Goshozakurabaishoroku - 7

Ibara flied into a rage.
It seemed red ink was splinkled on her face.
She edged up to Aoba and said,

"Oh, you're Miss. Aoba.
You looks displeased recently.
Though I am different from you in social status,
We are equals as representers of each master who has offsprings of Mr. Koreyoshi.
Each makes much of each master.
Therefore I have my idea.
Mind your own business, or you will cause bad thing."

Aoba was overpowered by her for a moment,however, soon come to take a countermeasure.

"Ha, It's funny that you say it as needless.

If you need to make haste, why you didn't come here early in the morning?

You have followed a butterfly and watched flowers, Haven't you?

You spent time in merriness and now were in a hurry in order not to be caught in the rain."

Aoba seemed to hit the mark.

Ibara shrank and blushed at it, however, soon took heart to retort,

"Hey, what you suspected me to do was what you did, wasn't it?

I can't ignore that you accused falsely.

It is you who spent time with a fellow, who is it?"

"How ferocious you are!

You should make clear about that man. What is his name?"

"Ha, It is like childish disputes.

Then, you must able to say the name."

"I don't say I won't say the name."

"Then, what is the name of the lover?"

"You should ask it to your heart."

"Hey, it's an evasive answer."

"It's you who are making an excuse."

The conflict were getting excited more and more.

Two fighted against each other with swords of words,

without paying attention to the circumference.

There came a lot of audiences who sought for a shelter.

They watched this unusual quarrel by two women with being noisy.

Priests worried about this and intermediated between them.

They soothed them, made pray and gave them talismans.

Two women felt ashamed and leave there with the gradge against each other.

It was over four o'clock, and had stopped raining.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 6

There came someone with offerings,
who visited also for a prayer of safe delivery.
She was in a maid's fashion
the same as the former,
but seemed to belong to much lower class.
She was blushed for being tipsy.
With slovenly drunken eyes,
She said in pouts,

"Hey, sir, my master has to bear a heir.
If the baby is a girl, It'll be so much labor lost.
Please pray for the safe birth of a boy
with your technics in sorceries."

The priest was surprised at this insolent behavior,
however, he accepted it and took her inside.
After a while, she called the priest and said,
"How a carefree person you are!
forecasted sunny, good for cherry blossom viewing,
It is unnsettled weather and I have no rainwear.
So I'm in a hurry to return.
Please make haste in a prayer."

The priest nodded and said,
"I see that. But there is a precede visitor applied for a prayer.
Please wait for minutes..."

Before he finished the words,
she bursted into laugh and said,
"Hohohohoho... that's funny.
It's stupid to say the first or the second
like the line of flying wild geese or something.
Even if there were a lot of preceders,
you should do for me first,
because I'm in a hurry very much."

Then she took a glance at the adjacent room.
There was a woman she knew in sight.
Watching her more, she noticed the maid
who worked at the same place, Aoba.
Aoba waited Matsu, so was not intimate with her.
Conscious of Matsu's conception,
she was at a loss for words with astonishment.
Also, Aoba guessed who is the woman there
for a while, and came to notice her, Ibara,
the maid waited Kuretake.

Then Aoba, knew Kuretake's conception,
from her loyalty to her master, felt mortified at it
and said to the priest hot-bloodedly,
"Nay, Listening to the words of this maid,
I think she is full of conceit.
I know her, behaving too arrogantly.
She is a lower class servant in my residence,
and I am closer to the head of family than her.
So I don't have to be reserved.
As I came here first, please do in the exact order."
Aoba casted a glance at Ibara,
and began to smoke with her silver pipe.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 5

Then quite a few people took shelter from rain in the temple.

A party entered there among them composedly.

Everyone wondered who they represented.

A good looking lady,

with servants carryng a lot of offerings,

called a priest and said to him calmly,

"I am a relative of a certain noble lady.

Recently she had a conception.

We have heard about the principal image of this temple, which has powers for safe delivery.

She asked me to visit here on behalf of herself

for the safe childbirth

and give her best regard to you."

The priest received the offerings and said

"I see the all.

Now I'm going to take you inside."

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 4

Kiyomizu temple has been

the sacred place in Kyoto,

Since founded by Tamuramaro Shogun.

The holy power was being increased day by day.

Those who sought miracles by its power

visited there incessantly.

Innumerable people wanted profits in real lives.

It is the middle of the March.

Everywhere cherry blossoms were being out

to be misread for clouds or snow.

The blossoms were more graceful than

that of plums or peaches in the ancient China,

It was more popular than Yoshino or Hatsuse.

Looking around from there,

We could see the cascade of Otowa in a mist,

and felt as if being in the heavenly castle.

It was the holy place above human powers.

Visitors from various parts of the country

streached curtains, set up screens,

and composed poems.

The common people brought

each picnic lunch and flask.

Under cherry trees,

they performed plays and drank together.

Some felt good by getting drunk,

tapped kegs as hand drums,

and sang and dansed to it

with putting on faceclothes on the heads.

Suddenly overtook the rain this interesting scene.

The continuous rain surprised visitors,

who rolled up the sleeves, skirts or cuffs,

and returned home in a stir.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 3

Three characters.

Koreyoshi (the center)

Lady Matsu (the right)

Kuretake (the left)

Sir. Koreyoshi had no offspring,

though he was nearly 40 years old.

He lamented it everyday,

"We are the descendants of Amehohi,

and the lineage has come through centuries.

If I would cease it,

I must feel very sorry for my ancesters.

How undutiful am I!"

He prayed to Gods and Buddha for a child

with his greatly pious mind.

He often talked Matsu or Kuretake about it.

So, both women hoped to get ahead of the rival

for satisfying her husband

and the support of herself.

They also prayed with the vows.

It might be the effect of it,

one day Matsu had no mense.

Recently she liked light dishes.

Lady's maids expected the conception.

Matsu put down their frantic commotion

and asked the doctor.

the diagnosis certified the exact conception.

Matsu was delighted at it.

But she forbad them to speak it.

It was for avoiding Kuretake's envy.

"If Kuretake had known it,

she would have been up to something.

If I had a miscarriage,

she would rejoice my unhappiness.

I would rather declare it at the last moment

to outwit Kuretake."

Matsu made up her mind, which nobody knew.

Not noticing why she concealed the happy event,

Maids felt confused on it.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 2

The picture above is the covers.
Gokans were usually sold in a form
in which two divided parts compose one story.
The right one is the cover of the first part.
And the left is the second's.

Looking around the scene of Kyoto,
We can see cherry blossoms blooming and
leaves of willows coming out.
It is like a brocade descrives the spring.

We can find a splendid residence
in the Gojo-Bomon-west.
This mansion is the property of Koreyoshi,
who is the doctor of literature
and tutors the Emperor.
The appearence is incomparably magnificent,
and Koreyoshi thrives matchlessly.

His wife is called Lady Matsu,
who is the smart woman of sublimity and beauty.
Though she is intrinsicly envious unexpectedly,
her discretion hide it away.
Everyone looks her as a virtuous wife.

Koreyoshi has an another mistress named Kuretake.
She is shallow headed and perverse awfully,
and has no personal charm.
Comparing Matsu to a crystal of snow,
Kuretake were a stain of ink.

Everyone wonders at Koreyoshi's cherishment,
however, Kuretake boasts of it.
her haughtiness grows more and more spontaneously,
and her conceit makes her think she is respected
more than Lady Matsu.

She has misunderstanding
that no one can be equal to herself.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 1

I wrote about Takahide several times,

and will write more.

But I would like to show other things

than my majoring.

There were a kind of books called "Gokan".

They were story telling book

whose each page was accompanied with woodcuts.

They were easy to read since few Kanji were used.

The woodcut illustrations were sophisticated and beautiful.

The book, named "Goshozakurabaishoroku",

was written in the Edo period.(exactly in 1860s)
I am going to translate it into English.

The name "Goshozakurabaishoroku" is consist of several words.

"Gosho" means the Court.

"Sakura"("Zakura") is cherry trees or blossoms.

"Bai"(="Ume") is plum trees or blossoms.

"Sho"(="Matsu") is pine trees.

"Roku" means records or stories.

So, the rough translation is

"The Story of Cherry, Plum and Pine in the Court".

Three plants represent three characters,

you will notice in the story.

The picture on the right is the jacket.

Gokans were usually sold in jackets like this.

The next entry will be the biginning of the story.