Ochikubo-17
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) faces another tragedy or a blessing in disguise? The Princess was astounded by the sudden visit (or invasion?) of the future Prince (or another devil? demon?). She cannot do anything but cry and cry. Her first surprise seems to have changed to fright until she could guess the man (invader and attacker?) and then to misery and humiliation. What she wants the least is seemingly that anyone (especially a man) sees (the state of) her clothes. Her sensitive girlish heart is apparently badly hurt.
Ukon’no Shoushou should be able to imagine and know the delicate feelings of the Princess but does he do anything to prevent or ease the shock and its effects on her? He is just doing what he wants to do. Maybe he thinks (or believes) that he cannot help taking such a way (in other words entering her room without permission or notice, resorting to use of force) as she has not given any response at all. Will he really reach and open the Princess’ heart?
Akoki immediately notices the danger (or menace) to her cherished Princess and tried to act for her but her husband (cooperating or conspiring with or acting in the place of Ukon’no Shoushou) hindered it. She suffers what she cannot control: chagrin, frustration, vexation and mortification. The disgrace to her Princess is also the disgrace to her. When her Princess cries in despair, she also cires in despair. The Princess and Akoki is connected in a sense of unity.
Tachiwaki is not the husband of Akoki in this episode; he is a perfect servant devoting himself to his master. He ignores or does not think of anything about (positions or feelings or others of) his wife and her mistress. He sticks to the aim that Ukon’no Shoushou meets Princess Ochikubo as his master wishes. And he fully performs his part in his postion. Is he ready for any response from his wife? Or does he have confidence that he can cope with any aftermaths? Or is he sure that he will win over his wife? Or maybe he is determined to do anything for happiness of the Princess without fail or exception?
Ukon’no Shoushou (and Tachiwaki) took a brutal (even savage) way to achieve his object (or aspiration or dream). The Princess and her loyal maid are his (or their) victims so far; they should not be able to think (or believe) that Ukon’no Shoushou (and his faithful servant) would save the Princess from the miserable plight. Is his (or their) way of approach to her good and right (appropriate)? Maybe that way is the general way of Heian Period (when men enjoy much more freedom of act and women just bear and endure anything as they have no power (or force or influence)).
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「「こはなぞ。御格子の鳴りつるを、なぞと見む」と言へば、「犬ならむ、鼠ならむ」と「驚きたまひそ」と言へば、「なでふことぞ。したるやうのあれば言ふか」と言へば、「何わざかせむ。寝なむ」と、抱きて臥したれば、「あなわびし。あなうたて」と、いとほしくて、腹立てど、動きもせず、抱きこめられて、かひもなし」
（"Ko-wa-Nazo. Mikoushi-no-Nari-tsuru-wo, Nazo-to-Min" to-Ieba, “Inu-Nara-n, Nezumi-Nara-n" to “Odoroki-Tamai-so" to-Ieba, “Nadeu-Koto-zo. Shi-taru-you-no-Are-ba-Iu-ka" to-Ieba, “Nani-Waza-ka-Se-n. Ne-nan" to, Idaki-te-Fushi-tare-ba, “Ana-Wabishi. Ana-Utate" to, Itooshiku-te, Haradate-do, Ugoki-mo-Se-zu, Dakikome-rare-te, Kai-mo-Nashi）
なぞ
（Nazo）
① what/who ② how come, why, what is the reason for ③ in the form of question asking the cause/reason, emphasizing the denial conversely
驚く
（Odoroku）
startled/surprised at an external trigger/stimulation/stimulus ⇒① (on any incident/happening) immediately/at once notice/be aware of/be conscious of ② (when asleep) suddenly wake up/awake ③ be surprised/astonished/astounded/amazed
そ
（So）
① (in the form of 「な○○そ」) (please) do not do, not want someone/something to do ② do not do (please)
なでふ
（Nadeu）
① how, in what way ② in the form of question (using how/what in relation to degree and condition/look), emphasizing the denial conversely ③ why, how come ④ in the form of question (using why in relation to reason), emphasizing the denial conversely/ showing the strong doubt/suspicion
わざ
（Waza）
① act, deed, work ② situation, condition, state, circumstances, incident ③ work, job, service ④ Buddhist service for the dead/god/revered ones/the Buddha ⑤ means, way, measures, skills, art, craft, technique ⑥ disaster, misfortune, mishap, evil, harm, damage
なむ
（Nan）
① will, should, surely ② will, let’s, be certain to do ③ want to, would like to ④ had better, should, ought to ⑤ will be able to do, it will be possible to ⑥ how about doing?/ will you do –?/ would you do –? ⑦ if
臥す
（Fusu）
(a person) ① lie down, go to bed, sleep ② lie on one’s face, look down, hang one’s head, bow down, prostrate oneself, grovel, fall down/flat ③ (lowering the body) hide, lie low, live a quiet life, live in secret/secrecy
(do a person/thing) ④ lay, put/place (something) in a flat position ⑤ turn one’s face, etc. downward, drop one’s head ⑥ press, hold down, push down, bring down, knock down ⑦ hide, conceal, cover up
あな
（Ana）
Oh, Ah, Well
いとほし
（Itooshi）
painful to see ⇒① (to the weak) sorry, poor, pitiful ② (to the weak) moving, touching, pitiful, pretty, cute, lovable, loved
かひ
（Kai）
① effect, efficiency, strength ② value, worth
The scene above may depict the typical relation (or power balance (difference)) between men and women in Heian Period. Tachiwaki forces his wife to sacrifice her (and her mistress). He mercilessly ignores the anguish of his wife. In addition, he literally uses force to thwart her attempt to run to her Princess for protection from the attacker. Tachiwaki and Ukon’no Shoushou may think that their justice will be proven in the end as they are going to take the Princess out of the rule (or dominance or abuse) of her stepmother, Kitanokata. The resolution of Ukon’no Shoushou (or Tachiwaki) that they will bring happiness to the Princess is so strong that they think it is forgiven to take such a forcible means.
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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.)
Princess Ochikubo lied down, not asleep, fingering the Japanese harp close to her, and murmured, without being aware of the hiding intruder, that I could not endure everything and so I should seclude myself like a hermit in the depths of a rocky mountain where people said anyone can forget everything. Seeing that the Princess was unlikely to sleep soon, Ukon’no Shoushou, judging that no one would notice him, opened the lattice door, deftly using a piece of wood, and entered the Princess’ room. The uninvited raider got the frightened Princess up and caught her. Akoki lying with her husband in the room next to the Princess’ place noticed the sound of the lattice door opened and immediately tried to go and see what was happening, but Tachiwaki halted it and Akoki, in shock, was unable to move. “Oh, no! I got to go. You also heard, didn’t you? It was the lattice door of my Princess. I must go now," said Akoki. “Dog or something? Maybe rat?" Tachiwaki lightly dodged and told her not to make a fuss. “Oh! You know what was happeneing because you did it, didn’t you?" Akoki severely accused him, suspicious of his ill intent. “What are you talking about? You sleep with me," said Tachiwaki, evading her anger, and firmly held her in his arms. “Oh, God! How so shameful! You bastard!" All Akoki could do was only to curse him. Against her will to rush to her precious Princess in trouble, Akoki could do nothing, held down by force under the control of the enemy whom she, full of hatred, even wanted to kill.
In the Princess’ room Ukon’no Shoushou lied down, making himself at home, holding the Princess, who was all scared and about to collapse, shivering and wailing. “My princess, you grieved much and so I will give you my sincere, true love and I will find you a rocky mountain which has the depths of your want." Oh, this man should be that…. The Princess knew who the man was; it was Ukon’no Shoushou who sent letters one after another to her. At the same time, her worry about her clothes exceeded the horror and other feelings. Ah, these clothes of mine should be surely miserable. Now what could I do with these threadbare and frayed edges? Oh, my goodness! I want to disappear… only I want to… I should vanish like a bubble… my worthless, empty life…. The Princess cried and cried as if this was the end of her life. Ukon’no Shoushou who, assuming her Prince, had been sure of his success in an affair with the Princess was at a loss what to do with her, quietly waiting and seeing.
Thank you for reading this English version.
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