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31_days2005-10-04 08:22 pm
ladyseishou.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2005-10-04 08:22 pm
[October 4] [Hikaru no Go] 985
Title: 985
Day/Theme: October 4 / Why do you sleep with girls?
Series: Hikaru no Go
Pairing / Characters: Lady Shikibu (Shindou) / Lady Sei Shounagan (Touya)
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 1,506
985
From the Pillow Book of Sei Shounagon…
25. I Remember a Morning When the Clear-Toned Cicada
I remember a morning when the clear-toned cicada announced the coming heat of the day and Her Majesty expressed her wish to visit the gardens before the dew had gone away from the cool shaded places. The Empress asked if I would write a poem to be read to the ladies-in-waiting while enjoying the gardens before the worse heat of the day.
I was given paper and brush and although I much prefer my own brushes I made do with what was given me and wrote this,
The sun hurries
The dew
of the morning.
The Empress was pleased with this offering and I then made haste to find the Lady Shikibu, newly come to the Empress’s service. But because of a half brother, a minor official in the Emperor’s household, a tutor, she was often late to arrive for her duties as she cared for the brother’s household as he was so devoted to his game that he often failed to eat or even dress in clean clothing.
I found Lady Shikibu with her brother a little time later and joined her behind the screen set off the hall and watched as two handsome men played the game of go, one a high-ranking gentleman and the other, Lady Shikubu’s brother, who was of lower rank being of a more distant Fujiwara family.
The first player reached into his bowl of stones and placed it on the board before unfolding his fan with a disagreeable air. The second, sat respectfully some distance from the board and bent forward to place his stone, pushing aside his sleeve each time as it fell forward over his hand. For some reason, I found this act most delightful.
Lady Shikibu asked if I wished to play as well but I told her of the Empress’s plans to visit the gardens and urged her to return to her apartments before attending Her Highness. She readily understood, being quick witted at least, knowing that it would be most shameful to appear before Her Highness wearing only three robes even if the delicate shades of yellow were very pleasing.
I went with her to her apartments finding the rooms dark, her single attendant gone on errands. The wash basin however had been filled with fresh water and clean robes hung over a brass censor, a pleasing smoke still in the air. Folding her discarded robe, I found the warm scent of her inner robes was a very pleasing thing as well.
27. Things that are Smooth and Soft to Touch
The petals of cherry blossoms.
The black playing stones in a bowl during a game of go.
The newly polished floor in Her Majesty’s apartment.
The pink inside of a Yuka shell.
The inner robe still warm from the one who has removed it.
The nape of Lady Shikibu’s neck when she washes her hair.
29. On the Second Night of the Seventh Month
On the second night of the Seventh Month, I wrote on white paper scented with petals,
In the garden we pass quietly
Remembering earlier
Touches
The rose blooms.
I sent this to Lady Shikibu tied to a thorny stem with a mature bloom, its color a deep red, like blood.
The next morning a message was delivered to my rooms, along with a gathering of pinks fresh from the garden, many still tightly budded and wet with dew.
The poem written on a piece of paper that she had torn from one of her notebooks read,
The bud
Is but one face
Of the bloom.
I found the hint of color at the tip of each bud very charming.
53. There was a Man in the Corridor
There was a man in the corridor one night tapping on Lady Shikibu’s blinds while she wrote at her desk and I lay on our summer robes thinking of the new incense that I wanted to burn the next morning, hoping that the scent would be spicier than the one of the week before.
I pulled on my robes wondering why she did not answer. Perhaps it was her brother and she did not care to see him. Or another that sought her favors. Either one, I needed to be on my way.
She finally looked up from her writing as the tapping stopped and the sound of footsteps faded down the corridor. She held out the sheaf of papers to me waiting silently as I read the story that she had finished that day. It was more of her story about a very beautiful prince, disowned by his father but allowed to live at court and all the ladies that he loved.
I had found the first drafts quite entertaining and shared them with Her Highness. Now I am asked quite regularly by the ladies-in-waiting about Lady Shikibu and if she has written more of the tale. This is becoming quite tiresome.
71. Pleasing Things
Finding a large number of tales that one has not read before. Or acquiring the second volume of a tale that one has enjoyed. But often it is a disappointment.
Someone has torn up a letter and thrown it away. Picking up the pieces, one finds that many of them can be fitted together.
A poem that someone has composed for a special occasion or written to another person in reply is widely praised and copied by people in their notebooks. Though this is something that has never yet happened to me, I can imagine how pleasing it must be.
I feel very pleased when I have acquired some Michinoku paper, or some white, decorated paper, or even plain paper if it is nice and white.
If one is playing a game of go, how can one help being pleased at winning?
I realize that it is very sinful of me, but I cannot help being pleased when someone I dislike has a bad experience.
84. On the Third Day of the Fourth Month
On the third day of the Fourth Month, I played go with Lady Shikibu’s half brother, one of the Emperor’s tutors for the game. I had not visited the Lady Shikibu in her apartments nor spoken with her while attending the Empress for many weeks now and she had sent him to ask after my well being.
I assured him that I was in good health and would write his sister soon. As we exchanged further pleasant conversation, I happen to wonder why it was that the Emperor employed two teachers.
Lady Shikibu’s brother laughed and said that there were many ways to play the game and both of the Emperor’s teachers provided different types of lessons. Where one would advise aggression, one would propose caution. If one would teach strategy, the other would provide lessons in tactics.
He then offered to play a teaching game with me to demonstrate his argument.
As it turned out during the counting, I lost by two stones. He told me that I was a strong opponent and that he would like to play again some time. I answered him by telling him that he was kind to take the time to see me but that I was sure that there were many better players than I to play or teach.
The truth of the matter is that I saw too much of the sister in the brother to feel comfortable in his company.
93. On a Dark, Moonless Night in the Fifth Month
On a dark, moonless night in the Fifth Month I heard a light scratching on my blinds. This had been Lady Shikibu’s signal and indeed it was the Lady herself standing in the corridor when I pulled aside the blind. She fell upon me in tears and I settled her on the lavender colored robes that I had just set out on the fresh reeds on my floor.
“What is it?” I asked concerned by her distress.
“It is my brother,” she said and then told me the story of the test given her brother, a game set against his rival to determine the best tutor for the Emperor. His failure. Not only failure, he had been caught trying to cheat during the game in the presence of His Highness and had been banished from the Capital.
“The Empress will not see me,” she said at last.
I told her that I was not surprised. It was probably the Empress’s love for Lady Shikibu that had kept the brother’s banishment from falling upon her as well.
She seemed quite unmoved by this prospect only asking if I would speak to the Empress on her behalf, to ask if she might be allowed to ask for Her Highness’s intervention.
After drying her tears, I told the Lady that it would be quite an impossible thing for me to do.
She at once said that I was right to refuse her and kissed me gently before she left me in my apartment that night.
- owari -
Author’s note:
The passage “Pleasing Things” was taken from the Ivan Morris translation. All the rest is my own original speculation.
Day/Theme: October 4 / Why do you sleep with girls?
Series: Hikaru no Go
Pairing / Characters: Lady Shikibu (Shindou) / Lady Sei Shounagan (Touya)
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 1,506
985
From the Pillow Book of Sei Shounagon…
25. I Remember a Morning When the Clear-Toned Cicada
I remember a morning when the clear-toned cicada announced the coming heat of the day and Her Majesty expressed her wish to visit the gardens before the dew had gone away from the cool shaded places. The Empress asked if I would write a poem to be read to the ladies-in-waiting while enjoying the gardens before the worse heat of the day.
I was given paper and brush and although I much prefer my own brushes I made do with what was given me and wrote this,
The sun hurries
The dew
of the morning.
The Empress was pleased with this offering and I then made haste to find the Lady Shikibu, newly come to the Empress’s service. But because of a half brother, a minor official in the Emperor’s household, a tutor, she was often late to arrive for her duties as she cared for the brother’s household as he was so devoted to his game that he often failed to eat or even dress in clean clothing.
I found Lady Shikibu with her brother a little time later and joined her behind the screen set off the hall and watched as two handsome men played the game of go, one a high-ranking gentleman and the other, Lady Shikubu’s brother, who was of lower rank being of a more distant Fujiwara family.
The first player reached into his bowl of stones and placed it on the board before unfolding his fan with a disagreeable air. The second, sat respectfully some distance from the board and bent forward to place his stone, pushing aside his sleeve each time as it fell forward over his hand. For some reason, I found this act most delightful.
Lady Shikibu asked if I wished to play as well but I told her of the Empress’s plans to visit the gardens and urged her to return to her apartments before attending Her Highness. She readily understood, being quick witted at least, knowing that it would be most shameful to appear before Her Highness wearing only three robes even if the delicate shades of yellow were very pleasing.
I went with her to her apartments finding the rooms dark, her single attendant gone on errands. The wash basin however had been filled with fresh water and clean robes hung over a brass censor, a pleasing smoke still in the air. Folding her discarded robe, I found the warm scent of her inner robes was a very pleasing thing as well.
27. Things that are Smooth and Soft to Touch
The petals of cherry blossoms.
The black playing stones in a bowl during a game of go.
The newly polished floor in Her Majesty’s apartment.
The pink inside of a Yuka shell.
The inner robe still warm from the one who has removed it.
The nape of Lady Shikibu’s neck when she washes her hair.
29. On the Second Night of the Seventh Month
On the second night of the Seventh Month, I wrote on white paper scented with petals,
In the garden we pass quietly
Remembering earlier
Touches
The rose blooms.
I sent this to Lady Shikibu tied to a thorny stem with a mature bloom, its color a deep red, like blood.
The next morning a message was delivered to my rooms, along with a gathering of pinks fresh from the garden, many still tightly budded and wet with dew.
The poem written on a piece of paper that she had torn from one of her notebooks read,
The bud
Is but one face
Of the bloom.
I found the hint of color at the tip of each bud very charming.
53. There was a Man in the Corridor
There was a man in the corridor one night tapping on Lady Shikibu’s blinds while she wrote at her desk and I lay on our summer robes thinking of the new incense that I wanted to burn the next morning, hoping that the scent would be spicier than the one of the week before.
I pulled on my robes wondering why she did not answer. Perhaps it was her brother and she did not care to see him. Or another that sought her favors. Either one, I needed to be on my way.
She finally looked up from her writing as the tapping stopped and the sound of footsteps faded down the corridor. She held out the sheaf of papers to me waiting silently as I read the story that she had finished that day. It was more of her story about a very beautiful prince, disowned by his father but allowed to live at court and all the ladies that he loved.
I had found the first drafts quite entertaining and shared them with Her Highness. Now I am asked quite regularly by the ladies-in-waiting about Lady Shikibu and if she has written more of the tale. This is becoming quite tiresome.
71. Pleasing Things
Finding a large number of tales that one has not read before. Or acquiring the second volume of a tale that one has enjoyed. But often it is a disappointment.
Someone has torn up a letter and thrown it away. Picking up the pieces, one finds that many of them can be fitted together.
A poem that someone has composed for a special occasion or written to another person in reply is widely praised and copied by people in their notebooks. Though this is something that has never yet happened to me, I can imagine how pleasing it must be.
I feel very pleased when I have acquired some Michinoku paper, or some white, decorated paper, or even plain paper if it is nice and white.
If one is playing a game of go, how can one help being pleased at winning?
I realize that it is very sinful of me, but I cannot help being pleased when someone I dislike has a bad experience.
84. On the Third Day of the Fourth Month
On the third day of the Fourth Month, I played go with Lady Shikibu’s half brother, one of the Emperor’s tutors for the game. I had not visited the Lady Shikibu in her apartments nor spoken with her while attending the Empress for many weeks now and she had sent him to ask after my well being.
I assured him that I was in good health and would write his sister soon. As we exchanged further pleasant conversation, I happen to wonder why it was that the Emperor employed two teachers.
Lady Shikibu’s brother laughed and said that there were many ways to play the game and both of the Emperor’s teachers provided different types of lessons. Where one would advise aggression, one would propose caution. If one would teach strategy, the other would provide lessons in tactics.
He then offered to play a teaching game with me to demonstrate his argument.
As it turned out during the counting, I lost by two stones. He told me that I was a strong opponent and that he would like to play again some time. I answered him by telling him that he was kind to take the time to see me but that I was sure that there were many better players than I to play or teach.
The truth of the matter is that I saw too much of the sister in the brother to feel comfortable in his company.
93. On a Dark, Moonless Night in the Fifth Month
On a dark, moonless night in the Fifth Month I heard a light scratching on my blinds. This had been Lady Shikibu’s signal and indeed it was the Lady herself standing in the corridor when I pulled aside the blind. She fell upon me in tears and I settled her on the lavender colored robes that I had just set out on the fresh reeds on my floor.
“What is it?” I asked concerned by her distress.
“It is my brother,” she said and then told me the story of the test given her brother, a game set against his rival to determine the best tutor for the Emperor. His failure. Not only failure, he had been caught trying to cheat during the game in the presence of His Highness and had been banished from the Capital.
“The Empress will not see me,” she said at last.
I told her that I was not surprised. It was probably the Empress’s love for Lady Shikibu that had kept the brother’s banishment from falling upon her as well.
She seemed quite unmoved by this prospect only asking if I would speak to the Empress on her behalf, to ask if she might be allowed to ask for Her Highness’s intervention.
After drying her tears, I told the Lady that it would be quite an impossible thing for me to do.
She at once said that I was right to refuse her and kissed me gently before she left me in my apartment that night.
- owari -
Author’s note:
The passage “Pleasing Things” was taken from the Ivan Morris translation. All the rest is my own original speculation.