no sewing will be demanded." In addition, the cold-hearted stepmother cold-bloodedly said, “Out of question for her to go out for pleasure. Be shut and left in her sunken place." So the Princess would stay behind.
Akoki was ordered to join the attendants of San’nokimi and wear a gorgeous clothes on the trip. But she thought how could she leave her precious princess alone and thus she made an excuse that she could not go due to her period so that she could stay. This intention Kitanokata saw through; “You lier! You mean to be with that orphan!" To the raging mistress Akoki retorted, “What? May I go? You say I go and I will go. This excursion every single person should long to join. Does anyone miss it? I heard even old ones are enthusiastic to go." And Akoki won over Kitanokata, who got a young maid put on the clothes which Akoki should have worn, and started.
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