kwaidan-第13节

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details；　without　which　the　rest　of　the　tale　would　not　hold　together。。。　It

appears　that　Tomotada　rashly　took　Aoyagi　with　him　to　Kyoto；　and　so　got　into

trouble；　but　we　are　not　informed　as　to　where　the　couple　lived　afterwards。＇







。。。Now　a　samurai　was　not　allowed　to　marry　without　the　consent　of　his　lord；

and　Tomotada　could　not　expect　to　obtain　this　sanction　before　his　mission

had　been　accomplished。　He　had　reason；　under　such　circumstances；　to　fear

that　the　beauty　of　Aoyagi　might　attract　dangerous　attention；　and　that　means

might　be　devised　of　taking　her　away　from　him。　In　Kyoto　he　therefore　tried

to　keep　her　hidden　from　curious　eyes。　But　a　retainer　of　Lord　Hosokawa　one

day　caught　sight　of　Aoyagi；　discovered　her　relation　to　Tomotada；　and

reported　the　matter　to　the　daimyo。　Thereupon　the　daimyo　　a　young　prince；

and　fond　of　pretty　faces　　gave　orders　that　the　girl　should　be　brought　to

the　place；　and　she　was　taken　thither　at　once；　without　ceremony。







Tomotada　sorrowed　unspeakably；　but　he　knew　himself　powerless。　He　was　only

an　humble　messenger　in　the　service　of　a　far…off　daimyo；　and　for　the　time

being　he　was　at　the　mercy　of　a　much　more　powerful　daimyo；　whose　wishes　were

not　to　be　questioned。　Moreover　Tomotada　knew　that　he　had　acted　foolishly；

that　he　had　brought　about　his　own　misfortune；　by　entering　into　a

clandestine　relation　which　the　code　of　the　military　class　condemned。　There

was　now　but　one　hope　for　him；　a　desperate　hope：　that　Aoyagi　might　be　able

and　willing　to　escape　and　to　flee　with　him。　After　long　reflection；　he

resolved　to　try　to　send　her　a　letter。　The　attempt　would　be　dangerous；　of

course：　any　writing　sent　to　her　might　find　its　way　to　the　hands　of　the

daimyo；　and　to　send　a　love…letter　to　anyinmate　of　the　place　was　an

unpardonable　offense。　But　he　resolved　to　dare　the　risk；　and；　in　the　form　of

a　Chinese　poem；　he　composed　a　letter　which　he　endeavored　to　have　conveyed

to　her。　The　poem　was　written　with　only　twenty…eight　characters。　But　with

those　twenty…eight　characters　he　was　about　to　express　all　the　depth　of　his

passion；　and　to　suggest　all　the　pain　of　his　loss：　＇4＇



Koshi　o…son　gojin　wo　ou；

Ryokuju　namida　wo　tarete　rakin　wo　hitataru；

Komon　hitotabi　irite　fukaki　koto　umi　no　gotoshi；

Kore　yori　shoro　kore　rojin







＇Closely；　closely　the　youthful　prince　now　follows　after　the　gem…bright　maid；





The　tears　of　the　fair　one；　falling；　have　moistened　all　her　robes。





But　the　august　lord；　having　one　become　enamored　of　her　　the　depth　of　his

longing　is　like　the　depth　of　the　sea。





Therefore　it　is　only　I　that　am　left　forlorn；

　only　I　that　am　left　to　wander　along。＇







On　the　evening　of　the　day　after　this　poem　had　been　sent；　Tomotada　was

summoned　to　appear　before　the　Lord　Hosokawa。　The　youth　at　once　suspected

that　his　confidence　had　been　betrayed；　and　he　could　not　hope；　if　his　letter

had　been　seen　by　the　daimyo；　to　escape　the　severest　penalty。　〃Now　he　will

order　my　death；〃　thought　Tomotada；　〃but　I　do　not　care　to　live　unless

Aoyagi　be　restored　to　me。　Besides；　if　the　death…sentence　be　passed；　I　can

at　least　try　to　kill　Hosokawa。〃　He　slipped　his　swords　into　his　girdle；　and

hastened　to　the　palace。





On　entering　the　presence…room　he　saw　the　Lord　Hosokawa　seated　upon　the

dais；　surrounded　by　samurai　of　high　rank；　in　caps　and　robes　of　ceremony。

All　were　silent　as　statues；　and　while　Tomotada　advanced　to　make　obeisance；

the　hush　seemed　to　his　sinister　and　heavy；　like　the　stillness　before　a

storm。　But　Hosokawa　suddenly　descended　from　the　dais；　and；　while　taking　the

youth　by　the　arm；　began　to　repeat　the　words　of　the　poem：　〃Koshi　o…son

gojin　wo　ou。〃。。。　And　Tomotada；　looking　up；　saw　kindly　tears　in　the　prince's

eyes。





Then　said　Hosokawa：





〃Because　you　love　each　other　so　much；　I　have　taken　it　upon　myself　to

authorize　your　marriage；　in　lieu　of　my　kinsman；　the　Lord　of　Noto；　and　your

wedding　shall　now　be　celebrated　before　me。　The　guests　are　assembled；　the

gifts　are　ready。〃





At　a　signal　from　the　lord；　the　sliding…screens　concealing　a　further

apartment　were　pushed　open；　and　Tomotada　saw　there　many　dignitaries　of　the

court；　assembled　for　the　ceremony；　and　Aoyagi　awaiting　him　in　brides'

apparel。。。　Thus　was　she　given　back　to　him；　and　the　wedding　was　joyous　and

splendid；　and　precious　gifts　were　made　to　the　young　couple　by　the　prince；

and　by　the　members　of　his　household。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　*







For　five　happy　years；　after　that　wedding；　Tomotada　and　Aoyagi　dwelt

together。　But　one　morning　Aoyagi；　while　talking　with　her　husband　about　some

household　matter；　suddenly　uttered　a　great　cry　of　pain；　and　then　became

very　white　and　still。　After　a　few　moments　she　said；　in　a　feeble　voice：

〃Pardon　me　for　thus　rudely　crying　out　　but　the　paid　was　so　sudden！。。。　My

dear　husband；　our　union　must　have　been　brought　about　through　some

Karma…relation　in　a　former　state　of　existence；　and　that　happy　relation；　I

think；　will　bring　us　again　together　in　more　than　one　life　to　come。　But　for

this　present　existence　of　ours；　the　relation　is　now　ended；　we　are　about

to　be　separated。　Repeat　for　me；　I　beseech　you；　the　Nembutsu…prayer；

because　I　am　dying。〃





〃Oh！　what　strange　wild　fancies！〃　cried　the　startled　husband；　〃you　are

only　a　little　unwell；　my　dear　one！。。。　lie　down　for　a　while；　and　rest；　and

the　sickness　will　pass。〃。。。





〃No；　no！〃　she　responded　　〃I　am　dying！　　I　do　not　imagine　it；　I

know！。。。　And　it　were　needless　now；　my　dear　husband；　to　hide　the　truth　from

you　any　longer：　I　am　not　a　human　being。　The　soul　of　a　tree　is　my　soul；

the　heart　of　a　tree　is　my　heart；　the　sap　of　the　willow　is　my　life。　And

some　one；　at　this　cruel　moment；　is　cutting　down　my　tree；　that　is　why　I

must　die！。。。　Even　to　weep　were　now　beyond　my　strength！　quickly；　quickly

repeat　the　Nembutsu　for　me。。。　quickly！。。。　Ah！。。。







With　another　cry　of　pain　she　turned　aside　her　beautiful　head；　and　tried　to

hide　her　face　behind　her　sleeve。　But　almost　in　the　same　moment　her　whole

form　appeared　to　collapse　in　the　strangest　way；　and　to　sank　down；　down；

down　　level　with　the　floor。　Tomotada　had　spring　to　support　her；　but

there　was　nothing　to　support！　There　lay　on　the　matting　only　the　empty　robes

of　the　fair　creature　and　the　ornaments　that　she　had　worn　in　her　hair：　the

body　had　ceased　to　exist。。。







Tomotada　shaved　his　head；　took　the　Buddhist　vows；　and　became　an　itinerant

priest。　He　traveled　through　all　the　provinces　of　the　empire；　and；　at　holy

places　which　he　visited；　he　offered　up　prayers　for　the　soul　of　Aoyagi。

Reaching　Echizen；　in　the　course　of　his　pilgrimage；　he　sought　the　home　of

the　parents　of　his　beloved。　But　when　he　arrived　at　the　lonely　place　among

the　hills；　where　their　dwelling　had　been；　he　found　that　the　cottage　had

disappeared。　There　was　nothing　to　mark　even　the　spot　where　it　had　stood；

except　the　stumps　of　three　willows　　two　old　trees　and　one　young　tree　

that　had　been　cut　down　long　before　his　arrival。





Beside　the　stumps　of　those　willow…trees　he　erected　a　memorial　tomb；

inscribed　with　divers　holy　texts；　and　he　there　performed　many　Buddhist

services　on　behalf　of　the　spirits　of　Aoyagi　and　of　her　parents。









JIU…ROKU…ZAKURA





In　Wakegori；　a　district　of　the　province　of　Iyo　（1）；　there　is　a　very

ancient　and　famous　cherry…tree；　called　Jiu…roku…zakura；　or　〃the　Cherry…tree

of　the　Sixteenth　Day；〃　because　it　blooms　every　year　upon　the　sixteenth　day

of　the　first　month　（by　the　old　lunar　calendar）；　and　only　upon　that　day。

Thus　the　time　of　its　flowering　is　the　Period　of　Great　Cold；　though　the

natural　habit　of　a　cherry…tree　is　to　wait　for　the　spring　season　before

venturing　to　blossom。　But　the　Jiu…roku…zakura　blossoms　with　a　life　that　is

not　　or；　at　least；　that　was　not　originally　　its　own。　There　is　the　ghost

of　a　man　in　that　tree。







He　was　a　samurai　of　Iyo；　and　the　tree　grew　in　his　garden；　and　it　used　to

flower　at　the　usual　time；　that　is　to　say；　about　the　end　of　March　or　the

beginning　of　April。　He　had　played　under　that　tree　when　he　was　a　child；　and

his　parents　and　grandparents　and　ancestors　had　hung　to　its　blossoming

branches；　season　after　season　for　more　than　a　hundred　years；　bright　strips

of　colored　paper　inscribed　with　poems　of　praise。　He　himself　became　very

old；　outliving　all　his　children；　and　there　was　nothing　in　the　world　left

for　him　to　live　except　that　tree。　And　lo！　in　the　summer　of　a　certain　year；

the　tree　withered　and　died！





Exceedingly　the　old　man　sorrowed　for　his　tree。　Then　kind　neighbors　found

for　him　a　young　and　beautiful　cherry…tree；　and　planted　it　in　his　garden；

hoping　thus　to　comfort　him。　And　he　thanked　them；　and　pretended　to　be　glad。

But　really　his　heart　was　full　of　pain；　for　he　had　loved　the　old　tree　so

well　that　nothing　could　have　consoled　him　for　the　loss　of　it。





At　last　there　came　to　him　a　happy　thought：　he　remembered　a　way　by　which

the　perishing　tree　might　be　saved。　（It　w