Man-Pai / Genji Ch.12

Man-Pai / Genji Ch.12 - Suma

Suma - Suma

The scandal of his love affair with Oborozukiyo caused a worse situation for Genji. There was a possibility that he would be exiled. To avoid the worst punishment, he decided go to the Suma coast on his own initiative in the late Third Month. Before his departure, he visited his father-in-law at night. His carriage was a humble one covered with cypress basketwork, so as not to attract the notice of Kokiden side. He talked of old times with the Minister and To-no-Chujo and lamented the uncertainty of life. His little son Yugiri also aroused his tears. He summoned and spent the night with Chunagon. When the moon in its first suggestion of daylight was most beautiful, he got up to leave. He sat against the railing a corner of the veranda and contemplated the falling cherry blossoms. Chunagon came out to see him off at the door.

Kuniyoshi, 1845/46

To-no-Chujo and Prince Hotaru, Genji's brother, came calling. Since he was now without rank and office, he changed to informal, plain colored dress of silk. As he combed his hair he could not help noticing that loss of weight had made him even handsomer. Murasaki sat behind the pillar gazing at him with tears. Unable to see her sadness, he told her: "I must go into exile; in this mirror, an image of me will remain yet beside you."

On the night before his departure he visited his father's grave in the northern hills. He went first to take leave of Fujitsubo to ask her message for him. The moon had risen and he set out. He was on horseback and had only five or six attendants. He stooped to bow at the Lower Kamo Shrine. Grasses overgrew the path to the grave. The forest was thick. Genji complained to him that his last will and testament was destroyed, and about other things. When the moon had gone behind a cloud, he seemed to his father as he once had been.

The departure was still dark in the night. Genji wore a rough travel dress for hunting. Until Fushimi, they took a land route and then by boat to Naniwa, descending the Yodo river. In those days it took one day from Kyoto to Naniwa. On the following day, they set out to Suma. He missed Murasaki a lot. As he had never been on such a journey, he felt helpless. All the sad, exotic things along the way were new to him. The favorable wind brought them to Suma at four p.m. on the second day.

Kunichika, 1884

His new house was not far away from the place where Ariwara Narihira had lived before. It was some distance from the coast, in lonely mountains. The fence, grass-roofed cottages, reed-roofed galleries and everything else about the place were interesting. The confidential steward, Yoshikiyo assigned the regional people to necessary tasks. The governor of the province discreetly performed numerous services for Genji.

At Suma, the melancholy wind was blowing. There was an appealing profusion of flowers in the garden. Genji came out to the gallery from where he had a good view of the coast. Wearing a dark robe loosely tied, he announced himself as a disciple of the Buddha; he slowly intoned a sutra, which was inauspiciously beautiful. From off shore came voices of fishermen raised in song. The barely visible boas were like little seafowl on an utterly lonely sea. He brushed away a tear induced by the calls of wild geese overhead, almost like the sound of splashing oars. His hand against his black rosary was beautiful enough to bring comfort to men who had left their families behind. When he listened to the roar of the wind and the waves at his pillow, he could not stop his tears. In those nights, he woke up still in the dark and plucked a few notes on his koto. During the day, he spent time writing and painting to forget his sorrow.

Having been forbidden from writing to Genji by Kokiden at Kyoto, letters stopped coming. Genji spent unbearable days. The smoke near at hand must, he supposed, be the smoke of the salt. In fact, someone was burning brushwood. He felt ashamed of himself living among plebeian people.

The day of the serpent in the Third Month is a good day to wash away one's worries. He summoned a soothsayer to perform the purification. When he pushed the large doll bearing sins into the river, he could see himself in it. He prayed to heaven proclaiming why a blameless person like me had to be punished. Suddenly the sky turned black and the lightning and a thunderstorm came and would not stop.