Ochikubo-23
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 sent another letter to Princess Ochikubo; he may still ask for her reply, or does he just want to convey his love in words? Is his ultimate goal that he should receive sincere love from the Princess? Also he seems to hope to build a friendly relationship with the Princess. He is merciful for the Princess who has never replied to any letters from him. Is he good at making traditional Japanese poems (waka)? At least he is used to it.
Tachiwaki still makes efforts to achieve the marriage of Ukon’no Shoushou and Princess Ochikubo. For that end he counts on Akoki, the maid closest to the Princess and his wife. He may not care what she said before. He seems to always assume a calm face and ask her what he wants. There may be impudent and brazen nerve in him.
Akoki may basically coorporate with her husband Tachiwaki, but she shows the hard stance before Tachiwaki. The reason for it may be his pushiness that she is aware of. Is she really angry at him? Although she is angry, still does she give help to him? With respect to Princess Ochikubo, Akoki also thinks, as her husband insists, that the marriage to Ukon’no Shoushou will be good for the Princess.
Ochikubonokimi (Ochikubo-Hime, Princess Ochikubo) is devasted. She may have escapted to her world where only she and her late mother lives. And sometimes Akoki disturbs her outside her inner world and forces her to get back into the real world. The reality which was already hard to endure has become much more unbearable to her. Ukon’no Shoushou is far from her Prince. How could she believe or imagine her bright future? She still lives the life of hell.
Akoki is doing her utmost in the circumstances which she is placed in. Nobody she can rely or depend on, but it may be an opportunity that she can exert her great capability to the fullest extent. She may be compared to a department store; She seems to be able to do almost everything required of maids. In addition, she has a good brain. How will she overcome this crisis? The coming night may be a crucial moment for her Princess. Can she defend the honor of her mistress? She may have resolved to stand for her tragic treasure in place of the late mother. Great Guardian she is!
Let’s look up the classical Japanese languages below from the text of this episode.
[Classical Japanese Languages Picked Out]
「さて、あこき、ただひとりして、言ひ合はすべき人もなければ、心一つを千々になして、立ち居つる。おまし所の塵払ひ、そそくりて、屏風、几帳なければ、しつらひなさむ方もなし。」
（Sate, Akoki, Tada-Hitori-Shi-te, Iiawasu-beki-Hito-mo-Nakere-ba, Kokoro-Hitotsu-wo-Chiji-ni-Nashi-te, Tachiitsu-ru. Omashidokoro-no-Chiri-Harai, Sosokuri-te, Byoubu, Kichou-Nake-re-ba, Shitsurai-Nasa-n-Kata-mo-Nashi.）
ひとり
Hitori
① alone, by oneself ② single, unmarried, bachelor, spinster
言ひ合はす
Iiawasu
① talk with each other ② consult, confer ③ agree on, make a promise
べし（←べき）
Beshi（← Beki）
guess with belief/conviction/confidence based on experience, reason and evidence ⇒① must, should, ought to, will, would, likely ② will, be going to ③ naturally, reasonably, should, ought to, must, have to ④ good/suitable/proper ⑤ had better, should, ought to, must, shall ⑥ can, be able to ⑦ be to, be supposed to
一つ
Hitotsu
① one in number, one piece, one year old ② any one of several things, one of two things, one (the other), one side/angle ③ (two or more different things) unite, the same time/place, together ④ the first, number one ⑤ that’s all, only that, alone, only, sole ⑥ showing a certain period of time, the first part of quarters of “koku," the time unit used once in Japan ⑦ (not) at all ⑧ slightly, just a little, a bit, on trial ⑨ fully, enough, fairly, rather
千々
Chiji
① plenty of, a lot of, many, a great many ② various, a wide variety of, all kinds of
なす（←なし）
Nasu（← Nashi）
① perform, do, carry out ② make, form ③ (into other things) turn, change ④ (in substitute of) use ⑤ appoint, designate ⑥ do as said/described above ⑦ purposely/deliberately/intentionally do something
立ち居る
Tachiiru
① stand up and sit, live ② (of cloud, etc.) float in the sky
おまし所
Omashidokoro
① the place of Emperor/noblemen/noblewomen showing respect by honoring, also called Omashi
そそくる
Sosokuru
play with something with fingers, etc., move/use hands and fingers busily
屏風
Byoubu
furniture standing in a room to shield from winds, serve as a partition and ornamentation, among other uses, which can be folded in half/quarters/six equal parts
几帳
Kichou
furniture used as a partition in a room of the house for nobelmen in Heiand Period, sometimes placed beside the seat, whose main part is cloth hung (called Katabira) on a horizontal wooden rail (called Te) with two pillars (called Ashi) on a stand (called Tsuchii), decorated with strings (called Nosuji), San-jyaku type (about ninty one centimeters high) and Yon-shaku type (about one hundred twenty one centimeters high), the cloth called Suzushi for summer and Neriginu for winter
しつらひ
Shitsurai
to organize fittings for ornamental purpose, furtuniture, fixtures, ornament, decoration
方
Kata
① direction, way, course, bearing ② place, site, space, room ③ district, field, aspect, point, matters relating to such field/aspect/point ④ person of such field, that person showing respect (used when indirectly describing a noble man/woman) ⑤ season, time, hour ⑥ way, means, method ⑦ (of a pair/couple) one (the other), side, set, group
Ukon’no Shoushou is expected to come again; in Heian Period a nobleman has to visit a woman for consecutive three nights to get married. Akoki considers the second night and so she is desperate to arrange the bride’s room beautifully as much as she can, if possible, for her poor Princess. Will Ochikubo-Hime become a Cinderella? WIll she accept his proposal?
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Afterward again Ukon’no Shoushou presented a letter for Princess Ochikubo: “Strangely, despite your unchanged cold treatment, my love for you has become stronger. Your seclusive solitude bearing pains and sorrows made me determine the will to become your Prince saving you from the adversity and bringing happiness to you." This letter was accompanied by the letter from Tachiwaki to Akoki, which asks a reply from the Princess; I cannot let my master lose face, so please share my wish for happiness of your Princess and my Prince. In addition, Tachiwaki expressed his impression that Ukon’no Shoushou has not approached the Princess out of a momentary caprice. According to the servant considerate of his master, actually his master openly states his serious commitment. Respecting his wish, Akoki asks her Princess for a reply, but the Princess is only worried about how Ukon’no Shoushou has thought of her appearance; shame and misery has engulfed her, which makes her hide completely under the cover, still lying. How could I give a reply? Is a woman in such a shameful clothes entitled to such a relation? Only giving that answer, the Princess would not even move, much less get up. Quite helpless, Akoki cannot do or say any more; she reports to Tachiwaki that the Princess saw the letter from Ukon’no Shoushou but that her aches are so acute as in a panic and freezed. She tells him that he should see her suffering with his eyes. And her doubt is expressed about the seriousness of Ukon’no Shoushou; How could you know it? If you see it, you’ll also see his change of mind that he’ll no longer want her. Akoki declares that she, on behalf of her Princess, demands that his love for the Princess must be absolutely reliable and forever. They cannot rely on his glib talk. Ukon’no Shoushou read the letter to Tachiwaki from Akoki. “She never loses, doesn’t she? You never win, don’t you? Princess Ochikubo will be stirred too much as she has been brooding over her appearance before me," says Ukon’no Shoushou, not upset nor perturbed.
Akoki struggles for preparation for the night alone; she is the only guardian that her Princess can rely on. She racks her brains hard for this and that, anticipating true love of Ukon’no Shoushou for Princess Ochikubo, and works very hard to welcome the Prince as husband of the Princess, cleaning the place and organizing things neat and tidy. However, the Princess’ place lacks the furniture and other fittings such as “byobu" (portable folding screens) and “kichou"(portable curtains) which are usually available in every single room as Kitanokata deprives her stepdaughter of them. What will he think of such state of the room? And how will the Princess feel? Akoki is at a loss; she would have wanted to make sure everything is right and proper. For the time being, she can only do the cleaning and she asks the lying and weeping Princess with her face down to get up and finds a red face and red eyes and painful, pitiful figure. Akoki cannot stand seeing her precious treasure; she proposes that she will comb the beautiful hair of the Princess, but her mistress still would not move, saying that she does not feel like doing anything.
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