Category: Novels

The tale of Genji

At the Court of an Emperor (he lived it matters not when) there was among the many gentlewomen of the Wardrobe and Chamber one, who though she was not of very high rank was favoured far beyond all the rest; so that the great ladies of the Palace, each of whom had secretly hope...

Chapters

4. CHAPTER IV

It was at the time when he was secretly visiting the lady of the Sixth Ward.[1] One day on his way back from the Palace he thought that he would call upon his foster-mother who,...

2. CHAPTER II

Genji the Shining One.... He knew that the bearer of such a name could not escape much scrutiny and jealous censure and that his lightest dallyings would be proclaimed to poster...

11. CHAPTER IX

The accession of the new Emperor was in many ways unfavourable to Genji’s position. His recent promotion[1] too brought with it heavy responsibilities which sadly interrupted th...

6. dim. Such a variety of flowers and blossoming trees (he did not know

their names) grew upon the hill-side, that the rocks seemed to be spread with a many-coloured embroidery. Above all he marvelled at the exquisite stepping of the deer who moved...

9. CHAPTER VII

The imperial visit to the Red Sparrow Court was to take place on the tenth day of the Godless Month. It was to be a more magnificent sight this year than it had ever been before...

8. letter did not need an answer, which was perhaps the reason that I did

not receive one.’ From this enigmatic reply Chūjō deduced that Genji had been in communication of some kind with the lady and he was slightly piqued by the fact that she had sho...

1. CHAPTER I

At the Court of an Emperor (he lived it matters not when) there was among the many gentlewomen of the Wardrobe and Chamber one, who though she was not of very high rank was favo...

5. CHAPTER V

He fell sick of an ague, and when numerous charms and spells had been tried in vain, the illness many times returning, someone said that in a certain temple on the Northern Hill...

12. part I doubt whether he will find much comfort in such visits....’ So

one of them was saying to her friends. And soon there were many affecting scenes of farewell between them, for it had been decided that for the present they were all of them to...

3. CHAPTER III

Genji was still sleepless. ‘No one has ever disliked me before’ he whispered to the boy. ‘It is more than I can bear. I am sick of myself and of the world, and do not want to go...

10. CHAPTER VIII

About the twentieth day of the second month the Emperor gave a Chinese banquet under the great cherry-tree of the Southern Court. Both Fujitsubo and the Heir Apparent were to be...

7. CHAPTER VI

Try as he might he could not dispel the melancholy into which Yūgao’s sudden death[1] had cast him, and though many months had gone by he longed for her passionately as ever. In...