Ochikubo-22
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) seems to be filled only with embarrassment, shame and fear. Especially now the terror and anxiety over the stepmother, Kitanokata, dominates her. It does not occur to her that she may resort to Ukon’no Shoushou to run away from the hell under the command of the unreasonable autocratic ruler. Maybe she is not only constrained physically but also curbed and restrained mentally. Is she almost brainwashed under the powerful influence of the appaling, dreadful dictator? She is possibly about to collapse due to the combined stress of the threatening stepmother and the unwanted love affair.
Akoki seems to be tough and resilient; she conceives the idea of using Ukon’no Shoushou to save her Princess from the current plight. No matter how hard they cry, they cannot change what has happened. Then she, for the Princess, has gotten up to turn the disastrous experience into happiness in disguise. On the other hand, she shows the hard stance against her husband (that is, the servant of the invader, Ukon’no Shoushou); probably she has in her mind Tachiwaki’s master. Concealing the true secret intent (that Ukon’no Shoushou may be admitted as husband if he shows sincerity for the Princess), she may warn them against such brutal, violent way.
Tachiwaki seems to have told his master what his wife (in other words, the closest maid to Princess Ochikubo) writes to him. As the Princess has not answered to the letter of Ukon’no Shoushou, probably he has to explain the state and reasons for it. His mission may not be over yet; it may continue to the end (that is, the marriage of Princess Ochikubo and Ukon’no Shoushou).
Ukon’no Shoushou seems to have passion for romance with Princess Ochikubo and at the same time cool eyes and bright, sharp mind to rightly analyze the complex state of mind of the woman. He may know and understand women possibly more than women (themselves). Maybe he is also conscious of it. So is he confident in the affair with the Princess?
Ukon’no Shoushou may have really fallen in love with Princess Ochikubo seriously; he seems to be honest, not flattering to women (at least the Princess). His words that his love for her increases than that before their face-to-face meeting will be true. Her impression on him should be very good, even outstanding. Now is he considering that he will take her as his wife? And when? How? He came to see her in confidence, avoiding an encounter with Kitanokata and others of the Chunagon’s house. WIll he keep hiding himself from them? WIll Princess Ochikubo be able to move out of the house safe and sound?
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「御前には、いとなやましげにて、まだ起きさせたまはざめれば、御文もさながらなむ。（中略）少将の君に、「かくなむ」と聞ゆれば、われをいとものしと思はむやは、ただかの衣どもを、いといみじと思ひたりつるなごりならむと、あはれに思す。」
（Gozen-niwa, Ito-Nayamashige-nite, Mada-Oki-sasetamawa-zamere-ba, Ohumi-mo-Sanagara-nan. (Omitted) Shoushou-no-Kimi-ni, “Kaku-nan" to-Kikoyu-re-ba, Ware-wo-Ito-Monoshi-to-Omowa-n’yawa, Tada-Kano-Koromo-domo-wo, Ito-Imiji-to-Omoi-tari-tsuru-Nagori-Naran-to, Awareni-Obosu）
御前
Gozen
① before an aristocratic/a noble man/woman, before gods and Buddhas, the word to show respect when facing a high-ranking man/woman and revered persons ② nobleman/noblewoman, aristocrat, especially used to show respect for master/mistress of one’s own ③ woman, especially used to show respect for wives of noblemen/aristocrats, etc. ④ a man on a horse who leads, opens up and shows the way to noblemen/noblewomen/aristocrats (who generally ride on an ox-carriage), an official assuming such role ⑤ used to show respect for women when calling
なやましげ
Nayamashige
appearance of sickness/fatigue, a languid appearance
させたまふ（←させたまは）
Sasetamau（← Sasetamawa）
① used to show respect for an act/state by honoring ② used to show respect by honoring for an act/state made someone done/caused
ざめり（←ざめれ）
Zameri（← Zamere）
not appear to –, not seem to –, not look like —
さながら
Sanagara
remain without change ⇒① as it is, in the original state maintained ② (in an intact state) all, everything, the whole
①→③ just like, as if, exactly
②→④ not at all, not any, no, not in the least, in no way, to no degree
ものし
Monoshi
unpleasant, displeasing, eyesore, unsightly, disagreeable
なごり
Nogori
feeling left after a person has left and an event has happened, to cherish/treasure ⇒① air/effect/trace/remnant/remains left afterward, impact/influence on body after recovery from illness, aftershock of an earthquake ② something remaining in one’s heart/mind after parting with someone, regrettable/repentant parting with someone, sorrow/regret of parting
①→③ remains of the deceased, bereaved child, child of the late person, keepsake, memento, descendant, offspring, belongings of the deceased ④ last, end ⑤ the last piece of fine paper for writing “renga" linked poem/verse and “haikai" Japanese seventeen-syllable poem and other similar verse
⑥ remains left after waves when the tide ebbs ⑦ waves still swaying\rolling after the wind dies away
Upon hearing of the anger of Akoki toward her husband Tachiwaki complaining of the significant (mental) shock that has attacked Princess Ochikubo, who has not been able to move much less get up, Ukon’no Shoushou seems to say that the cause for her psychological damage which deprives her of spirits will be her sense of shame about her scruffy clothes. He appears to guess and analyze the frame of mind; what is most important to her is not his personality but his impression about her (and the impression of anyone about her). Maybe is this surmise right? In fact, the Princess seems to have told Akoki about her humiliation of her clothes (and if her mother was alive…) in the preceding episode (and Akoki consoled and cheered up the Princess as Ukon’no Shoushou should have guessed and known that all faults were attributable to the stepmother Kitanokata; If she were in the mistress’ shoes, she would not care a damn.). (As is Tachiwaki,) Ukon’no Shoushou seems to have a cool head without being elated with or absorbed in the Princess (whom he was eager to see).
Ukon’no Shoushou and Tachiwaki may have presence of mind, which may be greatly useful when they confront Kitanokata the villain to protect the Princess. They may be unexpectedly dependable.
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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.)
“Look at my clothes! How could anyone find attraction with a shabby-looking one? Let alone true love! But more important is the stepmother; if she knew this mishap… Oh, how horrible! She always says, 'You’ll be thrown away if you break my rule'" said Princess Ochikubo, frightened of Kitanokata. “Then you could get away from here. Nothing will change when you stay; you’ll never get out of the terrifying control of the evil abuser. My dearest Princess, we could make the best of this incident; how about turning into a favorable chance? Do you have to live a life as she tells? Do you really have to keep sewing one after another in a hurry without much sleep confined to the end of this mansion? Do you really want to be just pressed to work and die?" said Akoki, trying to change the Princess’ mind into a relation with Ukon’no Shoushou by possibly right reasoning.
At that timing, the errand waiting demanded the reply. “Right. Please see the letter. It’s no use crying over spilled milk; well, actually you did not spill the milk, but…," said Akoki, placing it beside the Princess so that she could read while she still could not get up, lying on her face. Ukon’no Shoushou wrote only the poem for Princess Ochikubo: “What has happened, as I had not expected, is that I love you much more than I did before I met you." Upon seeing it, the Princess coldly ignored it again, saying “I’m feeling so bad that I should naturally not be able to give a reply."
Akoki wrote a letter to her husband Tachiwaki: “Look! I’m mad at you. What is it? How could you do this reckless attempt? It’s totally outrageous! I’m nothing with you, aren’t I? So you could do such a treachery. Now that you’ve revealed what you really are. We’re through, aren’t we? Do you see how much my Princess suffers? She couldn’t be even up. She should not feel like reading any letters, no matter how many ones are sent. I feel such great pity that I could hardly watch her. It’s you that caused this tragedy. What will you do from now on? How will you make up for it? Huh?" Tachiwaki told it to his master, Ukon’no Shoushou, who only thinks it’s not me that the Princess is depressed with; it’s her clothes that she minds. It’s pitiful.
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.
❗️The author of this website has all copyrights to this English version.
❗️No one may use this English version for any purpose except for reading.