Part 7
“ The next night the moon was very beautiful.”
またの夜、月いとおもしろし。ころさへをかしきに、若き人は舟に乗りて遊ぶ。色々なる折よりも、同じさまにさうぞきたるやうだい、髪のほど、曇りなく見ゆ。
小大輔、源式部、宮城の侍従、五節の弁、右近、小兵衛、小衛門、馬、やすらひ、伊勢人など、端近くゐたるを、左宰相中将<経房>、殿の中将の君<教通>、誘ひ出でたまひて、右宰相中将<兼隆>に棹ささせて、舟に乗せたまふ。片へはすべりとどまりて、さすがにうらやましくやあらむ、見出だしつつゐたり。いと白き庭に、月の光りあひたる、やうだいかたちもをかしきやうなる。
北の陣に車あまたありといふは、主上人どもなりけり。藤三位をはじめにて、侍従の命婦、藤少将の命婦、馬の命婦、左近の命婦、筑前の命婦、少輔の命婦、近江の命婦などぞ聞きはべりし。詳しく見知らぬ人びとなれば、ひがごともはべらむかし。
舟の人びともまどひ入りぬ。殿出でゐたまひて、おぼすことなき御気色に、もてはやしたはぶれたまふ。贈物ども、品々にたまふ。
七日の夜は、朝廷の御産養。蔵人少将<道雅>を御使ひにて、ものの数々書きたる文、柳筥に入れて参れり。やがて返したまふ。勧学院の衆ども、歩みして参れる、見参の文また啓す。返したまふ。禄ども賜ふべし。今宵の儀式は、ことにまさりて、おどろおどろしくののしる。
御帳の内をのぞきまゐらせたれば、かく国の親ともてさわがれたまひ、うるはしき御気色にも見えさせたまはず、すこしうちなやみ、面やせて大殿籠もれる御ありさま、常よりもあえかに若くうつくしげなり。小さき灯籠を御帳の内に掛けたれば、隈もなきに、いとどしき御色あひの、そこひも知らず清らなるに、こちたき御髪は、結ひてまさらせたまふわざなりけりと思ふ。かけまくもいとさらなれば、えぞ書き続けはべらぬ。
おほかたのことどもは、一夜の同じこと。上達部の禄は、御簾の内より、女装束、宮の御衣など添へて出だす。殿上人、頭二人をはじめて、寄りつつ取る。朝廷の禄は、大袿、衾、腰差など、例の公けざまなるべし。御乳付け仕うまつりし橘三位の贈物、例の女の装束に、織物の細長添へて、白銀の衣筥、包などもやがて白きにや。また包みたる物添へてなどぞ聞きはべりし。詳しくは見はべらず。
八日、人びと、色々さうぞき替へたり。
九日の夜は、春宮権大夫仕うまつりたまふ。白き御厨子一よろひに、まゐり据ゑたり。儀式いとさまことに今めかし。白銀の御衣筥、海賦をうち出でて、蓬莱など例のことなれど、今めかしうこまかにをかしきを、取りはなちては、まねび尽くすべきにもあらぬこそ悪ろけれ。
今宵は、おもて朽木形の几帳、例のさまにて、人びとは濃きうち物を上に着たり。めづらしくて、心にくくなまめいて見ゆ。透きたる唐衣どもに、つやつやとおしわたして見えたる、また人の姿もさやかにぞ見えなされける。こまのおもとといふ人の恥見はべりし夜なり。
十月十余日までも御帳出でさせたまはず。西の側なる御座に夜も昼もさぶらふ。殿の、夜中にも暁にも参りたまひつつ、御乳母の懐をひきさがさせたまふに、うちとけて寝たるときなどは、何心もなくおぼほれておどろくも、いといとほしく見ゆ。心もとなき御ほどを、わが心をやりてささげうつくしみたまふも、ことわりにめでたし。
ある時は、わりなきわざしかけたてまつりたまへるを、御紐ひき解きて、御几帳の後ろにてあぶらせたまふ。 「あはれ、この宮の御尿に濡るるは、うれしきわざかな。この濡れたるあぶるこそ、思ふやうなる心地すれ。」
と、喜ばせたまふ。
The next night the moon was very beautiful. As it is the delightful season, young people went boating. They were all dressed uniformly in white and their hair showed better than when they wear colored clothes. Kotaibu, Minamoto Shikibu, Miyaki-no-Jiju, Gosetchi-no-Ben, Ukon, Kohyoé, Koeimon, Uma, Yasurahi, Isebito—these were on the veranda when the Lieutenant-General of the Left Bodyguard, and the Lieutenant-General, the Prime Minister's son, came to take them out in the boat punted by Lieutenant-General Kanetaka of the Right Bodyguard. The rest of the ladies were neglected and followed them with their eyes. They seemed to be jealous in spite of themselves. Into the very white garden the moon shone down and added to the beauty of the maids-of-honour in their white dresses. There were many palanquins waiting at the shelter [for conveyances] near the north entrance. They were those of the ladies-in-waiting of His Majesty's court, Tosaumi, Koshosho, Uma, Ukon, Chikuzen, Omi—so far I have heard, but as I don't know them well there may be some mistakes. The people in the boat came in in confusion [hearing that visitors from the King's Court had arrived]. The Lord Prime Minister came out to welcome them and put them in good humor. He seemed to be perfectly happy. Gifts were made to them according to their rank.
On the seventh day His Majesty celebrated the birth. His secretary and Major-General, Michimasa, came as King's Messenger with a long list [of the presents] put into a wicker box. A letter was immediately sent from the Queen to the King. The students from the Kangakuin came keeping step. The list of visitors' names was presented to Her Majesty. Some may perhaps receive gifts.
The ceremony of the evening was noisier than ever. I peeped under the Queen's canopy. She who is esteemed by the people as the mother of the nation did not seem to be in good spirits. She appeared a little weary. She had grown thinner, and her appearance in bed was slenderer, younger, and gracefuller. A little lantern was hung under the canopy which chased the darkness away even from the corners. Her fair complexion was pale and transparently pure. I thought her abundant hair would be better tied up. There is great impropriety in writing about her at all, so I will stop here.
The general ceremonies were the same as the other day. The gifts to the courtiers were bestowed from within the misu. The women's dresses and the Queen's dress [perhaps from the Queen's wardrobe] were added to them. The chief of the King's secretaries and court nobles received them, approaching the misu.
His Majesty's gifts were uchigi, and kimonos, and rolls of silk in the usual court fashion. The gifts to Tachibana-no-Sanmi [who offered the breast to the young Prince for the first time] were a set of women's clothes and rolls of brocade, a silver clothes chest, and wrappings for clothes [which perhaps were white]. I have heard that something wrapped up was added also, though I could not see it in detail.
On the eighth day all changed their dress [which had been white, the color of purification]. On the ninth evening the Vice-Governor of the August Crown Prince's retinue celebrated the birth. The present was put on a white cabinet. The ceremony was quite in the new style. On the silver clothes chest a raised ornament was carved, and the island of Horai was also represented as usual, but in finer and newer fashion. I am sorry I cannot describe it all exactly. This evening the winter screens were used, and the ladies wore richly colored dresses. They seemed all the more charming as it was the first time after the birth [to see them]. The rich and brilliant colors shone through the karaginu. The women's figures also showed more distinctly and that enhanced their beauty. This was the night that Lady Komano-no-Omoto was put to shame.
It was after the tenth day of the Gods-absent month, but the Queen could not leave her bed. So night and day ladies attended her in her apartment towards the West. The Lord Prime Minister visited her both during the night and at dawn. He examined the breasts of the wet-nurses. Those nurses who were in a sound sleep were much startled and got up while still asleep; it was quite a pity to see them. He very naturally devoted himself with the utmost care, while there was anxiety about the August Child. Sometimes the Honourable Infant did a very unreasonable thing and wet the Lord Prime Minister's clothes. He, loosening his sash, dried his dress behind the screen. He said: "Ah! it is a very happy thing to be wet by the Prince. When I am drying my clothes is my most comfortable moment!" So he said rejoicing.