_A cause of deep regret, indeed,_
_Had the door opened at the knocking of the water-rail!_
[Here a space of nearly one year elapses.]
Third day of First month [1010]. The August Princes have presented
themselves before the King for three days[100] to receive gifts of
mochi. Ladies of high rank accompanied them. Saémon-no-Kami held the
Prince, and the mochi was brought to His Majesty by the Lord Prime
Minister. The King, facing towards the east door, gave it to the
August Princes.[101] It was a beautiful sight to see the young Princes
coming and returning through the corridor. The Queen Dowager did not
present herself. On the first day Lady Saisho served at table; her
colour combination was cunningly executed. Ladies Takumi and Hyogo
officiated as the Queen's secretaries. The ladies who tied their hair
were particularly attractive. The lady who was entrusted with the
preparation of toso[102] was very vain of her skill and behaved as if
she were a doctor of medicine. Ointment was distributed as usual.
The Prime Minister took the younger Prince in his arms and the King
embraced him lovingly, saying, "Long life and health" as usual. The
Lord Prime Minister replied, "I will uphold the younger Prince in my
arms"; but at that His Augustness the Crown Prince became jealous and
begged [to be taken up too], saying, "Ah! Ah!" The Prime Minister was
much pleased, and the General of the Right Bodyguard and others were
amused by it.
The Lord Prime Minister had an audience with the King and they came
out together to find amusement. The Minister was much intoxicated.
"Troublesome!" I thought, and hid myself away, but I was found. "You
are summoned by the father of the Queen, yet you retire so early!
Suspicious person!" said he. "Now, instead of the Queen's father it
is you who must compose a poem! It is quite an ordinary occasion, so
don't hesitate!" He urged, but it seemed to me very awkward to make
one only to have it laughed at. As he was very much in liquor, his face
was flushed and flamed out in the torchlight. He said, "The Queen had
lived for years alone and solitary. I had seen it with anxiety. It is
cheering to behold troublesome children on either side of her." And he
went to look at the Princes, who had been put to bed, taking off the
bedclothes. He was singing:
_"If there be no little pines in the field_
_How shall I find the symbol of 1000 ages?"_
People thought it more suitable that he should sing this old song than
make a new one. The next evening the sky was hazy; as the different
parts of the palace are built compactly in close rows I could only
catch a slight glimpse of it from the veranda. I admired his recitation
of last evening with the nurse Madam Nakadaka. This lady is of deep
thought and learning.
I went home for a while. For the fifty days' ceremony of the second
Prince, which was the fifteenth day of the Sociable Month, I returned
in the early morning to the palace. Lady Koshosho returned in
embarrassing broad daylight. We two live together; our rooms adjoin
and we throw them together, each occupying the whole when the other is
absent. When we are there together we put kichō between them. The Lord
Prime Minister says we must be gossiping about other people. Some may
be uneasy to hear that, but as there are no unfriendly strangers here
we are not anxious about it.
I went to the Queen's audience. My friend wore brocaded uchigi of
old rose and white, a red karaginu and figured train. My dress was
of red and purple and light green. My karaginu was green and white.
The rubbed design on the train was in the very latest fashion, and it
would perhaps have been better if a younger lady had worn it. There
were seventeen ladies of His Majesty the King's court who presented
themselves before the Queen. Lady Tachibana of the third rank served
the royal table. Ladies Kodayu and Shikibu on the balcony. The serving
of the young August Prince's dinner was entrusted to Lady Koshosho.
Their Majesties sat within the dais [one for each]. The morning sun
shone in and I felt too much brilliancy in their presence. The King
wore a robe with narrow sleeves. The Queen was dressed in red as usual.
Her inner kimonos were purple and red with pale and dark green and two
shades of yellow. His Majesty's outer dress was grape-coloured[103]
brocade, and his inner garment white and green--all rare and modern
both in design and colour.
It seemed to be too dazzling in their presence, so I softly slid away
into an inner room. The nurse, Madam Nakadaka, holding the young
Prince in her arms, came out towards the south between the canopied
King and Queen. She is short in stature, but of dignified demeanour.
She was perfectly tranquil and grave and a good example for the young
Prince [then not two months old!]. She wore grape-coloured uchigi and
patternless karaginu of white and old rose. That day all did their
utmost to adorn themselves. One had a little fault in the colour
combination at the wrist opening. When she went before the Royal
presence to fetch something, the nobles and high officials noticed
it. Afterwards, Lady Saisho regretted it deeply. It was not so bad;
only one colour was a little too pale. Lady Kotaiyu wore a crimson
unlined dress and over it an uchigi of deep and pale plum colour
bordered with folds. Her karaginu was white and old rose. Lady Gen
Shikibu appears to have been wearing a red and purple figured silk.
Some said it was unsuitable because it was not brocade. That judgment
is too conventional. There may be criticism where want of taste is too
apparent, but it were better to criticize manners. Dress is rather
unimportant in comparison.
[Illustration: SCREENED DAIS PREPARED FOR ROYALTY