Kiritsubo 4-1

Text

17オ

皇子みこはかくてもいと御覧ぜまほしけれど、かゝるほどにさぶらひ給ふ・例れいなきことなれば、まかで給ひ・なんとす。何事なにごとかあらんともおぼしたらず、さぶらふ人々の泣なき惑まどひ、うへも御涙なみだのひまなく流ながれおはしますを、あやしと見みたてまつり給へるを、よろしきことにだに、かゝる別わかれの悲かなしからぬはなきわざなるを、ましてあはれに言いふかひなし。

[The Emperor] wished very much to see the prince despite this, but since there was no example of someone being [in the palace] in a time like this, the child made to leave the palace. [The child] could not discern what was occurring, and he looked with wonder on the serving people's confused crying, and even His Highness' endlessly falling tears. Even in a normal situation, such a parting would be sad, and even more so the pathos [now] is impossible to describe.

Notes

Glossary / Grammar Reference

皇子は

The Emperor was unable to save Kiritsubo, but he wants "at least" (は) Genji to be there.

さぶらひ給ふ

This RT form could be seen as acting as a noun (...給うことは例なき) or as a modifier for 例 (in either case the general meaning is the same).

例なきこと

The concept of 例 as a precedent from history has previously occurred in the context of the worried courtiers bringing up the 例 of Yáng Guìfēi. Here, there is no 例 that will allow Genji to stay in the palace. かかるほど seems to refer to Genji having to wear mourning clothes*.

まかで給ひなんとす

The use of なん + と + す here normally indicates one's own intention to do something, but here it must refer to what those around him are going to have him do (解読).

見たてまつり給へるを

The たてまつり is humble (for Genji towards the Emperor) and the 給へる is honorific towards Genji.

The grammar of the を at the end of this sentence is difficult to parse since it seems to have no verb to connect to. One possibility is that the を acts like に対して and that the next part is an affective response to what has gone before (注釈)*.

よろしきことにだに...

Exactly what the よろしきこと and かかる別れ refer to is a subject of debate. The interpretation that occurs most commonly is "A parting between a parent and child would be sad in any case, but here when Genji has no idea what is going on, it's even more sorrowful."*

なきわざなるを

わざ here is similar to MJ というわけ providing an explanation (解読). The を seems to be "but"/"however."

Analysis

In this section we see Genji come into the narrative as an actual character, and the first situation he appears in will "break the reader's heart," in the words of Hagiwara Hiromichi. In many ways Genji's future trajectory is defined by his mother's situation and her early death, but as of yet he doesn't understand what is happening. Meanwhile the Emperor hopes to keep Genji with him, but just as with Kiritsubo, his desires are thwarted by the social and cultural pressures that even the Emperor cannot go against.

Supplementary Notes

例なきこと

A longstanding comment on this

見たてまつり給へるを

よろしきことにだに...