Post by Saionji Shonagon on Oct 4, 2005 0:55:57 GMT -5
The following is from the diary of Lady Nijo:
"In the second month, the new ex-Emperor Kameyama paid a visit to the ex-Emperor [Go Fukakusa]. They enjoyed an archery contest together, using the short bow.
"'If you lose,' said the new ex-Emperor, 'you must show me all your ladies-in-waiting, high and low. If I lose, I will do the same.' This was agreed.
"The ex-Emperor lost the match. 'I will let you know about the parade of ladies,' he said afterward to the new ex-Emperor.
"After the new ex-Emperor had left, the ex-Emperor consulted the Nyudo Dainagon Fujiwara no Sukesue and other lords as to how the parade should be arranged. 'Have you any original ideas?' he asked......
[Several suggestions are shot down as inappropriate, expensive, etc.]
"'I suggest, ' said Lorde Sukesue, 'that eight of the high-ranking ladies, eight of the middle rank and eight of the lower rank should play ball, dressed as boys, on the Mandarin Orange courtyard.'
"All the lords agreed to this and so it was decided. Each of the ladies was to have a man of corresponding rank as her adviser. All the ladies were to wear ordinary male robes with trousers, shoes and socks.
"The ladies did not favour the idea. 'How perfectly awful!' they said. 'All the more so as the game is to take place in the daytime.' They all felt terribly miserable about it, but there was nothing they could do about it, and so they began making their preparations for the game.
"Lord Sanekane was my gallant. He had prepared for me a boy's robe and trousers of pale blue with an under-robe of scarlet. On my left sleeve was a design of a miniature waterfall in white thread over rocks of aloe wood, and on my right sleeve a spray of cherry blossom with fallen blossoms scattered below it. On my trousers also there were designs of rocks and weirs with scattered cherry blossoms. This was all to call to mind the words of the poem in The Tale of Genji,
Thus was I moved to tears by
The sound of the waterfall.
"Lady Gon Dainagon, who had the Nyudo Lord Sukesue as her gallant, wore a robe and trousers of pale green lining. On her left sleevev was a design of a miniature castle tower and on her right cherry blossoms, with a bamboo branch on the left leg of her trousers and a lighthouse on the right. Her under-robes were scarlet. The main hall was divided off into sections by screens, and the sight of the ladies all dressed in similar style but differing in details was a most interesting one.
"We ladies were all of the opinion that it would be enough if each of us in turn took the gaily decorated ball and placed it in front of the ex-Emperors, but it was decided that according to the rules the ball must be kicked and that each of us must catch the ball in our outstretched sleeves, take off our shoes, and present the ball to the new ex-Emperor. As the ladies begged with tears to be excused from kicking the balls, it was agreed that Lady Shin-emon, in the service of the ex-Empress Higashi Nijo, should do the kicking on behalf of the ladies of higher rank. She had the reputation of being extremely skilful at this game, not that I consider this a particularly enviable accomplishment. I felt rather elated, for at the head of the eight ladies of higher rank, I was to catch the ball and place it in front of the new ex-Emperor.
[Additional description of the arrangement of the hall follows. The game does not begin until after dark, by torchlight]
"The new ex-Emperor had asked that al the ladies should be announced by name, and so when each of the ladies came before our guest, with sleeves folded over in front of her, her gallant, torch in hand, announced her name and rank as she passed in front of him. Too shy to say a word, first the ladies of lower rank passed by, then those of middle rank, and finally those of higher rank. All then stood in order among the newly planted trees, making a perfectly beautiful sight. For myself, when I had placed my ball before the new ex-Emperor, I tried to hasten away, but I was told to stay awhile and serve the wine. Still in my boy's costume, I felt very shy doing this.'
"For two or three days previous to the game, each lady's gallant had been constantly in and out of his ward's apartment, seeing after her hair styling, the fitting of her boy's costume, and her shoes. One can easily imagine that all sorts of pleasant happenings were enjoyed in each one of the apartments."
From Lady Nijo's Own Story, translated by Wilfrid Whitehouse and Eizo Yanagisawa, Tuttle Company, 1983, ISBN 0-8048-1117-2
"In the second month, the new ex-Emperor Kameyama paid a visit to the ex-Emperor [Go Fukakusa]. They enjoyed an archery contest together, using the short bow.
"'If you lose,' said the new ex-Emperor, 'you must show me all your ladies-in-waiting, high and low. If I lose, I will do the same.' This was agreed.
"The ex-Emperor lost the match. 'I will let you know about the parade of ladies,' he said afterward to the new ex-Emperor.
"After the new ex-Emperor had left, the ex-Emperor consulted the Nyudo Dainagon Fujiwara no Sukesue and other lords as to how the parade should be arranged. 'Have you any original ideas?' he asked......
[Several suggestions are shot down as inappropriate, expensive, etc.]
"'I suggest, ' said Lorde Sukesue, 'that eight of the high-ranking ladies, eight of the middle rank and eight of the lower rank should play ball, dressed as boys, on the Mandarin Orange courtyard.'
"All the lords agreed to this and so it was decided. Each of the ladies was to have a man of corresponding rank as her adviser. All the ladies were to wear ordinary male robes with trousers, shoes and socks.
"The ladies did not favour the idea. 'How perfectly awful!' they said. 'All the more so as the game is to take place in the daytime.' They all felt terribly miserable about it, but there was nothing they could do about it, and so they began making their preparations for the game.
"Lord Sanekane was my gallant. He had prepared for me a boy's robe and trousers of pale blue with an under-robe of scarlet. On my left sleeve was a design of a miniature waterfall in white thread over rocks of aloe wood, and on my right sleeve a spray of cherry blossom with fallen blossoms scattered below it. On my trousers also there were designs of rocks and weirs with scattered cherry blossoms. This was all to call to mind the words of the poem in The Tale of Genji,
Thus was I moved to tears by
The sound of the waterfall.
"Lady Gon Dainagon, who had the Nyudo Lord Sukesue as her gallant, wore a robe and trousers of pale green lining. On her left sleevev was a design of a miniature castle tower and on her right cherry blossoms, with a bamboo branch on the left leg of her trousers and a lighthouse on the right. Her under-robes were scarlet. The main hall was divided off into sections by screens, and the sight of the ladies all dressed in similar style but differing in details was a most interesting one.
"We ladies were all of the opinion that it would be enough if each of us in turn took the gaily decorated ball and placed it in front of the ex-Emperors, but it was decided that according to the rules the ball must be kicked and that each of us must catch the ball in our outstretched sleeves, take off our shoes, and present the ball to the new ex-Emperor. As the ladies begged with tears to be excused from kicking the balls, it was agreed that Lady Shin-emon, in the service of the ex-Empress Higashi Nijo, should do the kicking on behalf of the ladies of higher rank. She had the reputation of being extremely skilful at this game, not that I consider this a particularly enviable accomplishment. I felt rather elated, for at the head of the eight ladies of higher rank, I was to catch the ball and place it in front of the new ex-Emperor.
[Additional description of the arrangement of the hall follows. The game does not begin until after dark, by torchlight]
"The new ex-Emperor had asked that al the ladies should be announced by name, and so when each of the ladies came before our guest, with sleeves folded over in front of her, her gallant, torch in hand, announced her name and rank as she passed in front of him. Too shy to say a word, first the ladies of lower rank passed by, then those of middle rank, and finally those of higher rank. All then stood in order among the newly planted trees, making a perfectly beautiful sight. For myself, when I had placed my ball before the new ex-Emperor, I tried to hasten away, but I was told to stay awhile and serve the wine. Still in my boy's costume, I felt very shy doing this.'
"For two or three days previous to the game, each lady's gallant had been constantly in and out of his ward's apartment, seeing after her hair styling, the fitting of her boy's costume, and her shoes. One can easily imagine that all sorts of pleasant happenings were enjoyed in each one of the apartments."
From Lady Nijo's Own Story, translated by Wilfrid Whitehouse and Eizo Yanagisawa, Tuttle Company, 1983, ISBN 0-8048-1117-2