祇園精舎 book 1 chapter 1 - wadaienglish.netkiyomori’s flowering fortunes not only did...

さま、伝へ承たまはるこそ心も詞も及

ばれね。

其先祖を尋ぬれば、桓武天皇第五の皇

子、一品式部卿葛原親王九代の後胤、

讃岐守正盛が孫、刑部卿忠盛朝臣の

嫡男なり。彼親王の御子、高親王無官

無位にして、うせ給ひぬ。其御子高望

の王の時始めて平の姓を給て、上総介

になり給しより、忽に王氏を出て人臣

みをきはめ、諫をおもひいれず、天下

の乱れむ事をさとらずして、民間の愁

る所をしらざりしかば、久からずして

亡じし者ども也。近く本朝をうかがふ

に、承平の将門、天慶の純友、康和の

義親、平治の信頼、此等はおごれる心

もたけき事も皆とりどりにこそありし

かども、まぢかくは六波羅の入道、前

太政大臣平朝臣清盛公と申し人のあり

祇園精舎

祇園精舎の鐘の声、諸行無常の響あり。

娑羅双樹の花の色、盛者必衰のことわ

りをあらはす。おごれる人も久しから

ず、唯春の夜の夢のごとし。たけき者

も遂にほろびぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同

じ。遠く異朝をとぶらへば、秦の趙高、

漢の王莽、梁の周伊、唐の禄山、是等

は皆旧主先皇の政にもしたがはず、楽

Book 1 Chapter 1

The Bells of Gion Monastery

The bells of Gion Monastery in India echo with

the warning that all things are impermanent.

The blossoms of the sala tree teach us through their

hues that what flourishes must fade. The proud do

not prevail for long, but vanish like a spring night’s

dream. The mighty too in time succumb: all are dust

before the wind.

Long ago in a different land, Zhao Gao of the

Qin dynasty in China, Wang Mang of the Han, Zhu

Yi of the Liang, and An Lushan of the Tang all re-

fused to be governed by former sovereigns. Pursuing

every pleasure, deaf to admonitions, unaware of the

chaos overtaking the realm, ignorant of the sufferings

of the common people, before long they all alike met

their downfall.

More recently in our own country there have

been men like Masakado, Sumitomo, Gishin, and

Nobuyori, each of them proud and fierce to the ex-

treme. The tales told of the most recent of such men,

Taira no Kiyomori, the lay priest of Rokuhara and at

one time the prime minister, are beyond the power of

words to describe or the mind to imagine.

Kiyomori was the oldest son and heir of Taira

no Tadamori, the minister of punishments, and the

grandson of Masamori, the governor of Sanuki. Ma-

samori was a ninth-generation descendant of Prince

Kazurahara, a first-rank prince and the minister of

ceremonies, the fifth son of Emperor Kanmu.

平へいけものがたり

家物語

其外御娘八人おはしき。皆とりどりに幸

給へり…

一人は后にたゝせ給ふ。王子御誕生あり

て皇太子に立ち、位につかせ給しかば、

院号かうぶらせ給ひて、建礼門院とぞ申

ける…

祇王

入道相国、一天四海をたなごゝろのうち

ににぎりたまひし間、世のそしりをもは

一門の公卿十六人、殿上人三十余人、諸

国の受領、衛府、諸司、都合六十余人なり。

世にはまた人なくぞ見えられける…

につらなる。其子鎮守府将軍義茂後には

国香とあらたむ。国香より正盛に至る迄、

六代は諸国の受領たりしかども、殿上の

仙籍をばいまだゆるされず。

吾身栄花

吾身の栄花を極るのみならず、一門共に

繁昌して、嫡子重盛、内大臣の左大将、

次男宗盛、中納言の右大将、三男知盛、

三位中将、嫡孫維盛、四位少将、すべて

Book 1 Chapter 5

Kiyomori’s Flowering Fortunes Not only did Kiyomori himself climb to the pin-

nacle of success, but all the members of his family

enjoyed great good fortune as well. Kiyomori’s eldest

son, Shigemori, became a palace minister and a ma-

jor captain of the left; his second son, Munemori,

became a junior counselor and a major captain of

the right; his third son, Tomomori, rose to the level

of middle captain of the third court rank; and his

grandson, Shigemori’s heir Koremori, rose to that of

lesser captain of the fourth court rank. In all, sixteen

members of the family became high-ranking offi-

cials; more than thirty were courtiers; and a total of

more than sixty held posts as provincial governors,

guards officers, or officials in the central bureaucracy.

It seemed as though there were no other family in

the world but this one ...

In addition, Kiyomori had eight daughters, all

of whom fared well in life... One of them was made

the consort of Emperor Takakura and bore him a

son who became crown prince and then emperor, at

which time she received the title of Kenreimon’in.

Daughter of the lay priest and the prime minister,

mother of the ruler of the realm, nothing further

need be said about her good fortune…

Book 1 Chapter 6

Giō

As prime minister, Kiyomori now held the en-

tire realm within the four seas in the palm of

his hand. Thus ignoring the carpings of the age and

turning a deaf ear to censure, he indulged in one ca-

price after another. An example was the case of Giō

and Ginyō, sisters renowned in the capital at that

time for their skillful performance as shirabyoshi

dancers. They were the daughters of a shirabyoshi

平家物語・吾身栄花

Pre-Modern Japanese Prose, 366

うをきいてうらやむ者もあり、そねむ者

もありけり。羨む者共は「あなめでたの

祇王御前が幸や。おなじあそび女となら

ば、誰もみなあの様でこそありたけれ。

いかさま是は祇といふ文字を名について

かくはめでたきやらん。いざ我等もつい

て見む。」とて或は祇一と付き、祇二と付

き、或は祗福祗徳などいふ者も有けり。

そねむ者どもは「なん条名により、文字

抑我朝に白拍子のはじまりける事は、昔

鳥羽院の御宇に島の千歳和歌の前とてこ

れら二人がまひいだしたりけるなり。始

めは水干に立烏帽子、白鞘卷をさいて、

舞ひければ、男舞とぞ申ける。然るを中

比より烏帽子、刀をのけられ、水干ばか

りをもちゐたり、さてこそ白拍子とは名

付けれ。

京中の白拍子ども祇王が幸の目出度きや

ばからず、人の嘲りをもかへり見ず、不

思議の事をのみし給へり。たとへば其比

都に聞えたる白拍子の上手、祇王祇女と

て兄弟あり、とぢといふ白拍子が娘なり。

姉の祇王を入道相国最愛せられければ、

是によて妹の祇女をも世の人もてなす事

なのめならず。母とぢにもよき屋つくて

とらせ、毎月百石百貫をおくられければ、

家内富貴してたのしい事なのめならず。

dancer named Toji. Giō, the older sister, had succeed-

ed in winning extraordinary favor with Kiyomori.

Thus the younger sister, Ginyō, also enjoyed wide re-

pute among the people of that time. Kiyomori built a

fine house for their mother, Toji, providing her with

a monthly stipend of a hundred piculs of rice and

a hundred strings of coins, so that the entire family

prospered and lived a life of ease.

The first shirabyoshi dancers in our country were

two women, named Shimano–senzai and Waka-no-

mai, who introduced this type of dancing during the

time of the retired emperor Toba. Such dancers orig-

inally wore white jackets of the kind called suikan

and tall black hats and carried silver-hilted daggers,

pretending to be male dancers. Later they dropped

the black hat and dagger and simply retained the

suikan jacket, at which time they became known as

shirabyoshi, or “white tempo,” dancers.

As Giō became renowned among the shirabyoshi

of the capital for the extraordinary favor she enjoyed,

some people envied her and others spoke spitefully of

her. Those who envied her would say, “What splen-

did good fortune this Lady Giō enjoys! Any woman

entertainer would be delighted to be in her place.

Her good fortune doubtless derives from the Gi 祇

element that makes up the first part of her name. We

should have a try at that too!” Giichi, Gini, Gifuku,

and Gitoku were some of the names that resulted.

The scorners took a different view. “How could

fortune come from a name alone?” they asked. “It is

due solely to good karma acquired in a previous exis-

tence!” and for the most part they declined to change

their names.

After some three years had passed, another highly

skilled shirabyoshi dancer appeared in the capital, a

native of the province of Kaga named Hotoke, or

“Buddha.” She was said to be only sixteen. Everyone

in the capital, high and low a like, exclaimed over

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Giō


前申けるは「我天下に聞えたれども、当

時さしもめでたうさかえさせ給ふ平家太

政の入道殿へめされぬ事こそ本意なけれ。

あそびもののならひ、なにかはくるしか

るべき。推参して見む。」とて、ある時西

八条へぞまゐりたる。人まゐて「当時都

にきこえ候仏御前こそまゐて候へ。」と申

しければ、入道「なんでうさやうのあそ

びものは人の召にしたがてこそ参れ。左

にはよるべき。幸はたゞ前世の生れつき

にてこそあんなれ。」とてつかぬ者もおほ

かりけり。

かくて三年と申に又都にきこえたる白拍

子の上手一人出来たり。加賀国のものな

り。名をば仏とぞ申ける。年十六とぞき

こえし。「昔よりおほくの白拍子ありしか

ども、かかる舞は、いまだ見ず。」とて京

中の上下もてなす事なのめならず。仏御

her, declaring that among all the shirabyoshi dancers

in the past, none could rival her.

Lady Hotoke thought to herself, “I have won

fame throughout the realm, but I have yet to realize

my true ambition, to be summoned by this prime

minister of the Taira clan who is now at the height

of power. Since it is the practice among entertainers,

why should I hold back? I will go and present my-

self !” Accordingly, she went and presented herself al

Kiyomori’s Nishihachiōji mansion.

When Kiyomori was informed that the Lady

Hotoke who enjoyed such renown in the capital at

that time had come to call, he retorted, “What does

this mean? Entertainers of that type should wait for

a summons-they simply do not take it upon them-

selves to appear! I don’t care whether she’s a god or a

buddha—I already have Giō in my service! Send her

away!”

Refused admission in this summary manner, Ho-

toke was preparing to take her leave when Giō spoke

to the prime minister. “It is quite customary for en-

tertainers to present themselves in this way. More-

over, the girl still is young and just has happened to

hit on this idea; it would be a shame to dismiss her

so coldly. I, for one, would be greatly distressed. Be-

cause we are devotees of the same art, I cannot help

feeling sympathy for her. Even if you do not let her

dance or listen to her singing, at least admit her into

your presence before you send her away. That would

be the kind thing to do. Bend your principles a bit

and call her in.”

“If you insist,” replied Kiyomori, “I will see her,”

and he sent word to have her admitted.

Having been rudely dismissed, Lady Hotoke was

about to get into her carriage and leave, but at the

summons she returned and presented herself.

“I had no intention of admitting you,” Kiyomori

announced when they met. “But for some reason

右なう推参する様やある。祇王があらん

所へは神ともいへ、仏ともいへ、かなふ

まじきぞ。とうとう罷出よ。」とぞの給ひ

ける。仏御前はすげなういはれたてまつ

て、已にいでんとしけるを、祇王、入道

殿に申けるは「あそび者の推参は常の習

でこそ候へ。其上、年もいまだをさなう

候ふなるが、たまたま思たてまゐりて候

を、すげなう仰られてかへさせ給はん事

平家物語・祇王


さぶらふ。」とて今様一つぞ歌うたる。

君をはじめて見るをりは、千代も歴ぬべ

し姫小松、御前の池なる亀岡に、鶴こそ

群れ居て遊ぶめれ。

とおし返し返し三返歌すましたりければ、

見聞の人々みな耳目をおどろかす。入道

もおもしろげに思ひ給ひて、「我御前は今

様は上手でありけるよ。此定では舞も定

めてよかるらん。一番見ばや。鼓打めせ。」

かへさむ。」とてつかひを立てぞめされけ

る。仏御前はすげなういはれたてまつて

車に乗て既にいでんとしけるが、めされ

て帰り参りたり。入道出あひ対面して「今

日の見参はあるまじかりつるを、祇王が

何と思ふやらん、余りに申しすゝむる間、

か様に見参しつ。見参する程にてはいか

で声をもきかであるべきぞ。今様一つう

たへかし。」とのたまへば、仏御前「承り

こそ不便なれ。いかばかりはづかしうか

たはらいたくも候ふらむ。わがたてし道

なれば、人の上ともおぼえず。たとひ舞

を御覽じ、歌をきこしめさずとも、御対

面ばかりさぶらうてかへさせ給ひたらば、

ありがたき御情でこそ候はんずれ。たゞ

理をまげて、めしかへして御対面さぶら

へ。」と申ければ、入道、「いでいで、我

御前があまりにいふ事なれば、見参して

Giō was so adamant that, as you see, I agreed to the

meeting. And since you are here, I suppose I should

find out what sort of voice you have. Try singing an

imayō for me.”

“As you wish,” replied Lady Hotoke, and she

obliged with the following song in the imayō style:

Since I met you, I’m like the little pine destined for a thousand years! On turtle-shape isles of your pond, how many the cranes that flock there! She repeated the song, singing it over three times

while all the persons present listened and looked on

in wonder at her skill.

Kiyomori was obviously much impressed. “You

are very good at imayō,” he said. “and I have no doubt

that your dancing is of the same order. Let’s have a

look. Call in the musicians!”

When the musicians appeared, Hotoke performed

a dance to their accompaniment. Everything about

her was captivating, from her hairdo and costume to

her appearance as a whole, and her voice was pleas-

ing and artfully employed, so her dancing could not

fail to make an impression. In fact, it far exceeded

Kiyomori’s expectations, and he was so moved by her

performance that he immediately fell in love with

her.

“This is somewhat troubling,” said Hotoke. “Orig-

inally I was not to be admitted but was sent away at

once. But through the kind offices of Lady Giō, I was

allowed to present myself. Having done so, I would

be most reluctant to do anything that would counter

Lady Giō’s intentions. I beg to be excused as soon as

possible so that I may be on my way.”

“There is no reason for that!” replied Kiyomori.

“But if you feel uneasy in Giō’s presence, I will see

that she leaves.”

“But how would that look?” objected Hotoke. “I

was uneasy enough to find that the two of us had



心うう候べきに、まして祇王御前を出さ

せ給ひて、わらは一人めしおかれなば、

祇王御前の心のうちはづかしう候ふべ

し。おのづから後までわすれぬ御事なら

ば、めされて又は参るとも、今日は暇を

給らむ。」とぞ申ける。入道「なんでう其

儀あるべき。祇王とうとう罷出でよ。」と

御使かさねて三度までこそ立てられけれ。

祇王もとよりおもひ設けたる道なれども、

らひしを、祇王御前の申状によてこそ召

返されても候に、加様にめしおかれなば、

祇王御前の思ひ給はん心のうちはづかし

うさぶらふ。はやはや暇をたうで出させ

おはしませ。」と申ければ、入道、「すべ

て其儀あるまじ。但祇王があるをはゞか

るか。其儀ならば祇王をこそいださめ。」

と宣ひける。仏御前「それ又いかでかさ

る御事候べき。諸共にめしおかれんだに

とてめされけり。うたせて一番舞たりけ

り。

仏御前は髪姿よりはじめてみめ形うつく

しく声よく節も上手でありければ、なじ

かは舞もそんずべき。心も及ばず舞すま

したりければ、入道相国舞にめで給ひて

仏に心をうつされけり。仏御前「こはさ

れば何事さぶらふぞや。もとよりわらは

は、推参の者にていだされまゐらせさぶ

been summoned here together. If now, after all her

kindness, she were dismissed and I were to remain

behind, think how dreadful I would feel! If by chance

you happen to remember me, perhaps you might

summon me again at some future time. But for today

I beg to take my leave.

Kiyomori, however, would not hear of this. “Non-

sense!” he said. “You will do no such thing. Have Giō

leave at once!”

Three times he sent an attendant with these in-

structions.

Giō had long been aware that something like

this might happen, but she was not expecting it “this

very day.” But faced with repeated orders to leave the

house at once, she resigned herself to doing so and

set about sweeping and tidying her room and clear-

ing it of anything unsightly.

Even those who have only sought shelter under

the same tree for a night or have merely dipped wa-

ter from the same stream will feel sorrow on parting.

How sorrowful, then, Giō’s departure must have been

from the place where she had lived these three years.

Her tears, futile though they were, fell quickly. Since

there was nothing she could do, however, she pre-

pared to depart. But perhaps wanting to leave behind

some reminder of herself, she inscribed the following

poem on the sliding panel of the room, weeping as

she did so:

Those that put out new shoots, those that wither are the same grasses of the field—come autumn, is there one that will not fade? Getting into her carriage, she returned to her

home and there, sinking down within the panels of

the room, began weeping.

“What has happened? What is wrong?” her

mother and sister asked, but she did not reply. It was

only when they questioned the maid who had ac-

companied her that they learned the truth.



Before long, the monthly stipend of a hundred

piculs of rice and a hundred strings of coins ended,

and for the first time Hotoke’s friends and relations

learned the meaning of happiness and prosperity.

Among high and low, word spread throughout the

capital. “They say that Giō has been dismissed from

the prime minister’s service,” people said. “We must

go call on her and keep her company!” Some sent

letters, others dispatched their servants to make in-

quiries. But faced with such a situation, Giō could

not bring herself to receive visitors. The letters she

refused to accept; the messengers she sent off with-

out a meeting. Such gestures served only to deepen

her mood of melancholy, and she passed all her time

weeping. In this way the year came to an end.

The following spring Kiyomori sent a servant

to Giō’s house with this message: “How have you

been since we parted? Lady Hotoke appears to be

so hopelessly bored that I wish you would come and

perform one of your imayō songs or your dances to

cheer her up.”

Giō declined to give any answer.

Kiyomori tried again. “Why no answer from you,

Giō? Won’t you come for a visit? Tell me if you won’t

come! I have ways of dealing with the matter!”

When Giō’s mother, Toji, learned about this, she

was very upset and, having no idea what to do, could

only plead tearfully with her daughter. “Giō, at least

send an answer,” she begged. “Anything is better than

being threatened!”

But Giō replied, “If I had any intention of go-

ing, I would have answered long ago. It is because I

have no such intention that I’m at a loss as to how to

reply. He says that if I do not respond, he has ways

of dealing with the matter. Does this mean I will be

banished from the capital? Or that I will be put to

Death? Even if I were expelled from the capital, I

would have no great regrets. And if he wants to de-

る女に尋ねてぞさる事ありともしりてけ

る。さる程に毎月に送られつる百石百貫

をも今はとゞめられて、仏御前がゆかり

の者共ぞ、始めて、楽み栄えける。京中

の上下、「祇王こそ入道殿よりいとま給は

て出でたんなれ。いざ見参して遊ばむ。」

とて、或は文をつかはす人もあり、或は

使を立つる者もあり。祇王さればとて今

更人に対面してあそびたはぶるべきにも

出けるが、なからん跡の忘れ形見にもと

や思ひけむ、障子になくなく一首の歌を

ぞかきつけける。

萌出るも枯るゝも同じ野辺の草、何れか

秋にあはではつべき。

さて車に乗て宿所に帰り、障子の内に倒

れ臥し、唯泣くより外の事ぞき。母や妹

是をみて「如何にやいかに。」ととひけれ

ども、とかうの返事にも及ばず。具した

さすがに昨日今日とは思よらず。いそぎ

出べき由頻にのたまふ間、はき拭ひ、塵

ひろはせ、見苦しき物共とりしたためて

出づべきにこそ定まりけれ。一樹の陰に

宿り合ひ、同じ流をむすぶだに別はかな

しき習ぞかし。まして此三年が間住なれ

し所なれば、名残もをしう悲しくて、か

ひなき涙ぞこぼれける。さてもあるべき

事ならねば、祇王すでに、今はかうとて、



ぞ宣ひける。祇王とかうの御返事にも及

ばず。入道「など祇王は返事はせぬぞ。

参るまじいか。参るまじくば、其様を申

せ。浄海もはからふ旨あり。」とぞ宣ひけ

る。母とぢ是を聞くにかなしくて、いか

なるべしともおぼえず。なくなく教訓し

けるは、「いかに祇王御前、ともかくも御

返事を申せかし、さやうにしかられ参ら

せんよりは。」といへば、祇王「参らんと

あらねば、文を取入るゝ事もなく、まし

て使にあひしらふ迄もなかりけり。是に

つけても悲しくていとゞ涙にのみぞしづ

みける。

かくて今年も暮れぬ。あくる春の比、入

道相国、祇王が許へ使者を立てて、「いか

に其後何事かある。仏御前があまりにつ

れづれげに見ゆるに、まゐて今様をもう

たひ、舞などをも舞て仏なぐさめよ。」と

おもふ道ならばこそやがて参るとも申さ

め。参らざらんもの故に何と御返事を申

すべしともおぼえず。此度めさんに参ら

ずばはからふ旨ありと仰せらるゝは、都

の外へ出さるゝか、さらずば命を召さるゝ

か、是二つによも過ぎじ。縦ひ都を出さ

るゝとも、歎くべきにあらず。たとひ命

を召さるゝとも、惜かるべき又わが身か

は。一度憂きものに思はれ参らせて二度

prive me of my life, what of that? He once sent me

away a despised person—I have no heart to face him

again.” She thus refused to send an answer.

But the mother continued begging. “As long as

you continue to live in this realm, you cannot hope to

defy the prime minister’s wishes! The ties that bind

man and woman are decreed from a past existence-

they do not originate in this life alone. Those who

vow to be faithful for a thousand or ten thousand

years often end by parting, whereas those who think

of this as merely an affair of the moment find them-

selves spending their whole lives together. In this

world of ours there’s no predicting how things will

turn out between a man and a woman.

“For three whole years you enjoyed favor with the

prime minister. That was a stroke of fortune hardly

to be matched. Now if you refuse to answer his sum-

mons, it is scarcely likely you will be put to death.

Probably you will merely be banished from the capi-

tal. And even if you are banished, you and your sister

are young and can manage to live in even the wild-

est an most out-of-the-way spot. But what about

your mother? I am a feeble old woman—suppose I

am banished too? Just the thought of living in some

strange place in the countryside fills me with despair.

Let me live out the rest of my days here in the capi-

tal. Think of it as being filial in this world and the

next.”

Much as it pained her, Giō did not feel that she

could disobey these pleas from her mother, and

so weeping all the while, she set out for the prime

minister’s mansion. But her heart was filled with

foreboding. It would be too difficult to make the trip

alone, Giō felt, and therefore she took her younger

sister, Ginyō, with her, as well as two other shirabyo-

shi dancers, the four of them going in one carriage to

Nishihachijō.

Upon her arrival, Giō was not shown to the seat



其ぞ今生後生の孝養と思はむずる。」とい

へば、祇王うしと思し道なれども、親の

命を背かじと、なくなく又出立ける心の

中こそ無慚なれ。一人参らむはあまりに

ものうしとて妹の祇女をも相具しけり。

其外白拍子二人、惣じて四人一車に乗て、

西八条へぞ参たる。さきざき召されたる

所へはいれられずして、遙に下りたる所

に座敷しつらうて置かれたり。祇王「こ

まゐらせたれば、ありがたき御情でこそ

あれ。めさんに参らねばとて命をうしな

はるゝまではよもあらじ。唯都の外へぞ

出されんずらん。縦ひ都を出さるとも、

我御前たちは年若ければ、如何ならん岩

木のはざまにても過さん事安かるべし。

年老い衰へたる母都の外へぞ出されんず

らん。習はぬ旅の住居こそかねて思ふも

悲しけれ。唯我を都の内にて住果させよ。

面をむかふべきにもあらず。」とて、なほ

御返事をも申さゞりけるを、母とぢ重ね

て教訓しけるは、「天が下に住ん程はとも

かうも入道殿の仰をば背くまじき事にて

あるぞ。男女の縁宿世今にはじめぬ事ぞ

かし。千年万年と契れども、やがて離るゝ

中もあり。白地とは思へどもながらへ果

る事もあり。世に定なきものは男女の習

なり。それに我御前は此三年まで思はれ

she had previously been accustomed to occupy, but

instead to a far inferior place where makeshift ar-

rangements had been made. “How can this be?” she

exclaimed. “Although I was guilty of no fault, I was

driven out of the house. And now I find that even

the seat I had occupied has been demoted! This is

too heartless! What am I to do?” In an effort to hide

her confusion, she covered her face with her sleeve,

but the trickle of tears gave her away.

Moved to pity by the sight, Lady Hotoke ap-

pealed to Kiyomori. “What is the meaning of this?”

she asked. “If this were someone who had never been

summoned before, it might be different. But surely

she should be seated here with us. If not, I beg your

permission to go where she is.”

“That will not be necessary!” replied Kiyomori,

and Hotoke was thus helpless to move. Later, Ki-

yomori, apparently quite unaware of Giō’s feelings,

asked how she had been faring since they met last.

“Lady Hotoke seems so terribly bored,” he remarked.

“You must sing us an imayō.”

Having come this far, Giō did not feel that she

could disregard the prime minister’s wishes. And so

holding back her tears, she sang the following song

in the imayō style:

Buddha was once a common mortal,

and we too one day will become buddhas.

All alike endowed with the Buddha nature,

how sad this gulf that divides us!

Weeping all the while, she sang the song two

more times. All the members of the Taira clan who

were present, from the ministers of state, lords, and

high-ranking courtiers down to the lowly samurai,

were moved to tears. Kiyomori himself listened with

keen interest. “A song admirably suited to the occa-

sion,” he commented. “I wish we could watch you

dance, but unfortunately today there are other things

to be attended to. In the future you must not wait



仏も昔は凡夫なり、我等も遂には仏なり、

何も仏性具せる身を、隔つるのみこそ悲

しけれ。

と泣く泣く二返歌うたりければ、其座に

いくらも並居たまへる平家一門の公卿、

殿上人、諸大夫、侍に至るまで皆感涙を

ぞ流されける。入道も面白げにおもひ給

ひて「時にとては神妙に申したり。さて

は舞も見たけれども、今日は紛るゝ事い

て見参せん。」と申ければ、入道「すべて

其儀あるまじ。」と宣ふ間、力及ばで出で

ざりけり。其後入道は祇王が心の内をも

知たまはず、「いかに其後何事かある。さ

ては仏御前があまりにつれづれげに見ゆ

るに、今様一つ歌へかし。」とのたまへば、

祇王参る程では、ともかうも入道殿の仰

をば背くまじと思ひければ、落つる涙を

おさへて、今様一つぞ歌うたる。

は、されば、何事ぞや。我身に過つ事は

無けれども、すてられたてまつるだにあ

るに、座敷をさへ下げらるゝ事の心うさ

よ。いかにせむ。」と思ふに、知らせじと

押ふる袖のひまよりも余りて涙ぞこぼれ

ける。仏御前是を見て、あまりにあはれ

に思ければ、「あれはいかに、日頃召され

ぬ所にても候はばこそ。是へ召され候へ

かし。さらずばわらはに暇を給べ。出で

to be summoned but come any time you like and

perform your imayō songs and dances for Hotoke’s

amusement.”

Giō made no answer but, suppressing her tears,

withdrew.

Reluctant to disobey her mother’s command, Giō

had made the trip to the prime minister’s mansion,

painful as it was, and exposed herself a second time

to callous treatment. Saddened by the experience and

mindful that as long as she remained in this world

similar sorrows likely awaited her, she turned her

thoughts to suicide.

“If you do away with yourself,” said her sister,

Ginyō, “I will do likewise!”

Learning of their intentions, their mother,

alarmed, had no choice but to plead with Giō in

tears. “You have every reason to be resentful,” she

said. “I forced you to go and thereby inflicted this

pain, though I could hardly have known what would

happen. But now, if you do away with yourself, your

sister will follow your example, and if I lose both

my daughters, then old and feeble as I am, I would

do better to commit suicide myself rather than live

alone. But by inducing a parent to carry out such an

act before the destined time for death has come, you

will be committing one of the Five Deadly Sins. We

are mere sojourners in this life and must suffer one

humiliation after another, but these are nothing com-

pared with the long night of suffering that may await

us hereafter. Whatever this life may entail, think how

frightful it would be if you should condemn yourself

to rebirth in one of the evil paths of existence!”

Faced with these fervent entreaties, Giō, wiping

back her tears, replied, “You are right. I would be

guilty of one of the Five Deadly Sins. I will abandon

any thought of self-destruction. But as long as I re-

main in the capital, I am likely to encounter further

grief. My thought now is simply to leave the capital.”



ともに身を投げむとおもふなり。いまだ

死期も来らぬ親に身を投げさせん事五逆

罪にやあらんずらむ。此世は仮の宿なり。

恥ぢても恥ぢても何ならず。唯長き世の闇

こそ心うけれ。今生でこそあらめ。後生

でだに悪道へ趣かんずる事の悲しさよ。」

とさめざめとかき口説ければ、祇王なみ

だをおさへて「げにもさやうにさぶらはゞ

五逆罪疑なし。さらば自害は思ひ止まり

ば、われもともに身を投ん。」といふ。母

とぢ、是をきくに悲しくていかなるべし

ともおぼえず。泣々又教訓しけるは「誠

に我御前の恨むるもことわりなり。さや

うの事あるべしとも知らずして教訓して

参らせつる事の心うさよ。但我御前身を

なげば妹もともに身を投げんといふ。二

人の娘共に後れなん後、年老衰へたる母

命いきてもなにゝかはせむなれば、我も

できたり。此後は召さずとも、常に参て

今様をも歌ひ、舞などを舞て仏なぐさめ

よ。」とぞ宣ひける。祇王とかくの返事に

も及ばず、涙を押へて出でにけり。

「親の命を背かじとつらき道におもむい

て、二度、うき目を見つる事の心うさよ。

かくて此世にあるならば、又憂き目をも

見むずらん。今は只身を投げんとおもふ

なり。」といへば妹の祇女も「姉身を投げ

Thus at the age of twenty-two, Giō became a nun

and, erecting a simple thatched retreat in a mountain

village in the recesses of the Saga region, she devoted

herself to reciting the Buddha’s name.

“I vowed that if you committed suicide, I would

do likewise,” said her sister, Ginyō. “If your plan now

is to withdraw from the world, who would hesitate

to follow your example?” Accordingly, at the age of

nineteen she put on nun’s attire and joined Giō in

her retreat, devoting all her thoughts to the life to

come.

Moved by the sight of them, their mother, Toji,

observed, “In a world where my daughters, young

as they are, have taken the tonsure, how could I, old

woman that I am, cling to these gray hairs of mine?”

Thus at the age of forty-five she shaved her head and,

along with her two daughters, gave herself wholly

to the recitation of Amida Buddha’s name, mindful

only of the life hereafter.

And so spring and the heat of summer passed,

and as the autumn winds began to blow, the time

came for the two star lovers to meet, the Herd Boy

poling his boat across the River of Heaven, and

people gazed up into the sky and wrote down their

requests to them on leaves of the paper mulberry.

As the nuns watched the evening sun sinking be-

low the hills to the west, they thought to themselves

that there, where the sun went down, was the West-

ern Paradise of Amida. “One day we, too, will be

reborn there and will no longer know these cares and

sorrows,” they said. Giving themselves up to melan-

choly thoughts of this kind, their tears never ceased

flowing.

When the twilight hour had passed, they closed

their door of plaited bamboo, lit the dim lamp, and

all three, mother and daughters, began their invoca-

tion of the Buddha’s name.

But just then they heard someone tap-tapping at



給ふ所は西方浄土にてあんなり。いつか

我等も彼所に生れて物を思はですぐさん

ずらんと、かゝるにつけても過ぎにし方

の憂き事ども思ひ続けて、たゞ尽せぬ物

は涙なり。黄昏時も過ぎぬれば竹の編戸

を閉じ塞ぎ、燈かすかにかきたてて、親

子三人念仏して居たる所に、竹の編戸を、

ほとほとと打ちたゝく者出できたり。そ

の時尼ども肝をけし「あはれ、是はいひ

是をみて若き娘どもだに様を替る世中に

年老い衰へたる母白髪をつけても何にか

はせむとて四十五にて髪を剃り、二人の

娘諸共に一向專修に念仏して、ひとへに

後世をぞ願ひける。

かくて春過ぎ夏闌ぬ、秋の初風吹きぬれ

ば、星合の空をながめつゝ、天のと渡る

梶の葉に思ふ事かく比なれや。夕日の影

の西の山の端に隠るゝを見ても、日の入

候ひぬ。かくて都にあるならば、又うき

目をも見むずらん。今は都の外へ出でん。」

とて祇王二十一にて尼になり、嵯峨野の

奥なる山里に柴の庵をひきむすび念仏し

てこそ居たりけれ。妹の祇女も「姉身を

投げば、我も共に身を投げんとこそ契り

しか、まして世を厭はむに誰かは劣るべ

き。」とて十九にて様をかへ、姉と一所に

籠居て後世を願ふぞあはれなる。母とぢ

the bamboo door. The nuns started up in alarm. “Has

some meddling demon come to interrupt our devo-

tions, ineffectual as they are?” they wondered. “Even

in the daytime, no one calls on us in our thatched

hut here in the remote hills. Who would come so

late at night? Whoever it is can easily batter down

the door without waiting for it to be opened, so we

may as well open it. And if it should be some heart-

less creature come to take our lives, we must be firm

in our faith in Amida’s vow to save us and unceas-

ingly call his holy name. He is certain to heed our

call and come with his sacred host to greet us. And

then surely he will guide us to his Western Paradise.

Come, let us take heart and not delay pronouncing

his name!”

When they had thus reassured one another and

mustered the courage to open the bamboo door, they

discovered that it was no demon at all but Lady Ho-

toke who stood before them.

“What do I see?” said Giō. “Lady Hotoke! Am I

dreaming or awake?”

“If I tell you what has happened, I may seem

merely to be making excuses,” said Lady Hotoke,

straining to hold back her tears. “But it would be too

unkind to remain silent, and so I will start from the

beginning. As you know, I was not originally sum-

moned to the prime minister’s house but went of

my own accord, and if it had not been for your kind

intervention, I would never have been admitted. We

women are frail beings and cannot always do as we

wish. I was far from happy when the prime minister

detained me at his mansion, and then when you were

summoned again and sang your imayō song, I felt

more than ever the impossibility of my position. I

could take no delight in it because I knew that soon-

er or later my turn would come to fall from favor. I

felt it even more when I saw the poem you wrote on

the sliding panel with its warning that ‘come autumn,



ば、又思ひ知らぬ身ともなりぬべければ、

始よりして申すなり。もとよりわらは推

参の者にて、出され参らせ候ひしを、祇

王御前の申状によてこそ、召し返されて

も候ふに、女のかひなきこと、我身を心

に任せずして、おしとゞめられまゐらせ

し事心うゝさぶらひしが、いつぞや又め

されまゐらせていまやううたひ給ひしに

も思しられてこそさぶらへ。いつか我身

奉るべし。声を尋ねて迎へ給ふなる聖衆

の来迎にてましませば、などか引接なか

るべき。相構へて念仏怠り給ふな。」と、

互に心をいましめて、竹の編戸をあけた

れば、魔縁にてはなかりけり、仏御前ぞ

出できたる。祇王「あれはいかに。仏御

前と見奉るは夢かや、うつゝか。」といひ

ければ、仏御前涙をおさへて、「か様の事

申せば、事あたらしう候へども、申さず

かひなき我等が念仏してゐたるを妨げん

とて、魔縁のきたるにてぞあるらん。昼

だにも人の問ひ来ぬ山里の柴の庵の内な

れば、夜深て誰かは尋ぬべき。僅の竹の

編戸なれば、あけずとも推破んこと安か

るべし。なかなかたゞあけていれんと思

ふなり。それに情をかけずして、命を失

ふものならば、年比頼たてまつる弥陀の

本願を強く信じて、ひまなく名号を唱へ

all alike must fade!’

“After that, I lost track of your whereabouts. But

when I heard that you and your mother and sister all

had entered religious life, I was overcome with envy.

Again and again I asked the prime minister to re-

lease me from service, but he would not hear of it.

“What joy and delight we have in this world is

no more than a dream within a dream, I told myself-

what could such happiness mean to me? It is a rare

thing to be born a human being and rarer still to

discover the teachings of the Buddha. If because

of my actions now I were to be reborn in hell or to

spend endless eons transmigrating through the other

realms of existence, when would I ever find salvation?

My youth could not be counted on, that I knew, for

neither young nor old can tell when death may over-

take them. One may breathe one instant and then

not live to breathe the next: life is as fleeting as the

shimmering heat of summer or a flash of lightning.

To revel in a moment’s happiness and not be heedful

of the life to come would be a pitiful course of action

indeed! So this morning I stole away from the prime

minister’s mansion and have come here.”

With these words she threw off the cloak that she

had around her. She had assumed a nun’s tonsure and

habit.

“I have come dressed in this fashion,” she told

them, “because I wish to ask pardon for my past of-

fenses. If you say you can forgive me, I would like to

join you in your devotions, and perhaps we may be

reborn all a single lotus leaf in the Western Paradise.

But if you cannot bring yourself to forgive me, I will

make my way elsewhere. Wherever I may settle, on

a bed of moss or by the roots of a pine tree. I will

devote what life is left to me to reciting the Buddha’s

name, hoping, as I have done for so long, for rebirth

in his paradise.

Near tears, Giō replied, “I never dreamed you felt



たる衣を打ちのけたるを見れば、尼にな

てぞ出できたる。「かやうに様をかへて参

りたれば、日比の科をば許し給へ。許さ

んと仰せられば、諸共に念仏して、一蓮

の身とならん。それに猶心行かずば、是

よりいづちへも迷ひ行き、如何ならん苔

の席、松が根にも倒れ臥し、命のあらん

かぎり念仏して、往生の素懐を遂げんと

おもふなり。」とさめざめとかきくどきけ

夢、楽み栄えて何かせん。人身は受け難く、

仏教には遇ひ難し。此度泥梨に沈みては、

多生昿劫をば隔つとも、浮み上らんこと

難し。年の若きを憑むべきにあらず。老

少不定のさかひ、出づる息の入るをも待

つべからず。かげろふ稻妻よりも猶はか

なし。一旦の楽に誇りて、後生を知らざ

らんことの悲しさに、今朝まぎれ出でゝ、

かくなりてこそ参りたれ。」とて、かつぎ

の上ならんと思へば、嬉しとは更におも

はず。障子にまた、『いづれか秋にあはで

はつべき。』と書置給ひし筆の跡、げにも

と思ひさぶらひしぞや。その後は在所を

いづくとも知りまゐらせざりつるに、か

やうにさまを替て、一所にと承はて後

は、あまりに羨しくて常は暇を申しかど

も、入道殿さらに御用ゐましまさず。つ

くづく物を案ずるに、娑婆の栄花は夢の

this way. In a world of sadness, we all are, no doubt,

fated to endure such trials. And yet I could not help

envying you, and it seemed that such feelings of envy

would prevent me from ever achieving the salvation I

yearned for. I was in a mean and merely half-resolved

frame of mind, one suitable for neither this life nor

the life to come.

“But now that I see you dressed in this manner,

these past failings of mine fall away like so much

dust, and at last I am certain of gaining salvation.

Hereafter, all my joy will be to strive for that long-

cherished goal. The whole world was puzzled when

my mother and sister and I became nuns, deeming

it an unprecedented step, and we too wondered in a

way, and yet we had good reasons for doing what we

did. But what we did was nothing compared with

what you have done! Barely turned seventeen, with

neither hatred nor despair to spur you on, you have

chosen to cast aside the world of defilement and turn

all your thoughts toward the Pure Land. How for-

tunate we are to meet such a fine guide and teacher!

Come, we will work toward our goal together!”



願はんと、深く思ひいれ給ふこそ、まこ

との大道心とはおぼえたれ。嬉しかりけ

る善知識かな。いざ諸共に願はん。」とて、

四人一所に籠り居て、朝夕仏前に花香を

供へ、余念なく願ひければ、遅速こそあ

りけれ、四人の尼共皆往生の素懐を遂け

るとぞ聞えし。されば、後白河の法皇の、

長講堂の過去帳にも、祇王、祇女、仏、

とぢ等が尊霊と四人一所に入れられけり。

ず、今は往生疑ひなし。此度素懐を遂げ

んこそ何よりも又嬉しけれ。我等が尼に

なりしをこそ世にためしなきことのやう

に、人もいひ我身にも又思ひしか。それ

は世を恨み身を恨みて成しかば、様を替

るも理なり。今わごせの出家にくらぶれ

ば事の数にもあらざりけり。わごぜは恨

もなし歎もなし。今年は纔に十七にこそ

なる人の、かやうに穢土を厭ひ、浄土を

れば、祇王涙をおさへて、「誠にわごぜ

の是ほどに思ひ給ひけるとは。夢にだに

知らず、憂き世の中のさがなれば、身の

憂とこそおもふべきに、ともすれば、わ

ごぜの事のみうらめしくて往生の素懐を

遂ん事かなふべしともおぼえず、今生も

後生も、なまじひに仕損じたるこゝちに

てありつるに、かやうにさまをかへてお

はしたれば、日比の咎は露塵ほども残ら

So the four women, sharing the same hut, morn-

ing and evening offered flowers and incense to the

Buddha, all their thoughts on their devotions. And

sooner or later, it is said, each of the four nuns at-

tained what she had so long sought, rebirth in the

Western Paradise.

Thus, on the curtain that lists the departed in the

Eternal Lecture Hall founded by the retired emperor

Go Shirakawa are found, inscribed in one place, the

names of the four: “The honored dead, Giō, Ginyō,

Hotoke, Toji.”

Theirs was a moving story.

❖

As Kiyomori gains control, he becomes the target of

conspirators seeking to overthrow him. One such incident

involves Major Counselor Narichika who is eventually

exiled and killed by Kiyomori. The event aggravates

hostility between Kiyomori and Retired Emperor Go-

Shirakawa. At one point, Kiyomori considers arresting

Go-Shirakawa but is persuaded against the idea by his

son Shigemori.

Amid increasing signs of Taira decline—blamed

by many on the angry spirit of Narichika—Shigemori

makes a pilgrimage to Kumano Shrine. He prays that

his life be cut short if the Taira are to fall; he dies while

still at Kumano.

Open conflict between the Minamoto clan (the Genji)

and the Taira (Heike) is precipitated when another of

Kiyomori’s sons insults the son of Minamoto no Yori-

masa. The latter allies with monks from Miidera to

fight the Taira at the Uji River. As a result of the defeat,

Yorimasa commits ritual suicide (seppuku) at Byōdōin

and Kiyomori burns numerous temples.

In 1180, Kiyomori moves the capital to Fukuhara

(near present-day Kobe; cf. Hōjōki). At this time, Go-

Shirakawa issues an edict giving Minamoto no Yoritomo

permission to overthrow Kiyomori and the Taira. Kiyo-



ども、心有る人々の歎き悲まぬは無りけ

り。

同廿三日、公卿僉議あり。前右大将宗盛

卿申されけるは坂東へ討手は向たりと云

ども、させる為出したる事も候はず。今

度は宗盛大将軍を承て、向べき由申され

ければ、諸卿色代して、「ゆゝしう候なん。」

と申されけり。公卿殿上人も、武官に備り、

弓箭に携らん人々は、宗盛卿を大将軍に

あはれなりし事どもなり。

入道死去

其後四国の者共、皆河野四郎に隨附く。

熊野別当湛増も、平家の重恩の身なりし

が、其も背いて源氏に同心の由聞えけり。

およそ東国北国悉く背きぬ。南海西海か

くのごとし。夷狄の蜂起耳を驚し、逆乱

の先表頻に奏す。四夷忽に起れり。世は

唯今失なんずとて、必平家の一門ならね

mori sends Taira warriors to attack the Minamoto, but

his forces are intimidated by stories of Minamoto ferocity

and military prowess. They mistake a roar made by a

flock of birds for a huge counter attack and flee the battle.

Kiyomori bows to pressure to return the capital to Kyoto.

After messengers from the Taira leader are killed by

monks from Kōfuku-ji Temple, Kiyomori orders his forces

to burn many of the Nara temples. Rebellions break out

around the country and Taira rule is severly challenged.

❖

Book 6 Chapter 7

The Death of Kiyomori

After this, all the warriors of the island of

Shikoku went over to the side of Kōno no

Michinobu. Reports also came that Tanzō, the su-

perintendant of the Kumano Shrine, had shifted his

sympathies to the Genji side, despite many kind-

nesses shown him by the Heike. All the provinces of

the north and the east were thus rebelling against the

Taira, and in the regions to the west and southwest

of the capital the situation was the same. Report

after report of uprisings in the outlying areas came

to startle the ears of the Heike, and word repeatedly

reached them of additional impending acts of rebel-

lion. It seemed as though the “barbarian tribes to the

east and west” had suddenly risen up against them.

The members of the Taira clan were not alone in

thinking that the end of the world was close at hand.

No truly thoughtful person could fail to dread the

ominous turn of events.

On the twenty-third day of the Second Month,

a council of the senior Taira nobles was convened.

At that time Lord Munemori, a former general of

the right, spoke as follows: “We earlier tried to put

down the rebels in the east, but the results were not

all that we might have desired. This time I would like

平家物語・入道死去


て燃ければ、黒煙殿中にみちみちて、炎

渦巻いて上りけり。是や昔法蔵僧都とい

し人、閻王の請に趣いて、母の生所を尋

ねしに閻王憐み給ひて、獄卒を相そへて

焦熱地獄へ遣さる。鐡の門の内へ差入ば、

流星などの如くに、炎空へたちあがり、

多百由旬に及びけんも、今こそ思知られ

けれ。

入道相国の北の方、二位殿の夢に見給ひ

が如し。臥給へる所、四五間が内へ入る

者は、熱さ堪がたし。唯宣ふ事とては、

「あたあた」とばかり也。少しも徒事とは

見えざりけり。比叡山より、千手井の水

を汲下し、石の船に湛へて、其に下て冷

給へば、水夥う湧上て、程なく湯にぞ成

にける。若や扶かり給ふと筧の水をまか

せたれば、石や鐡などの焼たる様に、水

迸て寄附ず。自ら中る水は、ほのほと成

て、東国北国の凶徒等追討すべき由仰下

さる。

同二十七日前右大将宗盛卿源氏遂討の為

に、東国へ既に門出と聞えしが、入道相

国違例の心地とて、留り給ひぬ。明る廿

八日より重病を受給へりとて、京中六波

羅「すは仕つる事を。」とささやけり。入

道相国病附給ひし日よりして、水をだに

喉へ入たまはず、身の内の熱き事火を焼

to be appointed commander in chief to move against

them.”

“What a splendid idea!” the other nobles ex-

claimed in obsequious assent. A directive was ac-

cordingly handed down from the retired emperor

appointing Lord Munemori commander in chief of

an expedition against the traitorous elements in the

eastern and northern provinces. All the high min-

isters and courtiers who held military posts or were

experienced in the use of arms were ordered to fol-

low him.

When word had already gotten abroad that Lord

Munemori would set out on his mission to put down

the Genji forces in the eastern provinces on the

twenty-seventh day of the same month, his departure

was canceled because of reports that Kiyomori, the

lay priest and prime minister, was not in his custom-

ary good health.

On the following day, the twenty-eighth, it be-

came known that Kiyomori was seriously ill, and

people throughout the capital and at Rokuhara

whispered to one another, “This is just what we were

afraid of !”

From the first day that Kiyomori took sick, he was

unable to swallow anything, not even water. His body

was as hot as though there were a fire burning in

side it: those who attended him could scarcely come

within twenty-five or thirty feet of him so great was

the heat. All he could do was cry out, “I’m burning!

I’m burning!” His affliction seemed quite unlike any

ordinary illness.

Water from the Well of the Thousand-Arm Kan-

non on Mount Hiei was brought to the capital and

poured into a stone bathtub, and Kiyomori’s body

was lowered into it in hopes of cooling him. But the

water began to bubble and boil furiously and, in a

moment, had all gone up in steam. In another at-

tempt to bring him some relief, wooden pipes were

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Death of Kiyomori


無りけり。男女の君達、跡枕に指つどひて、

如何にせんと歎悲み給へども叶べしとも

見えざりけり。

同閏二月二日、二位殿熱う堪難けれども、

御枕の上に寄て、泣々宣けるは、「御有様

見奉に、日に添て憑少うこそ見えさせ給

へ。此世に思食おく事あらば、少し物の

覚えさせ給ふ時、仰置け。」とぞ宣ひける。

入道相国、さしも日来はゆゝしげに坐し

と問せ給へば、「南閻浮提金銅十六丈の盧

遮那仏焼亡し給へる罪に依て、無間の底

に堕給ふべき由、閻魔の庁に御さだめ候

が、無をば書かれて、間の字をば未だ書

れぬ也。」とぞ申ける。二位殿打驚き、汗

水になり、是を人に語給へば、聞く人皆

身の毛よだちけり。霊仏霊社に、金銀七

寶を投げ、馬鞍鎧冑弓箭太刀刀に至る迄、

取出し運出して祈られけれども、其験も

ける事こそ恐しけれ。譬へば、猛火の夥

う燃たる車を門の内へ遣入たり。前後に

立たる者は或は馬の面の様なる者も有り、

或は牛の面の様なる者も有り。車の前に

は、無と云ふ文字ばかりぞ見えたる鐡の

札をぞ立たりける。二位殿夢の心に、「あ

れは何よりぞ。」と御尋あれば、「閻魔の

庁より平家太政入道殿の御迎に参て候。」

と申す。「さて、其札は何といふ札ぞ。」

rigged in order to pour streams of water down on his

body, but the water sizzled and sputtered as though

it were ‘ landing on fiery rocks or metal, and virtu-

ally none of it reached his body. The little that did so

burst into flames and burned, filling the room with

black smoke and sending flames whirling upward.

Long ago, the eminent Buddhist priest Hōzō was

said to have been invited by Enma, the king of hell,

to visit the infernal regions. At that time he asked if

he might see the place where his deceased mother

had been reborn. Admiring his filial concern, Enma

directed the hell wardens to conduct him to the Hell

of Scorching Heat, where Hōzō’s mother was un-

dergoing punishment. When Hōzō entered the iron

gates of the hell, he saw flames leaping up like shoot-

ing stars, ascending hundreds of yojanas into the air.

The sight must have been much like what those at-

tending Kiyomori in his sickness now witnessed.

Kiyomori’s wife, the Nun of the Second Rank,

had a most fearful dream. It seemed that a carriage

enveloped in raging flames had entered the gate of

the mansion. Stationed at the front and rear of the

carriage were creatures, some with the head of a

horse, others with the head of an ox. To the front of

the carriage was fastened an iron plaque inscribed

with the single word mu, “never.”

In her dream the Nun of the Second Rank asked,

“Where has this carriage come from?” “From the tri-

bunal of King Enma,” was the reply. “It has come to

fetch His Lordship, the lay priest and prime minister

of the Taira clan.” “And what does the plaque mean?”

she asked.

“It means that because of the crime of burning

the one-hundred-and-sixtyfoot gilt-bronze image of

the Buddha Vairochana in the realm of human be-

ings, King Enma’s tribunal has decreed that the per-

petrator shall fall into the depths of the Hell of Nev-

er-Ceasing Torment. The ‘Never’ of Never-Ceasing is



給ふ、老死と云べきにはあらねども、宿

運忽に尽給へば、大法秘法の効験もなく、

神明三寶の威光も消え、諸天も擁護し給

はず。況や凡慮に於てをや。命に代り身

に代らんと忠を存ぜし数万の軍旅は、堂

上堂下に並居たれども、是は目にも見え

ず力にも関らぬ無常の刹鬼をば、暫時も

戦返さず。又帰り来ぬ死出の山、三瀬川、

黄泉中有の旅の空に、唯一所こそ赴き給

ねて、我墓の前にかくべし。其ぞ孝養に

て有んずる。」と宣ひけるこそ、罪深けれ。

同四日、病に責められ、せめての事に、

板に水を沃て、其に臥轉給へ共、助る心

地もし給はず。悶絶びやく地して、遂に

あつち死にぞし給ひける。馬車の馳違ふ

音天も響き大地も搖ぐほど也。一天の君

万乗の主の、如何なる御事在すとも是に

は過じとぞ見えし。今年は六十四にぞ成

かども、誠に苦げにて、息の下に宣ひけ

るは、「われ保元平治より以来、度々の朝

敵を平げ、勸賞身に余り、忝くも帝祖太

政大臣に至り、栄花子孫に及ぶ。今生の

望、一事も残る所なし。但し思置く事と

ては、伊豆国の流人前右兵衛佐頼朝が頸

を見ざりつるこそ安からね。我如何にも

成なん後は堂塔をも立て孝養をもすべか

らず。やがて討手を遣し、頼朝が頭をは

written on it; the ‘Ceasing’ remains to be written.”

The Nun of the Second Rank woke from her

dream in alarm, her body bathed in perspiration, and

when she told others of her dream, their hair stood

on end just hearing about it. She made offerings of

gold, silver, and the seven precious objects to all the

temples and shrines reputed to have power in such

matters, even adding such items as horses, saddles,

armor, helmets, bows, arrows, long swords, and short

swords. But no matter how much she added as ac-

companiment to her supplications, they were wholly

without effect. Kiyomori’s sons and daughters gath-

ered by his pillow and bedside, inquiring in anguish

if there were something that could be done, but all

their cries were ill vain.

On the second day of the second intercalary

month, the Nun of the Second Rank, braving the

formidable heat, approached her husband’s pillow

and spoke through her tears. “With each day that

passes, it seems to me, there is less hope for your re-

covery. If you have anything you wish to say before

you depart this world, it would be good to speak now

while your mind is still clear.”

In earlier days the prime minister had always been

brusque and forceful in manner, but now, tormented

by pain, he had barely breath enough to utter these

words. “Ever since the Hōgen and Heiji uprisings,

I have on numerous occasions put down those who

showed themselves enemies of the throne, and I have

received rewards and acclaim far surpassing what I

deserve. I have had the honor to become the grand-

father of a reigning emperor and to hold the office

of prime minister, and the bounties showered on me

extend to my sons and grandsons. There is nothing

more whatsoever that I could wish for in this life.

Only one regret remains to me-that I have yet to be-

hold the severed head of that exile to the province of

Izu, Minamoto no Yoritomo! When I have ceased to

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Death of Kiyomori


ひけめ。日比作り置れし罪業計や、獄卒

と成て、迎に来けん。哀なりし事共也。

さても有べきならねば、同七日に、愛宕

にて煙になし奉り、骨をば円実法眼頸に

かけて、摂津国へ下り、経の島にぞ納ける。

さしも日本一州に名を揚げ威を振し人な

れども、身は一時の煙と成て、都の空に

立上り、屍は暫やすらひて、濱の真砂に

たはぶれつゝ、空き土とぞ成給ふ。

be, erect no temples or pagodas in my honor, conduct

no memorial rites for me! But dispatch forces at once

to strike at Yoritomo, cut off his head, and hang it

before my grave-that is all the ceremony that I ask!”

Such were the deeply sinful words that he spoke!

On the fourth day of the same month, the illness

continuing to torment him, Kiyomori’s attendants

thought to provide some slight relief by pouring

water over a board and laying him on it, but this

appeared to do no good whatsoever. Moaning in

desperation, he fell to the floor and there suffered

his final agonies. The sound of horses and carriages

rushing about seemed to echo to the heavens and to

make the very earth tremble. Even if the sovereign of

the realm himself, the lord of ten thousand chariots,

had passed away, there could not have been a greater

commotion.

Kiyomori had turned sixty-four this year. He thus

was not particularly advanced in age. But the life

span decreed him by his actions in previous existenc-

es had abruptly come to an end. Hence the large-

scale ceremonies and secret ceremonies performed on

his behalf by the Buddhist priests failed to have any

effect; the gods and the Three Treasures of Buddhism

ceased to shed their light on him; and the benevolent

deities withdrew their guardianship.

And if even divine help was beyond his reach,

how little could mere human beings do! Although

tens of thousands of loyal troops stationed them-

selves inside his mansion and in the grounds around

it, all eager to sacrifice themselves and to die in his

place, they could not, even for an instant, hold at

bay the deadly devil of impermanence, whose form

is invisible to the eye and whose power is invincible.

Kiyomori went all alone to the Shide Mountains of

death, from which there is no return; alone he faced

the sky on his journey over the River of Three Cross-

ings to the land of the Yellow Springs. And when he



実盛

又武蔵国の住人長井齋藤別当実盛御方は

皆落行けども、只一騎返合返合防ぎ戦ふ。

存ずる旨有ければ、赤地の錦の直垂に、萌

黄威の鎧著て、鍬形打たる甲

の緒をしめ、

金作の太刀を帯き、切斑の矢負ひ、滋籐

の弓持て、連錢葦毛なる馬に金覆輪の鞍

置てぞ乗たりける。木曾殿の方より、手

塚太郎光盛好い敵と目をか

け「あなやさ

arrived there, only the evil deeds he had committed

in past days, transformed now into hell wardens were

there to greet him. All in all, it was a pitiful business.

Since further action could not be postponed,

on the seventh day of the same month Kiyomori’s

remains were cremated at Otagi in the capital. The

Buddhist priest Enjitsu placed the ashes in a bag

hung around his neck and journeyed with them

down to the province of Settsu, where he deposited

them in a grave on Sutra Island.

Kiyomori’s name had been known throughout the

land of Japan, and his might had set men trembling.

But in the end his body was no more than a puff of

smoke ascending in the sky above the capital, and his

remains, after tarrying a little while, in time mingled

with the sands of the shore where they were buried,

dwindling at last into empty dust.

❖

Despite pleas to warriors throughout the country, the

Taira find support only among those living in the west-

ern provinces. The following episode describes a scene

from the Battle of Shinohara, when the Genji caught up

with Heike fleeing to the west.

Book 7 Chapter 8

Sanemori

Although all his fellow warriors on the Taira

side had fled, Sanemori of the province of

Musashi, one lone horseman, kept turning back

again and again to engage the enemy and block their

advance.

Purposely hoping to pass as a young man, he put

on armor laced with greenish yellow leather over a

battle robe of red brocade. He wore a horned helmet

and carried a sword with gilt fittings, arrows fledged

with black and white eagle, feathers, and a rattan-

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Sanemori


郎等後れ馳に出きたるに首取せ、木曾殿

の御前に馳

参りて、「光盛こそ奇異の曲者

組で討て候へ。侍かと見候へば、錦の直

垂を著て候。又大将

軍かと見候へば、続

く勢も候はず。名乗々々と責候つれども、

遂に名乗候はず。声は坂東声にて候つる。」

と申せば、木曾殿「あはれ是は齋藤別当で

有ござんなれ。其ならば、義仲が上野へ

こえたりし時、少目に見しかば、白髪の

を討せじと中に隔たり、齋藤別当にむず

と組む。「あはれ己は日本一の剛の者にく

んでうずな、

うれ。」とて、取て引寄せ鞍

の前輪に押附け、頸掻切て捨てけり。手

塚太郎、郎等が討るゝを見て、弓手に廻

りあひ、鎧の草摺引挙て、二刀刺し、弱

る所に組で

落つ。齋藤別当心は猛く思へ

ども、軍にはしつかれぬ、其上老武者で

は有り、手塚が下に成にけり。又手塚が

し。如何なる人にてましませば、御方の

御勢は皆落候に、唯一騎残らせ給ひたる

こそゆかしけれ。名乗らせ給へ。」と詞を

懸ければ、「かう言ふわ

殿は誰そ。」「信濃

国の住人手塚太郎金刺光盛」とこそ名乗

たれ。「さては互に好い敵ぞ。但わ殿をさ

ぐるには非ず、存ずる旨があれば、名乗

るまじいぞ。よれ

組う手塚。」とて、押並

る所に、手塚が郎等、後馳に馳来て、主

wrapped bow. He was seated in a gold-rimmed

saddle astride a gray horse with while markings.

Tezuka Mitsumori, one of the warriors under

Lord Kiso, spotted Sanemori and, thinking he would

make a worthy opponent, called out to him, “What

valiant man is that who goes there? I admire you for

fighting on alone when all your comrades have fled.

Tell me your name!”

“And who may you be?” asked Sanemori in return.

“Tezuka Mitsumori of the province of Shi-

nano!” came the reply. “Then we are well matched,”

Sanemori answered. “With all due respect to you,

however, I have reasons for not wanting to reveal my

name. Come on now, Tezuka. Let’s see what you can

do!”

As the two men prepared to lock in combat, one

of Tezuka’s retainers, rushing up from behind in or-

der to protect his lord from attack, threw himself at

Sanemori.

“Ho there, little fellow! Would you presume to

grapple with the bravest man in all Japan?” said

Sanemori. Dragging the retainer to his side, he

pressed the man’s head against the pommel of his

saddle, cut it off, and tossed it aside.

His retainer cut down before his eyes, Tezuka

wheeled around to Sanemori’s left side and, lifting up

the lower fringe of his armor, struck him two blows

with his short sword. As Sanemori faltered under the

impact, Tezuka seized him and dragged him from his

horse.

Still fierce enough in spirit, Sanemori was by this

time exhausted from the battle, and moreover, he was

an old man. Thus Tezuka was able to overpower him.

When another of Tezuka’s retainers arrived late on

the scene, Tezuka ordered him to cut off Sanemori’s

head, and then he galloped off to show it to Lord

Kiso.

“I have met up with a very strange adversary!”

平家物語・実盛


御覽じ候へ。」と申ければ、さも有らんと

て、洗せて見給へば、白髪にこそ成にけれ。

錦の直垂を著たりける事は、齋藤別当最

後の暇申に大臣殿へ参て申けるは、「実盛

が身一つの事では候はねども、一年東

国

へ向ひ候し時、水鳥の羽音に驚いて矢一

つだにも射ずして、駿河国の蒲原より迯

上て候し事、老後の恥辱、唯此事候。今

度北国へ向ひては、討死仕候べし。さ

ら

が、余に哀で、不覚の涙のこぼれ候ぞや。

弓矢とりは、聊の所でも、思出の詞をば

兼て仕置くべきで候ける者哉。齋藤別当、

兼光に逢て、常は物語に仕候し、『六十に

余て、軍の陣へ向はん時は、鬢鬚を黒う

染て、若やがうと思ふ也。其故は若殿原

に争ひて、先を懸んも長げなし。又老武

者とて人の侮らんも口惜かるべ

し。』と申

候しが、誠に染て候けるぞや。洗はせて

糟尾なりしぞ。今は定めて、白髪にこそ

成ぬらんに、鬢

鬚の黒いこそ怪しけれ。

樋口次郎は、馴遊で、見知たるらん樋口

召せ。」とて召されけり。樋口次郎唯一目

見て、「あな無慚や、齋藤別当で候けり。」

木曾殿、「其ならば、今は七十にも余り、

白髪にこそ成ぬらんに、鬢鬚の黒いは如

何に。」と宣へば、樋口次郎涙をはらばら

と流いて、「さ候へば其様を申上うと仕候

said Tezuka. “I took him for an ordinary samurai,

but he was wearing a brocade battle robe. He might

be a commanding general, I thought, but he had no

troops. I asked him repeatedly to reveal his name,

but he refused to do so. He spoke with an eastern ac-

cent.”

“Aha,” said Lord Kiso. “This must be Sanemori

of Musashi. I met him once when I was visiting Ko-

zuke Province. I was only a boy then, and he already

had flecks of gray in his hair. By now he should be

completely white headed. But this man’s beard and

sidelocks are black-something strange is going on.

Higuchi Jirō is well acquainted with Sanemori; send

for Higuchi!”

The moment that Higuchi Jirō laid eyes on the

head, he said, “Ah, how pitiful! Yess, this is Sanemo-

ri.”

“If so,” said Lord Kiso, “then he must be at least

seventy by now. He should be completely white

haired. Why are his beard and sidelocks still black?”

The tears treaming down his face, Higuchi re-

plied, “You’re right. I should have explained about

that, but I was so touched by the sight that before

I knew it these tears overcame me. Even on less

than momentous occasions, a man of arms should

be able to say something worth remembering. And

Sanemori could do that, because I recall how he al-

ways used to tell me, ‘If you’re over sixty when you go

into battle, you should dye your beard and sidelocks

black so you’ll look like a younger man. It may be

childish to try to compete with the young ones to be

the first to attack, but at least you won’t be treated

with contempt just because you’re old!’ ‘So I’m sure

he must have dyed his beard and sidelocks. Wash

them and see.”

“You may be right,” said Lord Kiso. And when he

had the beard and sidelocks washed, they did indeed

turn out to be white.

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Sanemori


残さるべかりける者を。」と、申す人々も

有けるとかや。

き名のみ留め置き、骸は越路の末の塵と

成るこそ悲しけれ。

去ぬる四月十七日、十万余騎にて都を立

し事柄は、何に面を向ふべしとも見えざ

りしに、今、五月下旬に帰り上るには、

其

勢僅に二万余騎「流を尽して漁る時は、

多くの魚を得と云へども、明年に魚なし。

林を焼て獵る時は、多くの獣を得と云へ

ども、明年に獣なし。後を存じて、

少々は

んにとては、実盛、本、越前国の者で候

しかども、近年御領に就て、武蔵の長井

に居住せしめ候き。事の譬候ぞかし。故

郷へは錦を著て帰れと云ふ事の候。錦

の

直垂御許し候

へ。」と申ければ、大臣殿、「優

うも申たる物哉。」とて、錦の直垂を御免

有けるとぞ聞えし。昔の朱買臣は、錦の

袂を會稽山に翻し、今の齋藤別当は、其

名を来た国の巷に揚とかや。朽もせぬ空

As to the fact that Sanemori was dressed in a

brocade battle robe, when he took his final leave of

the Taira leader, Lord Munemori, in the capital, he

stated, “Last year when we rode east to attack the

Genji, I did not shoot a single arrow. So timid I was

that I shied at the sound of a water bird taking wing.

And then with the others (fled back to the capital

from Kanbara in Suruga Province. I was not the only

one who did so, and yet I regret it deeply as a shame-

ful blot on my old age. Now that we are setting out

to attack the northern provinces, I am determined to

die in battle.

“I originally was a native of the province of

Echizen in the north. In later years, because a do-

main was bestowed on me there, I had occasion to

live in Nagai in Musashi Province. The old saying

has it that when you return to your native land, you

should do so wearing brocade. So I would like per-

mission to wear a battle robe of brocade.”

“Nobly spoken!” said Munemori. And thus, we

are told, he gave Sanemori permission to wear bro-

cade.

In ancient times Zhu Maichen in China bran-

dished his brocade sleeves in triumph when he

returned to his home at Mount Kuaiji. And in our

own time Sanemori has won renown for himself

among the populace of the northern provinces. But

how sad to reflect that imperishable as his fame may

be, he himself is now no more than an empty name,

his mortal remains gone to dust by the roadside to

Echizen!

On the seventeenth day of the Fourth Month,

when a hundred thousand or more Heike horsemen

rode out from the capital, one might have supposed

that no one could stand up against them. And yet

now when they returned in the latter part of the

Fifth Month, they had been reduced to slightly more

than twenty thousand!

平家物語・実盛


候。門を開れず共、此際迄立寄らせ給へ。」

と宣へば、俊成卿「さる事あるらん。其

人ならば苦かるまじ。入れ申せ。」とて、

門をあけて対面有

り。事の体何となうあ

はれなり。薩摩守宣ひけるは、「年来申承

はて後、愚ならぬ御事に思ひ参らせ候へ

共、この二三年は京都のさわぎ、国々の

乱併当家の身の上の

事に候間疎略を存せ

ずといへども、常に参り寄る事も候はず。

忠度都落

薩摩守忠度は、いづくよりか帰られたり

けん、侍五騎、童一人、我身共に七騎取

て返し、五条の三位俊成卿の宿所におは

して見給へば門戸をとぢて開かず。忠度

と名乗給へば、落人

帰り来たりとて、其

内さわぎあへり。薩摩守馬より下り、自

高らかに宣ひけるは、「別の子細候はず、

三位殿に申べき事有て、忠

度が帰り参て

Try to catch all the fish in the stream and you’ll

get plenty of fish this year, but no fish next year.

Burn down the whole forest and you may shoot lots

or game this year, but none the year after. As some

people have pointed out, it is not wise to use up all

your resources at one time.

❖

After several defeats, the Taira—led by Munemori—

flee to the west with the young Emperor Antoku (Kiyo-

mori’s grandson) and the imperial regalia. Go-Shiraka-

wa installs Go-Toba as the new emperor and declares all

of the Taira rebels.

Book 7 Chapter 16

Tadanori Leaves the Capital

Taira no Tadanori, the governor of Satsuma,

returned once more to the capital, although

where he had been in the meantime is uncertain. Ac-

companied by five mounted warriors and a page, a

party of seven horsemen in all, he rode along Gojō

Avenue to the residence of Fujiwara no Shunzei. The

gate of Shunzei’s mansion was closed and showed

little sign of opening.

When Tadanori announced his name, there was

a bustle inside the gate, and voices called out, “Those

men who fled from the city have come back!” Tada-

nori dismounted from his horse and spoke in a loud

voice. “There is no cause for alarm. I have come back

merely because I have something I would like to say

to His Lordship. You need not open the gate—if you

could just have him come here a moment... “

“I was expecting this,” said Shunzei. ‘’I’m sure he

won’t make any trouble—let him in.”

The gate was opened and Shunzei confronted his

caller, whose whole bearing conveyed an air of mel-

ancholy.

“You have been good enough to give me instruc-

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Tadanori Leaves the Capital


られ

て感涙抑へ難う候へ。」と宣へば、薩

摩守悦で「今は西海の浪の底に沈まば沈

め、山野に尸をさらさばさらせ、浮世に

思置く事候はず。さらば暇申て。」とて、

馬に打乗り、甲の緒をしめ、西を指いて

ぞ歩せ給ふ。三位後を遙に見送て立たれ

たれば、忠度の声と覚しくて、「前途程遠

し、思を雁山の夕の雲に馳す。」と、高

ら

かに口ずさ

み給へば、俊成卿、いとゞ名

りとこそ成参せ候んずれ。」とて、日来詠

置れたる

歌共の中に、秀歌と覚きを百余

首書集られたる卷物を、今はとて打立れ

ける時、是を取て持れたりしが、鎧の引

合せより取出でて、俊成卿に奉る。三位

是をあけ

て見て、「かゝる忘れ形見を給り

置候ぬる上は、努々疎略を存ずまじう候。

御疑あるべからず。さても只今の御渡り

こそ情も勝れて深う、哀れも殊に思ひし

tion for some years,” said Tadanori, “and I hope I

have not been entirely unworthy of your kindness.

But the disturbances in the capital in the last two or

three years and the uprisings in the provinces have

deeply affected all the members of my clan. Al-

though I have not intended in any way to neglect my

poetry studies, I fear I have not been as attentive to

you as I should have been. “The emperor has already

left the capital, and the fortunes of my family appear

to have run out. I heard some time ago that you were

going to compile an anthology of poetry at the re-

quest of the retired emperor. I had hoped that, if you

would be so kind as to give your assent, I might have

perhaps one poem included in it in fulfillment of my

lifelong hopes. But then these disorders descended

on the world and the matter of the anthology had to

be put aside, a fact that grieves me deeply.

“Should the state of the world become somewhat

more settled, perhaps work on the anthology can be

begun. I have here a scroll of poems. If in your kind-

ness you could find even one of them to be worthy of

inclusion, I will continue to rejoice long after I have

gone to my grave and will forever be your guardian

in the world beyond.”

Reaching through the opening in his armor,

Tadanori took out a scroll of poems and presented

it to Lord Shunzei. From among the poems he had

composed in recent years, he had selected some hun-

dred or so that he thought were of superior quality

and had brought them with him now that he was

about to take final leave of the capital.

As Shunzei opened the scroll and looked at it, he

said, “Since you see fit to leave me with this precious

memento of your work, you may rest assured that I

will not treat it lightly. Please have no doubts on that

score. And that you should present it to me now, as

a token of your deep concern for the art of poetry,

makes the gesture more moving than ever—so much

君既に都を出させ給ひぬ。一門の運命は

や尽候ぬ。撰集の有るべき由承りしかば、

生涯の面目に、

一首なり共御恩を蒙らう

と存じて候しに、やがて世の乱出で来て、

其沙汰なく候条、唯一身の歎きと存ずる

候。世静まり候なば勅撰の御沙汰候はん

ずらん。是に

候ふ卷物の中に、さりぬべ

きもの候はゞ、一首なりとも御恩を蒙て、

草の蔭にても嬉しと存候はば、遠き御守

平家物語・忠度都落


残惜しう覚えて、涙を抑てぞ入給ふ。其

後世静て、千載集を撰ぜられけるに、忠

度のありし有様、言置し言の葉、今更思

出て哀なりければ、彼の卷物の中に、さ

りぬべき歌幾らもありけれど、勅勘の人

なれば、名字をば現されず、「故郷花」と

いふ題

にて詠まれたりける歌一首ぞ、読

人しらずと入られける。

さゝ浪や志賀の都はあれにしを、昔ながら

so that I can scarcely hold back the tears!”

Overjoyed at this response, Tadanori replied, “Per-

haps I will find rest beneath the waves of the western

ocean; perhaps my bones will be left to bleach on the

mountain plain. Whatever may come, I can now take

leave of this uncertain world without the least regret.

And so I say good-bye!”

With these words he mounted his horse, knot-

ted the cords of his helmet and rode off toward the

west. Shunzei stood gazing after until the figure had

receded far into the distance. And then it seemed

that he could hear Tadanori reciting in a voice loud

enough to be heard from afar:

Long is the journey before me—my thoughts race with the evening clouds over Wild Goose Mountain. Deeply grieved at the parting, Shunzei wiped

back the tears as he turned to reenter his house.

Later, after peace had been restored and Shunzei

had begun compiling the anthology known as the

Senzaishū (The Collection of a Thousand Years), he re-

called with deep emotion his farewell meeting with

Tadanori and the words which the latter had spoken

on that occasion. Among the poems that Tadanori

had left behind were several that might have been

included in the anthology. But since the anthology

was being compiled by imperial command, Shunzei

did not feel that he could refer to Tadanori by name.

Instead, he selected one poem entitled “Blossoms in

the Old Capital” and included it with the notation

“author unknown.” The poem read:

sasanami ya In ruins now,

Shiga no miyako wa the old capital of Shiga

aranishi o by the waves,

mukashi nagara no yet the wild cherries of Nagara

yamazakura kana still bloom as before.

Because Tadanori was among those branded as

enemies of the sovereign, perhaps less might have

の山桜かな。

其身朝敵と成にし上は、仔細に及ばず

と云ながら、恨めしかりし事共なり。

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Tadanori Leaves the Capital


取て押へて頸を掻もあり、掻かるゝもあ

り。何れ隙ありとも見えざりけり。かか

りしかども、源氏

大手ばかりでは叶ふべ

し共見えざりしに、九郎御曹司搦手に回

て七日の日の明ぼのに、一谷の後、鵯越

に打上り既に落さんとし給ふに、其勢に

や驚たりけん、男

鹿二つ妻鹿一つ、平家

の城廓一谷へぞ落たりける。城の中の兵

共是を見て、「里近からん鹿だにも、我等

坂落

是を初めて秩父、足利、三浦、鎌倉、等には、

猪俣、児玉、野井与、横山、西等、都筑等、

私等の兵ども、惣して源平乱あひ、入替

入替、名乗替乗替、喚

叫ぶ声山を響かし、

馬の馳違ふ音は雷の如し。射違る矢は雨

の降にことならず。手負をば肩に懸け後

へ引退くも在り。薄手負うて戦ふも有り。

痛手負て討死する

ものもあり。或は押双

べて組で落ち刺違て死ぬるも有り。或は

been said about him. And yet there is great pathos in

his story.

❖

No longer able to meet the Genji on land, the Taira

take to the sea in boats.

In the meantime, Minamoto no Yoshinaka falls out

of favor with Go-Shirakawa after Yoshinaka’s war-

riors loot the capital. Yoshinaka’s response is to place the

Retired Emperor under house arrest. This angers Yo-

shinaka’s cousin, Yoritomo, who sends Yoshitsune to deal

with him. Yoshinaka is eventually killed; Yoshitsune

now leads the Genji as they attack the Heike at Ichi-no-

tani, in Settsu Province (present-day Hyōgo). The Heike

fortress is near their former Fukuhara stronghold and is

protected by steep cliffs to the north.

Book 9 Chapter 12

The Attack from the Cliff

After this, the other Genji warriors charged

into the fray, the Chichibu, the Ashikaga: the

Miura, the Kamakura, and the Inomata, Kodama,

Noiyo, Yokoyama, Nishitō, Tsuzukitō, and Shinotō

leagues, until all the Genji and Heike forces had

closed in combat. The two sides repeatedly dashed

into each other’s ranks, calling out their names back

and forth, shouting and clamoring until the hills

resounded with their cries, the din of their charging

horses echoing like thunder. The arrows whizzing

back and forth resembled nothing so much as tor-

rents of rain. Some warriors, a wounded comrade

on their backs, struggled to make their way toward

the rear; others, despite being wounded, continued

to fight while the mortally wounded fell dead where

they were. Men rode side by side, grappling together

and slashing at each other until one delivered a fatal

stab to the other. Some held their foe down while

they cut off his head, others pinned down, had their



くは落せ。義経を手本にせよ。」とて、先

三十騎ばかり真先懸て落されけり。大勢

皆続いて落す。後陣に落す人人の鎧の鼻

は先陣の鎧甲に当る程なり。

小石の交り

の砂なれば、流れ落しに、二町許さと落

いて、壇なる所に引へたり。夫より下を

見くだせば、大磐石の苔むしたるが、釣

瓶落しに、十四五丈ぞ下た

る。兵どもう

しろへとてかへすべきやうもなし、又さ

ずる物を、罪作りに、矢だうなに。」とぞ

制しける。

御曹司、城廓遙に見渡いておはしけるが、

「馬ども落いて見ん。」とて、鞍置馬を追

落す。或は足を打折てころんで落

つ。或

は相違なく落て行もあり。鞍置馬三匹、

越中前司が屋形の上に落著て身振してぞ

立たりける。御曹司是を見て、「馬共は

主々が心得て落さうには、損ずま

じいぞ。

に恐ては山深うこそ入べきに、是程の大

勢の中へ鹿の落

合ふこそ怪しけれ。如何

様にも、上の山より源氏落すにこそ。」と

騒ぐ所に、伊予国の住人、武知の武者所

清教、進み出で、「何んでまれ、敵の方よ

り出来たら

ん者を、遁すべき様なし。」と

て、男鹿二つ射留

て、妻鹿をば射でぞ通

ける。越中の前司、「詮ない殿原の鹿の射

様哉。唯今の矢一つでは、敵十人は防ん

heads lopped off in a like manner. Neither side re-

vealed any weakness that its attackers could turn to

advantage, and the Genji forces through their frontal

attack alone did not seem to be able to gain victory.

Meanwhile, Yoshitsune had circled around to the

rear and by dawn of the seventh day had climbed up

to the region of Hiyodori Pass, preparing to swoop

down on the Heike position at Ichi-no-tani. Just

then, two stags and a doe, perhaps startled by the

Genji horsemen, fled downhill in the direction of the

Heike stronghold at Ichi-no-tani.

Catching sight of them, the Heike soldiers in the

fort below exclaimed excitedly, “All the deer around

here must have been so frightened of us that they

fled far off into the mountains. That these deer would

deliberately come toward a large force like ours

seems highly peculiar! It must mean that the Genji

are getting ready to charge down on us from above!”

Takechi Kiyonori, a man from Iyo Province, came

forward. “Whatever it means,” he said, “if they come

from the direction of the enemy, we shouldn’t let

them by!” and he proceeded to fell the two stags with

his bow and arrows though he let the doe get away. ‘

“What’s the good of your shooting at deer!” objected

Moritoshi of Etchu. “With just one of those arrows,

you could have held off ten of the enemy. Killing is

a sin to begin with, and then you waste arrows!” he

grumbled.

Yoshitsune looked down over the Heike strong-

hold in the distance. “Try sending some of the horses

down,” he ordered. A few of the saddled horses were

accordingly sent galloping down the slope. Some

broke their legs and fell along the way, but others

managed to reach the bottom without mishap. Three

of them pulled up near the roof of Moritoshi’s en-

campment and stood there trembling with fright.

Observing this, Yoshitsune announced, “If the

riders are careful enough, the horses can get down

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Attack from the Cliff


乗

らう。」と船一艘には物具したる者共が、

四五百人ばかりこみ乗らうになじかはよ

かるべき。汀より僅に三町ばかり推

出い

て、目の前に大船三艘沈みにけり。其後

は、好き人をば乗すとも雜人共をばのす

べからずとて、太刀長刀でながせけり。

かくする事とは知ながら、乗じとす

る船

には取付きつかみ附き、或はうで打切れ、

或はひぢ打落されて一谷の汀に、朱にな

唯鬼神の所為とぞ見えたりける。落しも

果ねば、閧を

どと作る。三千余騎が声な

れど、山彦に答へて、十万余騎とぞ聞え

ける。村上判官代康国が手より火を出し、

平家の屋形仮屋を皆焼払ふ。折節風は烈

しゝ、黒煙

おしかくれば、平氏の軍兵共、

余にあわてさわいで「若や助かる。」と、

前の海へぞ多く馳入りける。汀にはまう

け舟どもいくらも有けれども、「我れ先に

きへおとすべしとも見えず。「爰ぞ最後。」

と申て、あきれて引へたる所に、佐原十

郎義連、進出て申ける

は、「三浦の方で我

等は鳥一つ立ても、朝夕か様の所をこそ

は馳ありけ。三浦の方の馬場や。」とて、

真先懸て落しければ、兵者みな続いて落

す。えいえい声を

忍びにして、馬に力を

附て落す。余りのいぶせさに目を塞いでぞ

落しける。おほかた人の為態とは見えず、

without injury. Look lively, now—I’ll show you how

it’s done!” Leading a force of thirty horsemen, he

plummeted down the slope. The rest of the force fol-

lowed, the incline so steep that the stirrups of the

men in the rear clattered against the armor and hel-

mets of those ahead of them. The ground was sandy,

with scatterings of small rocks and stones, so that the

riders fairly slid down for a distance of some seven

hundred feet until they reached a shelflike stretch

that halted their fall.

Peering down below, they could see only huge

moss-shrouded rocks, a sheer drop of some hundred

and forty or fifty feet. No way to go back where they

had come from, no way to go forward that they could

see, the men were utterly baffled, exclaiming, “This is

the end!”

Just then, Sawara Yoshitsura came forward. “In

Miura where I come from, we think nothing of gal-

loping day and night over places like this just to get

at a bird on the wing. This is a Miura-style race-

course!” he declared and led the way by plunging

down the slope. The rest of the men followed. “Ei!

Ei!” they cried in muffled voices, encouraging their

horses on, the descent so terrifying that they kept

their eyes closed as they went down. It seemed a feat

impossible for mere human beings to accomplish,

instead a performance by devils or spirits.

Halfway down, they began calling out their battle

cries, and as the voices of the three thousand horse-

men came echoing back from the surrounding hills,

they sounded like the shouts of one hundred thou-

sand.

The men under Murakami Yasukuni began set-

ting fires and before long had burned down all the

Heike barracks and makeshift buildings. By chance,

a strong wind was blowing and black smoke billowed

through the air, throwing the Heike soldiers into

such panic that they scrambled toward the beaches



忠度最期

薩摩守忠度は、一谷の西手の大将軍にて

坐けるが、紺地の錦の直垂に、黒絲威の

鎧著て黒き馬の太う逞きに、沃懸地の鞍

置て乗り給へり。其勢百騎ばかり

が中に

打囲れて、いとさわがず引へ引へ落給ふ

を、猪俣等に岡部六弥太忠純、大将軍と

目を懸け、鞭鐙を合せて追付奉り、「抑如

何なる人でましまし候ぞ、名乗ら

せ給へ。」

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Death of Tadanori


てぞ並臥たる。能登守教経は度々の軍に、

一度も不覚せぬ人の、今度は如

何思はれ

けん、薄墨と云馬に乗り、西を指てぞ落

給ふ。播磨国明石浦より船にのて、讃岐

の八島へ渡り給ひぬ。

fronting the encampment, certain that in that direc-

tion lay their only hope for escape.

A number of boats were drawn up in readiness

along the shore, but the fleeing troops were in such

haste to board them that at times four or five hun-

dred or even a thousand men, all fully armed, strug-

gled to get into a single boat, impossible as that was.

After advancing no more than three hundred and

fifty yards from shore, three large vessels sank before

the eyes of the onlookers.

Thereafter, the order went out: “Persons of rank

are to be allowed aboard, underlings are not!” and

swords and halberds were used to enforce it. But

even after the order became known, men continued

to cling to the boats that refused to take them, trying

to climb aboard. As a result, a hand was cut off here,

an arm severed at the elbow there, until the waters

along the Ichi-no-tani shore turned crimson and the

bodies floated side by side.

The Heike warrior Noritsune, the governor of

Noto, had fought many battles and had never once

been defeated, but what must have been his thoughts

now? Mounted on his steed Usuguro, Gray Black,

he fled westward. At the Akashi shore in Harima he

boarded a boat and made his way across the strait to

Yashima in Sanuki.

Book 9 Chapter 14

The Death of Tadanori

Taira no Tadanori, the governor of Satsuma,

served as commanding general of the western

flank at the battle of Ichi-no-tani. Dressed in a battle

robe of dark blue brocade and armor laced with black

silk, he rode a sturdy black horse fitted with a lacquer

saddle flecked with gold. Surrounded by some hun-

dred horsemen under his command, he was retiring

from the engagement in a calm and unhurried man-

ner, halting his horse now and then to parry with one

平家物語・忠度最期


思はれけん、「暫退け、十念唱ん。」とて、

六弥太を

つかうで、弓長ばかり投除らる。

其後西に向ひ高声に十念唱へて、「光明遍

照十

方世界、念仏衆生摂取不捨。」と宣ひ

ば、やがて刀を拔き六弥太を馬の上で二

刀、おちつ

く所で一刀、三刀迄ぞ突かれ

ける。二刀は鎧の上なれば、透らず。一

刀は、内甲へ突入られたれども、薄手な

れば死なざりけるを、捕て押へ

頸を掻んとし給ふ所

を、六弥太

が童、後馳に馳来て、討刀を拔

き、薩摩守のかひなをひぢの本

よりふと切り落す。今は角とや

と申ければ、「是は御方ぞ。」とてふり仰

ぎ給へる内甲より見入たれば、銕黒也。「あ

はれ御方には銕附たる人はない者を、平

家の君達でおはするにこそ。」と思ひ、押

並てむずと組む。是を見て百騎ばかりあ

る兵共、国々の仮武者なれば一騎も落合

はず、我先にとぞ

落ゆきける。薩摩守「悪

い奴かな。御方ぞと云はゞ云はせよかし。」

とて熊野生立大力の疾態にておはしけれ

of the enemy.

Okabe no Rokuyata, a member of the Inomata group

of Genji warriors, spotted Tadanori and galloped after

him in pursuit, urging his horse forward with spurs and

whip and shouting, “Who goes there? Declare your

name!”

“I’m a friend!” replied Tadanori, but as he turned to

speak, he revealed enough of his face to make it appar-

ent that his teeth were blackened.

“Ha!” thought Rokuyata. “No one on our side looks

like that! This must be one of the Taira lords.” Overtak-

ing Tadanori, he began to grapple with him.

On seeing this, the hundred horsemen under Tada-

nori, fighting men recruited from other provinces, fled

as fast as they could, not one of them coming to his

aid. “Wretch!” exclaimed Tadanori. “You should have

believed me when I said I was a friend!” Brought up in

Kumano, a powerful man trained to act with lightning

speed, Tadanori drew his sword and struck three blows

at Rokuyata, two while the latter was still seated in the

saddle and a third after he had unhorsed him. The first

two glanced off Rokuyata’s armor and did no harm.

く差上げ、大音声を揚て、「此日来平家

の御

方と聞えさせ給つる薩摩守殿をば、

岡部の六弥太忠純討奉たるぞや。」と名

乗ければ、敵も御方も是を聞いて、「あ

ないとほし、武藝にも歌道にも達者にて

おは

しつる人を。あたら大将軍を。」と

て、涙を流し袖をぬらさぬは無りけり。

も果ねば、六弥太後よりよて、薩摩守の

頸を討。好い大将討たりと思ひけれども、

名をば誰とも知らざりけるに、箙に結び

附られたる文を解て見れば、「旅宿花」と

いふ題にて一首の歌をぞ読まれける。

ゆきくれて木の下陰を宿とせば、花やこよ

ひの主ならまし。

忠度と書かれたりけるにこそ、薩摩守

とは知てけれ。太刀の先に貫ぬき、高

The third pierced his face, though not with suf-

ficient force to kill him.

Tadanori pinned his attacker to the ground and

was about to cut off his head when Rokuyata’s page,

rushing up from behind, drew his long sword and

with one blow cut off Tadanori’s arm at the elbow.

Tadanori realized this was the end. “Give me time

enough for ten invocations of the Buddha!” he said.

Gripping Rokuyata, he flung him a bow’s length

to the side. Then he faced west and, in a loud voice,

recited these words: “His bright light illumines the

worlds in the ten directions. Without fail He gath-

ers up all living beings who recite his name!” He had

scarcely concluded his recitation when Rokuyata ap-

proached from behind and struck off his head.

Rokuyata felt that the man had died like a true

commanding general, but he still did not know his

name. He found a slip of paper fastened to Tada-

nori’s quiver, however, on which was written a poem

entitled “On a Journey, Lodging Beneath the Blos-

soms.” It read:

yukikurete Evening drawing on,

ko no shita kage o I’ll take lodging

yado to seba in the shade of this tree,

hana ya ko yohi no and make its blossoms

aruji naramaji my host for the night.

The poem was signed “Tadanori”

Having thus learned who his opponent was,

Rokuyata impaled the head on the tip of his long

sword and, lifting it high up, declared in a loud voice,

“You have heard much these days of this Taira lord,

the governor of Satsuma—I, Okabe no Rokuyata

Tadazumi, have killed him!”

When they heard Tadanori’s name, the Taira and

Genji warriors alike exclaimed, “What a pity! A man

skilled both in arms and the practice of poetry, a true

commanding general!” And there were none who did

not wet their sleeve with tears.

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Death of Tadanori


也。我子の小次郎がよはひ程にて、容顏

誠に美麗なりければ、何くに刀を立べし

とも覚えず。「抑如何

なる人にてましまし

候ぞ。名乗せ給へ。扶け参せん。」と申せ

ば、「汝は誰そ。」と問給ふ。「物其者では

候はねども、武蔵国の住人熊谷次郎直実。」

と名乗申

す。「さては汝に逢うては名乗ま

じいぞ。汝が為には好い敵ぞ。名乗らず

とも頸

を取て人にとへ、見知うずるぞ。」

騎、沖なる船に目を懸て、海へさと打入

れ、五六段計泳がせたるを熊谷、「あれ

は、大将軍とこそ見参せ候へ。正なうも

敵に後を見せさせ給ふ者

哉。返させ給へ。」

と。扇を揚て招きければ、招かれて取て

返す。汀に打上らんとする所に、押並て、

むずと組で、どうと落ち、取て押へて頸

を掻んとて、甲を

押仰けて見ければ、年

十六七ばかりなるが、薄仮粧して鐵醤黒

敦盛最期

軍破れにければ、熊谷次郎直実、「平家の

君達助け船に乗らんと、汀の方へぞ落ち

給ふらん。哀れ好らう大将軍に組ばや。」

とて、磯の方へ歩まする所

に、練貫に鶴

縫たる直垂に、萌黄匂の鎧著て、鍬形打

たる甲の緒をしめ、金作の太刀を帯き、

切斑の矢負ひ、滋籐の弓持て、連錢葦毛

なる馬に、黄覆輪の鞍置て

乗たる武者一

Book 9 Chapter 16

The Death of Atsumori

The Heike had lost the battle. “Those Taira lords

will be heading for the shore in hopes of mak-

ing their getaway by boat!” thought Kumagae Nao-

zane to himself. “Fine! I’ll go look for one of their

generals to grapple with!” and he turned his horse in

the direction of the beach.

As he did so, he spotted a lone warrior riding into

the sea, making for the boats in the offing. He was

wearing a battle robe of finely woven silk embroi-

dered in a crane design, armor of light green lacing,

and a horned helmet. He carried a sword with gilt

fittings and a quiver whose arrows were fledged with

black and white eagle feathers and held a rattan-

wound bow in his hand. He was seated in a gold-

rimmed saddle, astride a gray horse with white

markings

The lone warrior’s horse had swum out about two

hundred feet from the shore when Kumagae, wav-

ing with his fan, called out, “Ho there, General! I see

you. Don’t shame yourself by showing your back to

an enemy. Come back!”

The rider, acknowledging the call, turned toward

the beach. As he was about to ride up out of the

waves, Kumagae drew alongside and grappled with

him , dragging him from his horse. Pinning him

down so as to cut off his head, Kumagae pushed

aside his helmet. The face he saw was that of a young

man of sixteen or seventeen, lightly powdered and

with blackened teeth.

Gazing at the boy’s handsome face, Kumagae re-

alized that he was just the age of his own son Kojirō,

and he could not bring himself to use his sword.

“Who are you? Tell me your name and I’ll let you

go!” he said.

“Who are you?” asked the young man.

平家物語・敦盛最期


々頸をぞ掻いてける。「あはれ弓矢取る身

程口惜かりける者はなし。武藝の家に生

れずば、何とてかゝる憂目をば見るべき。

情なうも討奉る者哉」と掻口説き袖

を顏

に押当てゝ、さめざめとぞ泣居たる。やゝ

久うあて、さても在るべきならねば、鎧

直垂を取て、頸を裹まんとしけるに、錦

の袋に入たる笛をぞ腰に差された

る。「あ

ないとほし、此曉城の内にて、管絃し給

るは、「助け参せんとは存候へども、御

方の軍兵

雲霞の如く候。よも逃させ給は

じ。人手にかけ参せんより、同くは、直

実が手に懸参せて、後の御孝養をこそ仕

候はめ。」と申ければ、「唯とうとう頸を

取

れ。」とぞ宣ひける。熊谷余にいとほし

くて、何に刀を立べしとも覚えず、目も

くれ心も消果てゝ、前後不覚に思えけれ

ども、さてしも有るべき事ならねば、泣

とぞ宣ひける「あはれ大将軍や、此人一

人討奉たりとも、負くべき軍に勝べき様

もなし。又討たてまつらずとも、勝べき

軍に負る事もよも有じ。小次郎が薄手負

たるをだに直実は心苦しう思ふに、此殿

の父、討れぬと聞いて、如何計か歎き給

はんずら

ん。あはれ扶け奉らばや。」と

思ひて、後をきと見ければ、土肥、梶原

五十騎計で続いたり。熊谷涙を押て申け

“No one of great importance—Kumagae Naozane

of the province of Musashi.”

“Then there’s no need for me to tell you my

name,” the young man replied. ‘’I’m worthy enough

to be your opponent. When you take my head, ask

someone who I am—they will know all right!”

“Spoken like a true general!” thought Kumagae.

“But simply killing this one man can’t change defeat

into victory or victory into defeat. When my son

Kojirō has even a slight injury, how much I worry

about him! Just think how this boy’s father will

grieve when he hears that he’s been killed! If only I

could spare him.

But as he glanced quickly behind him, he saw

some fifty Genji horsemen under Toi and Kajiwara

coming toward him. Fighting back the tears, he said,

“I’d like to let you go, but our forces are everywhere

in sight—you could never get away. Rather than fall

into someone else’s hands, it’s better that I kill you.

I’ll see that prayers are said for your salvation in

the life to come.”

“Just take my head and be quick about it!” the boy

said.

Kumagae was so overcome with pity that he did

not know where to strike. His eyes seemed to dim,

his wits to desert him, and for a moment he hardly

knew where he was. But then he realized that, for

all his tears, no choice was left him, and he struck

off the boy’s head. “We men who bear arms—how

wretched is our lot!” he said. “If I had not been born

of a warrior family, would I ever have faced a task

like this? What a terrible thing I have done!” Again

and again, he repeated the words as he raised his

sleeve to brush the tears from his face.

After some time, aware that he must get on with

the business, he removed the boy’s armor and battle

robe and wrapped the head in them. As he was do-

ing so, he noticed a brocade bag with a flute in it

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Death of Atsumori


那須与一

さる程に、阿波讃岐に平家を背て、源氏

を待ける者共、あそこの峰、こゝの洞より、

十四五騎廿騎、うちつれづれ参りければ、

判官程なく三百余騎にぞ成にける。「今日

は日暮ぬ、勝負を決すべからず。」とて、

引退く所に、沖の方より尋常に飾たる小

船一艘、汀へ向ひて漕よせけり。磯

へ

七八段ばかりに成しかば、船を横様にな

笛の上手にて、鳥羽院より給はられたり

けるとぞ聞えし。経盛相

伝せられ

たりし

を、敦盛器量たるに依て、持たれたりけ

るとかや。名をば小枝とぞ申ける。狂言

綺語の理と云ながら、遂に讃仏乗の因と

なるこそ哀なれ。

ひつるは、此人々にておはしけり。当時

御方に東国の勢何万騎か有らめども、軍

の陣へ笛持つ人はよも有じ。上

臈は猶も

優しかりけり。」とて、九郎御曹司の見参

に入たりければ、是を見る人涙を流さず

といふ事なし。後に聞けば、修理大夫経

盛の子息に太夫敦盛とて、生年十七にぞ

成れける。其よりしてこそ、熊谷が發心

の思ひはすゝみけれ。件の笛は、祖父忠盛、

that had been fastened to the boy’s waist. “Ah, how

pitiful!” he said. “Those people I heard at dawn this

morning playing music in the enemy stronghold—

he must have been one of them! Among all the ten

thousand troops from the eastern provinces fighting

on our side, is there anyone who carries a flute with

him into battle? These highborn people—how gentle

and refined they are!”

Later, when Kumagae’s battle trophies were pre-

sented to Yoshitsune for inspection, there were none

among the company who did not weep at the sight.

It was subsequently learned that the young man

slain by Kumagae was Atsunori, the seventeen-year-

old son of the master of the Palace Repair Office,

Taira no Tsunemori. From that time onward, Ku-

magae’s desire to become a Buddhist monk grew

even stronger. The flute in question had been present-

ed by Retired Emperor Toba to Atsumori’s grandfa-

ther, Tadamori, who was a skilled player. From him,

it had been passed down to the sin, Tsunemori, and

in turn it had been given to Atsumori because of his

marked aptitude for the instrument. It was known by

the name of Saeda, Little Branch.

It is moving to think that for all their exaggerated

phrases and flowery embellishments, even music and

the arts can in the end lead a man to praise the Bud-

dha’s ways.

❖

The Heike flee to Yashima in Shikoku. When a small

army led by Yoshitsune attacks them from the rear, they

take to the sea in boats led by Munemori.

Book 11 Chapter 4

Nasu no Yoichi

In the provinces of Awa and Sanuki those persons

who had stopped siding with the Heike and were

awaiting only the arrival of the Genji now began to

平家物語・那須与一


おほくびはた袖色へたる直垂に、萌黄威

の鎧著て、足白の太刀を帯き、切斑の矢

の其日の軍に射て少々残たりけるを首高

に負ひ成し薄切斑に鷹の羽作交たるぬた

目の鏑をぞ指副たる。滋籐の弓脇に挾み、

甲をば脱ぎ高紐に懸け、判官の前に畏る。

「如何に宗高、あの扇の真中射て平家に見

物せさせよかし。」与一畏て申け

る

は、

「射おほせ候はん事不定に候。射損じ候な

候へ。扇をば射させらるべうや候らん。」

と申。「射つべき仁は

御方に誰かある。」

と宣へば、「上手ども幾等も候中に、下野

国の十人、那須太郎資高が子に与一宗高

こそ、小兵で候へども、手ききて候へ。」

「證據はいか

に。」と宣へば、「かけ鳥など

を争うて、三に二は必射落す者で候。」「さ

らば召せ。」とて召されたり。与一其比は

二十許の男士也。かちに赤地の錦を以て、

す。あれは如何にと見る程に、船の中より、

年の齡十八九ばかりなる女房の誠に優に

美しきが、柳の五衣に、紅の袴著

て皆紅

の扇の日出したるを、船のせがひに挾み

立て、陸へ向てぞ招いたる。判官後藤兵

衛実基を召て、「あれは如何に。」と宣へば、

「射よとにこそ候めれ。但し大将軍の矢面

に進んで、傾城を御覽ぜば手だれにねら

うて、射落せとの計ごとと覚え候。左も

appear, fourteen or fifteen horsemen here, twenty

horsemen there, coming down from the mountains

or emerging from caves where they had been hid-

ing, until Yoshitsune in no time found himself with a

force of more than three hundred mounted men.

‘’The day is too far gone,” he announced. “There’s

no hope of a decisive victory today!” He had just be-

gun withdrawing his men when a small boat, beauti-

fully decorated, appeared in the offing, rowing in the

direction of the shore. When it had come within a

couple hundred feet of the shore, it turned sideways.

“What is that?” exclaimed the onlookers, for they

could now see a woman of eighteen or nineteen, very

lovely and refined in bearing, wearing crimson trou-

sers over a five-layer robe of green-lined white. At-

tached to a pole she held a crimson fan with a golden

sun painted on it. Wedging the pole into the siding

of the boat, she beckoned toward the shore.

Yoshitsune called Sanemoto to his side and said,

“What do you suppose is the meaning of that?”

“I think she wants us to shoot at the fan,” he re-

plied. “But I suspect they are trying to entice you to

move forward where you can get a better view of the

beautiful lady. Then they’ll order one of their expert

archers to shoot you down. Even so, we should get

someone to shoot at the fan.”

“Do we have anyone on our side capable of hit-

ting it?” asked Yoshitsune.

“We have many first-rate archers. There’s Yoichi

Munekata, the son of Nasu no Taro Suketaka. Small

as he is, he’s an expert marksman!”

“How can you tell?”

“If we have a contest shooting birds on the wing,

he always manages to down two out of every three

he aims at.”

“Then send for him!” said Yoshitsune.

Yoichi, a man of around twenty, wore a dark blue

battle robe trimmed with red brocade at the lapels

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Nasu no Yoichi


に、折節北風烈くて、磯打浪も高かりけ

り。船はゆりあげゆり居ゑたゞよへば、

扇も串に定らずひらめいたり。沖には平

家船

を一面に並べて見物す。陸には源氏

轡を並べて、是を見る。何れも何れも晴

ならずと云ふ事ぞなき。与一目を塞いで、

「南無八幡大菩薩、別しては我国の神明、

日

光權現宇都宮、那須湯泉大明神、願は、

あの扇の真中射させて給せ給へ。是を射

に、小房の鞦か

け、まろほや摺たる鞍置

てぞ乗たりける。弓取直し、手綱かいくり、

汀へ向いて歩ませければ、御方の兵共後

を遙に見送て、「此若者一定仕り候ぬと覚

候。」と

申ければ、判官も憑し氣にぞ見給

ひける。矢比少し遠かりければ、海へ一

段ばかり打入たれども、猶扇の交ひ、七

段ばかりは有るらんとこそ見えたりけれ。

比は

二月十八日の酉の刻ばかりの事なる

ば、ながき御方の御瑕にて候べし。一定

仕らんずる仁に仰附らるべうや

候らん。」

と申。判官大に怒て、「鎌倉を立て、西国

へ趣かん殿原は、義経が命を背べからず。

少も仔細を存ぜん人は、とうとう是より

帰るべし」とぞ宣ひける。与一重て辭せ

ば悪かりなんとや思ひけん、「外づれんは

知候はず、御定で候へば仕てこそ見候は

め。」とて、御前を罷立、黒き馬の太う逞

and sleeve edges and a suit of greenish yellow-laced

armor. He carried a sword with a silver cord ring and

a quiver, visible above his head, containing the few

black-spotted white eagle-feather arrows left from

the day’s shooting. These were fledged with black

and white eagle feathers, and with them he carried a

deer-horn humming arrow with hawk feathers and

black and white eagle feathers. Holding his rattan-

bound bow under his arm and doffing his helmet

so that it hung from his shoulder cord, he made his

obeisance before Yoshitsune.

“Now then, Yoichi—hit that red fan square in the

middle and show these Heike what you can do!” I’m

not sure I can do that,” Yoichi replied in a respectful

manner. “And if I should fail, it would reflect badly

on our side for a long time to come. It would be best

to summon someone whose skill is certain to suc-

ceed.”

Yoshitsune was furious. “All you fellows who have

left Kamakura and come west with me are expected

to obey my orders! If you are going to quibble over

every little detail, you can leave my command at

once!”

Thinking it inappropriate to decline any further,

Yoichi replied, ‘’I’m not certain I can make a hit, but

since it is my lord’s wish, I’ll see what I can do.”

Retiring from Yoshitsune’s presence, he got on a

sturdy black horse fitted with a tasseled crupper and

a saddle decorated with a sand-dollar design. Read-

justing the bow in his hand and taking up the reins,

he advanced toward the edge of the water. The Genji

troops kept their eyes fixed on him from the rear,

exclaiming, “This lad will make a good showing, you

may be sure!” Yoshitsune too watched with confident

expectation.

Because the target was too far to be within range,

Yoichi advanced some forty feet into the water, but

he could see that the fan was still more than two

平家物語・那須与一


切たる。鏑は海へ入ければ、

扇は空へぞ挙

りける。暫は虚空に閃めきけるが、春風

に一もみ二もみもまれて、海へさとぞ散

たりける。夕日の輝いたるに皆紅の扇の

日出したるが白波の上に漂ひ、浮ぬ沈ぬ

ゆられければ、沖には平家ふなばたを扣

て感じたり。陸には源氏箙を扣てどよめ

きけり。

損ずる物ならば、弓伐折自害して、人に

二度面を向ふべからず。今一度本国へむ

かへんと思召さば、此矢はづさせ給ふな。」

と、心の中に祈念して、目を見開いたれば、

風も少し吹弱り、扇もいよげにぞ成たり

ける。与一鏑を取て番ひ、よ引

いてひや

うと放つ。小兵と云ふぢやう十二束三伏、

弓は強し、浦響く程長鳴して、あやまた

ず扇の要際一寸許置いて、ひふつとぞ射

hundred and fifty feet away. It was the eighteenth

day of the Second Month of the lunar calendar,

around six o’clock in the late afternoon, and a strong

north wind was blowing, sending high waves surg-

ing up on the beach. The boat was wobbling up and

down on the waves, and the fan, not firmly fastened,

flapped back and forth. Out in the sea the Heike

watched from their boats strung out over the water

while the Genji, their horses lined up side by side,

looked on from the shore.

Yoichi closed his eyes. “Hail to Bodhisattva

Hachiman and to the gods of my homeland of Shi-

motsuke, the Buddha in his manifestation at Nikko,

and lhe gods of Utsunomiya and the Yuzen Shrine in

Nasu. Help me hit the fan in the center, I pray you.

If I fail in this attempt, I will break my bow and end

my life, never to show my face before anyone again.

If you would have me return once more to my native

land, may my arrow not miss the mark!” Such was

the prayer he offered up in his heart.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that

the wind had died down a little and the fan had be-

come a somewhat less difficult target. Yoichi took out

the humming arrow, fitted it to his bow and, pulling

the bow all the way back, sent it whistling on its way.

Yoichi was small in stature, and the arrow mea-

sured only three fingers more than the usual ten

handbreadths and three fingers in length, but the

bow was powerful and the arrow made a long dron-

ing noise that resounded all across the water. Then

with a crack it struck the fan about an inch above

the rivet, knocking it loose. As the arrow plunged

beneath the waves, the fan rose up into the sky. For a

moment it fluttered about in the empty air, buffeted

this way and that by the spring breeze, and then all

at once it plummeted into the sea. In the rays of the

setting sun, the red fan face with its golden sun could

be seen bobbing and sinking as it drifted over the

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Nasu no Yoichi


藤七、同十郎、上野国の住人、丹生の四

郎、信濃国の住人、木曾の中次、五騎つ

れて、を

めいて駈く。楯の影より、塗箆に、

黒ほろ作だる大の矢をもて、真先に進だ

る三穗屋の十郎が馬の左の

胸懸づくしを、

ひやうづばと射て筈の隠る程ぞ、射籠だ

る。屏風を返す様に、馬はどうと倒るれば、

主は馬手の足をこえ弓手の方へ下立て、

やがて太刀をぞ拔だりける。楯の陰より、

平家の方には音もせず、源氏の方には又

箙を扣いて、どよめきけり。「あ射たり。」

といふ人も有り、又「情なし。」と云ふ者

もあり。平家是を本

意なしとや思ひけん、

楯ついて一人、弓持て一人、長刀持て一

人、武者三人なぎさにあがり、楯を衝て

「敵寄せよ。」とぞ招いたる。判官、「あれ、

馬強ならん

若等共、馳寄せて蹴散せ。」と

宣へば、武蔵国の住人、三穗屋四郎、同

弓流

余りの面白さに、感に堪ざるにやと覚し

くて船の中より、年五十許なる男の、黒

革威の鎧著て白柄の長刀持たるが、扇立

たりける所に立てまひすました

り。伊勢

三郎義盛、与一が後へ歩せ寄て、「御定

ぞ、仕れ。」と云ひければ、今度は中差取

て打くはせ、よ引いてしや頸の骨をひや

うふつと射て船底へまさかさ

まに射倒す。

white waves.

Offshore the Heike drummed on the gunwales of

their boats to signal their admiration, while on the

beach the Genji shouted and pounded on their quiv-

ers.

Book 11 Chapter 5

The Lost Bow Perhaps he was carried away with the excitement

of the moment: in one of the Heike boats a man of

about fifty, wearing armor laced with black leather

and carrying a wooden-handle halberd, stood up in a

spot near where the fan had been displayed and be-

gan to do a dance. Yoshimori of Ise, having advanced

on his horse to a position right behind Yoichi, said,

“The commander has ordered you to shoot down

that man!”

This time Yoichi took one of the plain arrows

from his quiver and, fitting it into place, drew the

bow back fully. With a thud the arrow struck the

man’s collarbone and sent him tumbling headfirst

into the bottom of the boat. The Heike side looked

on in silence while among the Genji, some once

more rattled their quivers and shouted, “Good shot!”

but others exclaimed, “Heartless!”

This was more than the Heike could endure.

Three of their warriors, one bearing a shield, a sec-

ond with a bow, and a third with a halberd, made

their way to the beach and, planting the shield there,

beckoned to the enemy and shouted, “Attack us if

you can!”

“Some of you young fellows on good horses-

attack them and kick them out of the way!” ordered

Yoshitsune.

Five horsemen—Shiro, Tōōjichi, and Jūrō of

Mio-noya in Musashi, Shiro of Kazuke, and Chuji

of Shinano-let out a yell and charged forward in a

group. From behind the shield the Heike shot a large

平家物語・弓流


続けや者共。」とて又二百余人なぎさに上

り、楯を雌羽につき並べて「敵寄

よ。」と

ぞ招いたる。判官是を見て「安からぬ事

なり。」とて、後藤兵衛父子、金子兄弟

を先に立て、奥州の佐藤四郎兵衛、伊勢

三郎を弓手馬手に立、田代冠者

を後に立

てゝ、八十余騎をめいてかけ給へば、平

家の兵ども、馬には乗らず、大略歩武者

にてありければ、馬に当られじと引退い

と引切てぞ迯たりける。残四騎は、馬を

惜うでかけず、見物してこそ居たりけれ。

三穗屋十郎は、御方の馬の陰に逃入て、

息

続居たり。敵は追ても来で長刀杖につき、

甲のしころを指上げ、大音声を上て、「日

比は音にも聞つらん。今は目にも見給へ。

是こそ京童部の喚なる上総悪七

兵衛景清

よ。」と名乗棄てぞ帰りける。

平家是に心地なほして、「悪七兵衛討すな。

大長刀打振て懸りければ、三穗屋の十郎、

小太刀大長刀に叶はじとや思けむ、かいふ

いて迯ければ、やがて続て追懸たり。長

刀でながんずるかと見る所に、さはなく

して、

長刀をば左の脇にかい挾み、右の手

を差延て、三穗屋十郎が甲のしころをつ

かまむとす。つかまれじとはしる。三度

つかみはづいて、四度の度むずとつかむ。

暫

したまて見えし。鉢附の板より、ふつ

arrow with a black lacquer shaft and black feathers.

Jūrō was riding at the head of the group, and the ar-

row struck his horse in the left side near the chest

rope, burying the tip of the arrow in the horse’s flesh.

The horse fell over like a toppled screen.

Jūrō of Mionoya, throwing his right leg over the

horse’s back, leaped down from the left side and im-

mediately drew his sword. One of the Heike men

emerged from behind the shield, waving a halberd in

a threatening fashion, whereupon Jūrō, judging that

with his small sword he could hardly stand up against

such an opponent, began to scramble to safety. The

man with the halberd was after him at once, but just

when it seemed as though he would cut Jūrō down

with the halberd, he suddenly thrust the weapon un-

der his left arm and with his right hand snatched at

the neck guard of Jūrō‘s helmet. He could not quite

reach it, but after making three unsuccessful tries, he

finally, on the fourth, succeeded in grasping the neck

guard. For a time the neck guard held fast, but at last

Jūrō managed to wrest himself free, snapping off the

neck guard at the top plate, and made his escape. The

other four riders in his group, reluctant to risk having

their horses shot at, looked on from a distance.

Having taken shelter among his companions’

horses, Jūrō breathed a sigh of relief. His attacker

did not attempt to pursue him but, leaning on his

halberd and brandishing aloft the neck guard he

had snatched from Jūrō ‘s helmet, shouted in a loud

voice, “You’ve no doubt heard of me for some time

now, and today you see me in person! I’m the one

the young fellows of the capital call Akushichibyōe

Kagekiyo of Kazusa!” Having thus proclaimed his

identity, he left the field.

Somewhat subdued by all this, the Heike decided

not to try to attack Kagekiyo but instead ordered

some two hundred or so of their men to go to the

beach, where they arranged their shields so that they

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Lost Bow


弓を、敵取持て、『是こそ源氏の大将九郎

義経が弓よ。』とて嘲哢せんずるが口惜け

れば、命に代て取るぞや。」と宣へば、皆

人是をぞ感じける。

さる程に日暮ければ、平家の船は沖に浮め

ば源氏は陸に引退いて、むれ高松の中な

る野山に、陣をぞ取たりける。源氏の

兵共、

此三日が間は臥ざりけり。一昨日渡辺福

島を出づるとて、其夜大浪にゆられて目

給へば、兵共、「唯捨させ給へ。」と申け

れども、終に取

て、笑うてぞ帰られける。

おとな共、爪弾をして、「口惜き御事候か

な。縦千疋万疋に替させ給べき御寶なり

とも、争

か御命に替させ給ふべき。」と申

せば、判官、「弓の惜さに取らばこそ。義

経が弓といはゞ、二人しても張り、若は

三人しても張り、伯父の為朝が弓の様な

ら

ば、態も落して取すべし。

わう弱たる

て、皆船へぞ乗りにける。楯は

算を散し

たる様に、散散に蹴散さる。源氏の兵共

勝に乗て、馬の太腹ひたる程に、打入々々

責戦ふ。判官深入して戦ふ程に船の中よ

り熊手を持て、判官の甲の錣

に、からり

からりと二三度迄打懸けるを、御方の兵

共、太刀長刀で打のけのけしける程に、

如何したりけん、判官弓をかけ落されぬ。

うつぶして鞭をもて掻寄て、

取う取うとし

overlapped like a hen’s wings and gestured to the

Genji forces, shouting, “Come on and get us !”

“How dare they!” said Yoshitsune when he saw

them, and he ordered Sanemoto and his son Moto-

kiyo and the Kaneko brothers to act as a vanguard,

Tadanobu and Yoshimori of Oshu to take up posi-

tions to the left and right, and Tashiro no Kanja to

cover the rear, sending more than eighty mounted

men yelling and galloping to meet the challenge.

The Heike, most of whom were not mounted but

were on foot, decided they would be no match for

men on horseback and retreated, returning to their

boats. The shields they had planted on the beach

soon were scattered to left and right like so many

tally slips.

Encouraged by this success, the Genji warriors

pressed their attack, riding into the sea until the wa-

ter came up to the bellies of their horses. Yoshitsune,

too, fought his way deep into the water when one

of the Heike boats, using rakes, two or three times

managed to catch hold of his neck guard. Yoshit-

sune’s men used their swords and halberds to free the

neck guard from entanglement. While this was hap-

pening, however, Yoshitsune’s bow somehow became

snagged by the rakes and was dragged away from

him.

Bending down from his horse, Yoshitsune tried

again and again to use his whip to regain possession

of the bow. “Let it go!” his men urged him, but he

persisted until he finally recovered the bow and then,

laughing, returned to the others.

His seasoned warriors, wagging their fingers in

disapproval, said, “Why are you so reluctant to lose

a mere bow? Even if it cost a hundred or a thousand

string of coins, how could it be worth risking your

life for?” “It’s not that I mind about the cost of the

bow,” replied Yoshitsune. “If this bow of mine had

been the kind that was so stout that it took two or

平家物語・弓流


守を大将にて、其勢五百余騎夜

討にせん

と支度しけれども、越中次郎兵衛盛次と、

海老次郎守方と先陣を争ふ程に、其夜も

空しくあけにけり。夜討にだにもしたら

ば源氏なじかはたまるべき。

寄せざりけ

るこそ、責ての運の究めなれ。

睡まず、昨日阿波国勝浦にて軍して終夜

中山越え、今日又一日戦くらした

りけれ

ば、皆疲果てゝ或は甲を枕にし、或は鎧

の袖、箙など枕にして、前後も知らず臥

たりけり。其中に、判官と伊勢三郎は寢

ざりけり。判官は高き所に登上

て、敵や

寄ると遠見し給へば、伊勢三郎はくぼき

所に隠れ居て、敵寄せば、先づ馬の太腹

射んとて待懸たり。平家の方には、能登

three men to string it-the kind my uncle Tametomo

used—then I would deliberately let them snatch

it just so they could say, ‘Ah, so this is Yoshitsune’s

bow!’ But this one was puny—just think if it had fall-

en into the hands of my enemies and they had said,

‘Just look-this is the kind of bow used by the great

Genji Commander in Chief Yoshitsune!’ I couldn’t

bear the thought of their scornful laughter! That’s

why I risked my life to get it back.” His men all were

deeply impressed with this answer.

The sun having set by this time, the Genji forces

withdrew and made their camp in the fields and hills

between Mure and Takamatsu. They had not slept

for three whole days. The first day they had set out by

boat from Watanabe and Fukushima, and that night

they had been so tossed about by the giant waves

that they could get no sleep at all. Yesterday they

had battled the enemy at Katsuura in the province of

Awa and had spent all night crossing the mountains.

Today again they had fought the whole day, and all

of them were utterly exhausted. Some used their

helmets for pillows; others used their quivers or the

sleeves of their armor as pillows, falling at once into

a deep and heedless sleep. Only Yoshitsune and Yo-

shimori of Ise remained awake.

Yoshitsune climbed up to a high point in order to

look around and watch for an enemy approach and

to try to determine what possible route the enemy

might use to attack. Yoshimori took up a waiting po-

sition in a hollow so he could shoot the horses in the

belly if the enemy attacked from that direction.

The Heike appointed Noritsune, the governor

of Noto, to command a force of some five hundred

horsemen and to prepare to launch a night attack.

But because Moritsugi of Etchu and Emi no Jirō

Morikata could not agree on which of them would

spearhead the attack, the night passed without an

attack. What could the Genji have possibly done if

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Lost Bow


の横上には、金剛童子を

書奉て、壇浦へ

寄するを見て、源氏も平家も共にをがむ。

されども源氏の方へ附ければ、平家興覚

てぞ思はれける。又伊予国の住人、河野

四郎通信、百五十艘の

兵船に乗連て漕

来り、源氏と一つに成にけり。判官旁憑

しう力ついてぞ思はれける。源氏の船は

三千

艘、平家の船は千余艘、唐船少々相

交れり。源氏の勢は重れば、平家の勢は

源氏へや参るべき。」とて、田辺の新熊野

にて御神楽奏して、權現に祈

誓し奉る。

「唯白旗につけ。」と御託宣有けるを、猶

疑なして白い鶏七、赤き鶏七、是を以て

權現の御前にて勝負をせさす。赤き鶏一

つも勝たず皆負てけり。さ

てこそ源氏へ

参らんと思定めけれ。一門の者共相催し、

都合其勢二千余人、二百余艘の船に乗り

連て、若王子の御正体を船に乗参せ、旗

鶏合　壇浦合戦

さる程に、九郎大夫判官義経周防の地に

押渡て、兄の参河守と一に成る。平家は

長門国ひく島にぞつきにける。源氏阿波

国勝浦に著て八島の軍に打勝ぬ。平家引

島に著と聞えしかば、源氏は同国の内、

追津に著こそ不思議なれ。

熊野別当湛増は、平家重恩の身なりしが、

忽に其恩を忘れて「平家へや参るべき、

a night attack had been launched? But the fact that

no such attack was so much as attempted shows how

low the fortunes of the Heike had sunk.

Book 11 Chapter 7

The Cockfights and the Battle ofDan-no-Ura

Thus Yoshitsune advanced as far as the Suo

region, where he joined forces with his older

brother Noriyori, the governor of Mikawa. Mean-

while the Heike had arrived at Hikushima in the

province of Nagato. Having landed at Katsuura, or

Victory Beach, in Awa, the Genji had conquered

their foes at Yashima. When word got out that the

Heike had reached Hikushima, or Retreat Island,

while the Genji were ensconced at a place called Oi-

tsu, or Pursuit Crossing, in the same province, people

wondered at the coincidence.

Tanzō, the superintendent of the Kumano Shrine,

unable to decide whether to support the Heike or

the Genji side, conducted a ceremony at the New

Kumano Shrine in Tanabe at which he offered a

performance of sacred music to the manifestation

of the Buddha worshiped at the shrine and prayed

for guidance. He was advised by the deity to “Follow

the white flag!” of the Genji. Still doubtful whether

this was the correct course, he selected seven white

and seven red fighting cocks and set them to battling

each other in front of the deity’s shrine. Not one

of the red cocks won; all fled in defeat. With this,

Tanzō decided to give his full support to the Genji.

He summoned all the men under his command-

a total of more than two thousand—and had them

board around two hundred boats. In one of the

boats he carried with him the god of the Nyaku Ōji

Shrine, and above his banner he flew a wooden strip

painted with an image of the guardian deity Kongō

Dōji. When his boats appeared in Dan-no-ura,

平家物語・鶏合　壇浦合戦


官の氣色を見て、奥州佐藤四郎兵衛忠信、

伊勢三郎

義盛、源八廣綱、江田源三、熊

井太郎、武蔵坊辨慶など云ふ一人当千の

兵共、梶原を中に取籠て、我討とらんと

ぞ進ける。されども判官には三浦介取附

き奉り、

梶原には土肥次郎つかみつき、両

人手を摺て申けるは、「是程の大事を前に

かゝへながら、同士軍候はゞ平家力附候

なんず。就中、鎌倉殿の還り聞せ給はん

は奉行を承たる身なれば、唯殿原と同事

ぞ。」と宣へば。梶原、先陣を所望しかねて、

「天性此殿は侍の主に

は成り難し。」とぞ

つぶやきける。判官、是を聞き「日本一

の嗚呼の者哉。」とて、太刀の柄に手をか

け給ふ。梶原「鎌倉殿より外に主を持ぬ

者を。」とて、是

も太刀の柄に手を懸けり。

さる程に嫡子の源太景季、次男平次景高、

同三郎景家、父と一所に寄合うたり。判

落ぞ行く。

元歴二年三月廿四日卯刻に、豊前の国の

門司赤間関にて、源平矢合とぞ定めける。

其日判官と梶原と既に同志軍せんとす

る

事あり。梶原、判官に申けるは「今日の

先陣をば、景時にたび候へ。」判官、「義

経がなくばこそ。」と宣へば、「大将軍に

てこそ在々候へ。」と申ければ、判官、「思

ひも寄らず、鎌倉殿こそ大将軍よ。義経

where the Genji and Heike forces were assembled,

both sides paid reverence to his arrival, but the Heike

were sadly disheartened when they saw him lead his

forces over to the side of the Genji.

In addition, Michinobu of Iyo Province came

rowing into sight with a force of one hundred and

fifty war vessels, also adding them to the Genji forc-

es. Thus Yoshitsune, having acquired these various al-

lies, felt confident of his fighting strength. The Genji

had more than three thousand boats; the Heike, only

few more than a thousand, including a few large,

Chinese-type vessels. While the Genji forces were

increasing in size, those of the Heike were dwindling.

The Genji and Heike forces decided to meet on

the twenty-fifth day, Third Month, of the second

year of the Genryaku era [1185] at around six in

the morning in the straits between the Moji barrier

in the province of Buzen and the Akama barrier in

order to exchange the volley of arrows that signaled

the commencement of hostilities. But when the day

arrived, Yoshitsune and Kajiwara Kagetoki almost

ended up battling each other.

“Today it is my turn to lead the attack!” Kajiwara

Kagetoki insisted.

“Not so long as I am here!” countered Yoshitsune.

“That is not right! Your place is to act as com-

mander in chief.”

“Nonsense! The lord of Kamakura is the com-

mander in chief. I simply have been commissioned

to carry out his orders. In rank I am the same as you

and the others.”

Seeing that he would not be allowed to lead the

attack, Kajiwara Kagetoki muttered to himself, “This

man is not endowed by nature to be the leader of

fighting men!”

Overhearing the remark, Yoshitsune exclaimed,

“And you are the biggest blockhead in all Japan!”

and reached for the handle of his sword. “Because I

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Cockfights and the Battle ofDan-no-Ura


べからず。天竺震旦にも、日本吾朝にも、

双なき名将勇

士と云へども、運命尽ぬれ

ば力及ばず。されども名こそ惜けれ。東

国の者共に弱氣見ゆな。いつの為に命を

ば惜むべき。唯是のみぞ思ふ事。」と宣へ

ば、飛騨三

郎左衛門景経御前に候けるが、

「是承れ、侍共。」とぞ下知しける。上総

悪七兵衛進出て申けるは、「坂東武者は、

馬の上でこそ口はきゝ候とも、船軍には

所こ

そ穩便ならず候へ。」と申せば、判官

静まり給ひぬ。梶原進に及ばず。其より

して、梶原、判官を憎みそめて終に讒言

して失ひけるとぞ、後には聞えし。

さる程に源平両陣の交ひ海の面卅余町を

ぞ隔たる。門司、赤間、壇の浦は、たぎ

りて落る潮なれば、源氏の船は潮に向う

て心ならず押落さる。平家の船は潮に追

てぞ出来たる。沖は潮

の早ければ、汀に

附て、梶原敵の船の行違所に、熊手を打

懸て、親子主従十四五人、乗り移り、打

物拔で艫舳に散々に

ないでまはり、分捕

数多して、其日の高名の一の筆にぞ附に

ける。既に、源平両方陣を合て閧を作る。

上は梵天迄も聞え、下は海龍神も驚らん

とぞ覚ける。新中

納言知盛卿、船の屋形

に立出で、大音声を上て、宣ひけるは「軍

は今日ぞ限る。者共少もしりぞく心ある

acknowledge loyalty to no one but the lord of Ka-

makura!” replied Kajiwara Kagetoki, and he too made

ready to draw his sword.

When this happened, Kajiwara’s eldest son

Kagesue, his second son Kagetaka, and his third son

Kageie gathered around their father. Observing Yo-

shitsune’s displeasure, Tadanobu of Ōshū, Yoshimori

of Ise, Genpachi Hirotsuna, Eda no Genzō, Kumai

Tarō, Musashibō Benkei, and others, each of them a

match for a thousand ordinary fighting men, hurried

forward, surrounding Kajiwara and preparing to at-

tack him themselves.

At this point Miura no Suke took hold of Yoshit-

sune while Toi no Jirō hastened to restrain Kajiwara.

“When we are right on the verge of a critical en-

counter, if our own leaders start battling each other,

it will only bolster the strength of the Heike!” they

said, pressing their palms together in supplication.

“And if word of this somehow gets back to Yoritomo,

there is bound to be trouble!”

At this point, Yoshitsune regained his composure.

Kajiwara could not press the matter further. But

from this time on, it is said that Kajiwara grew to

hate Yoshitsune, and his slander in the end brought

about Yoshitsune’s downfall .

The Genji and the Heike boats were positioned

on the sea about two miles apart. In the waters

around Moji, Akama, and Dan-no-ura, the tidal cur-

rents are confused and turbulent. The Genji boats

headed into the outgoing tide and hence, despite all

their efforts, werc constantly carried back. The Heike

boats, however, were moving with the tide.

Because the current out at sea was very swift, Ka-

jiwara stayed close to shore and used rakes to drag

the Heike boats closer as they passed him. Then he

and his sons and their followers—fourteen or fifteen

men in all—boarded the boats. Wielding weapons



に畏て候。「如何に重能は心替したるか。

今日こそ悪う見

ゆるぞ。四国の者共に、

軍好うせ

よと下知せよかし。臆したるな。」

と宣へば、「なじかは臆し候ふべき。」と

て御前を罷立つ。新中納言「あはれきや

つが頸を打落さばや。」と思食し、太刀の

つかも碎よと握て大臣殿の御方を頻に見

給ひけれども、御許され無れば、力及ばず。

平家は千余艘を三手に作る。山賀の兵藤

に挾さんで、海へ入れなん物を。」とぞ申

たる。新中納言はか様に下知し給ひ、大

臣殿の御まへに参て、「今

日は侍共景色よ

う見え候。但阿波民部重能は、心変した

ると覚え候。首をはね候はばや。」と申さ

れければ、大臣殿、見えたる事もなうて

如何頸をば切るべき。

指しも奉公の者で

あるものを。」「重能参れ。」とて召しけれ

ば木蘭地の直垂に、洗革の鎧著て、御前

いつ

調練し候べき。縦ば魚の木に上たる

でこそ候はんずれ。一々に取て海につけ

候はん。」とぞ申たる。越中の次郎兵衛申

けるは、「同くは大将軍の源九郎に組給

へ。

九郎は色白うせい小きが、向齒の殊に差

出てしるかんなるぞ。但し直垂と鎧を常

に著替なれば、きと見分難かん也。」とぞ

申ける。上総悪七兵衛申けるは「心こそ猛

とも其小冠者何程の事かあるべき。片脇

in their hands, they slashed mercilessly from bow

to stern, cutting down the occupants. They seized a

large amount of booty, and their exploits were the

first to be noted in the record of that day’s fighting.

By this time the Genji and Heike forces were

confronting each other and shouting their battle

cry. Above, it must have been heard as far away as

the Brahma Heaven; below it doubtless alarmed the

dragon king in his palace beneath the sea.

The new middle counselor, Taira no Tomomori,

took a position beside the cabin of his boat and

called out in a loud voice, “Today is the final battle.

Don’t even think about falling back. There have been

many generals and brave fighters of unparalleled

renown in India and China—and in our land of Ja-

pan as well. But when their fate ran out, there was

nothing they could do. Honor is the only thing that

counts! Don’t look weak to the easterners! What bet-

ter time than now to risk our lives? That’s the way I

see it!”

Kagetsune of Hida, who was attending Tomo-

mori, spoke up. “All you fighting men, listen to these

words that have just been spoken!” he ordered.

Next Akushichibyōe Kagekiyo stepped forward.

“These men from the eastern region may boast of

their skill at fighting on horseback, but what do they

know about naval battles? They’ll be as helpless as

fish trying to climb a tree! We’ll grab them one by

one and toss them in the sea!”

Then Moritsugi of Etchū spoke up. “If you’re

grabbing, then make a grab for the commander in

chief, Yoshitsune! They say Yoshitsune’s easy to spot

because he’s short and fair skinned, and his teeth

stick out. But they also say that because he keeps

changing his battle robe and armor, you might not

recognize him right away.”

“He may be brave at heart, but what can a skinny

little fellow like that do?” said Akushichibyōe. “I’ll

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Cockfights and the Battle ofDan-no-Ura


見えず。大将軍九郎大夫判官真先に

進で

戦ふ。楯も鎧もこらへずして、散散に射

しらまさる。平家御方勝ぬとて、頻に攻

皷打て悦の鬨をぞ作りける。

次秀遠五百余艘で先陣に漕向ふ。松浦等

三百余艘で二陣に続く。平家の君達二百

余艘にて三陣に続き給ふ。兵藤次秀遠は、

九国一番の精兵にて有けるが我程こそな

けれ共、普通ざまの精兵共五百人をすぐ

て、舟々の艫舳に立て、肩を一面に比

て、

五百の矢を一度に放つ。源氏は三千余艘

の船なれば勢の数、さこそ多かりけめど

も、所々より射ければ何くに精兵有とも

just tuck him under one arm and fling him into the

ocean!”

After issuing the orders just described, the new

middle counselor, Tomomori, went to speak to his

brother Munemori. “Our fighting men seem to be in

excellent spirits today. But I’m afraid that Shigeyo-

shi of Awa in Shikoku is not fully committed to our

cause. Perhaps we should have him beheaded.”

“How could we behead him when we have no

evidence of his disloyalty? He has been perfectly

trustworthy in his service. Have someone call him

here!”

In response to this command, Shigeyoshi ap-

peared, wearing an orange battle robe and armor

with white leather lacing, and made his obeisance

before Munemori. “How are you feeling, Shigeyoshi?

Have you had a change of heart?” said Munemori.

“You seem dispirited today. I trust you’ve ordered

your men from Shikoku to do their best in battle.

Don’t lose your nerve!” “Why would I lose my nerve!”

exclaimed Shigeyoshi, as he stood up to leave. “How

I’d like to lop this fellow’s head off!” thought Tomo-

mori as Shigeyoshi withdrew, and he gripped the

handle of his sword hard enough to break it in two,

looking fixedly at Munemori. But because the latter

refused to give any sign of agreement, Tomomori was

powerless to move.

The Heike arranged their thousand or more boats

into three groups. Rowing in the vanguard were

some five hundred boats under the command of

Hidetō of Yamaga in Kyushu. Next came the second

group, around three hundred boats of the Matsura

clans. The Heike commanders followed in a third

group made up of about two hundred boats.

Hidetō was the finest archer in all Kyushu, and

he had selected a force of five hundred men who,

though hardly his equal in skill, still qualified as ex-

pert marksmen. He ordered them to line up shoulder



る矢の十三束二伏有に、沓卷より一束計

おいて、和田小太郎平義盛と、漆にてぞ

書附たる。平家の方に精兵多しといへど

も、さすが遠矢射る

者は少かりけるやら

ん、稍久しう有て、伊予国の住人仁井紀

四郎親清召出され、此矢を給はて射返す。

是も沖よりなぎさへ三町

余をつと射渡し

て、和田小太郎が、後一段余に引へたる

三浦の石田左近太郎が弓手のかひなにし

遠矢

源氏の方にも和田小太郎義盛、船には乗

らず、馬に打乗てなぎさに引へ、甲をば

脱いで人にもたせ、鐙の鼻蹈そらし、よ

引て射ければ、三町が内との物は

外さず

つよう射けり。其中に殊に遠う射たると

覚しきを、「其矢給はらん。」とぞ招いた

る。新中納言是を召寄せて見給へば、白

篦に鶴の本白、こうの羽を破合

せて作だ

to shoulder in the bow and stern of each of the boats

and to shoot their five hundred arrows all at the same

time.

The Genji had more than three thousand boats,

which meant that they were considerably superior

in number. But their arrows came winging from all

directions so that it was difficult to determine just

where their skilled archers were positioned. Yoshit-

sune was in the very forefront of the action, but the

Genii were so pelted with arrows that they faltered,

their shields and armor offering scarcely any pro-

tection at all. The Heike, certain that their side was

winning, banged away at the drums that signaled the

attack and shouted with glee.

Book 11 Chapter 8

Far-Flying Arrows

One of the Genji warriors, Wada Yoshimori,

did not board a boat but remained on horse-

back on the beach. After taking off his helmet and

handing it to one of his men, he thrust his feet far

forward into his stirrups, fully drew back his bow and

began releasing his arrows. So powerful and accurate

were his shots that he could hit any target he chose

within more than a thousand feet. When he shot an

arrow at a particularly distant target, he would ges-

ture to the person he had aimed at, inviting him to

shoot it back.

Tomomori had one of Yoshimori’s arrows brought

to him so that he could examine it. It was thirteen

handbreadths and two fingers in length, a plain

bamboo arrow fledged with white crane feathers

mixed with stork feathers, and a handbreadth from

the lashing it was inscribed in lacquer with the name

“Wada Kotara Yoshimori.”

Although the Heike were numerous, only a few

were capable of shooting such a long distance, for

only after some delay did Tomomori succeed in sum-

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Far-Flying Arrows


ひけるは、「沖より此矢を射て候が、射返

せと招き候。御辺あそばし候なんや。」「給

はて見候はん。」とて、爪よて、「これは篦

が少し弱う候。矢束もちと短う候。同じ

うは義成が具足にて仕り候はん。」とて、

塗籠籐の弓の九尺計あるに、塗篦に黒ほ

ろはいだる矢の、我大手に

押握て十五束

有けるをうちくはせ、よ引てひやうと放

つ。四町余をつと射渡して、大船の舳に

「こまたへ給

はらん。」とぞ招いたる。判

官此を拔せて見給へば、白篦に山鳥の尾

を以て作だりける矢の、十四束三伏ある

に、伊予国の住人仁井紀四郎親清とぞ書

附たる。判

官後藤兵衛実基を召て、「此矢

射つべき者の御方に誰かある。」と宣へば

「甲斐源氏に安佐里与一殿こそ、精兵にて

ましまし候へ。」「さらば呼べ。」とて呼れ

ければ、安佐里の与一出来たり。判官宣

たたかにこそ立たりけれ。三浦の人共是

を見て、「和田小太郎

が、我に過て遠矢射

る者なしと思ひて恥かいたるをかしさよ。

あれを見よ。」とぞ笑ひける。和田小太郎

是を聞き、「やすからぬ事也。」とて小舟

に乗て漕出さ

せ、平家の勢の中を差詰め

引詰め散々にいければ多の者共射殺れ手

負にけり。又判官の乗給る船に、沖より

白篦の大矢を一つ射立てゝ、和田が様に

moning Chikakiyo of Iyo and, handing him the ar-

row, having him shoot it back to the Genji side. The

arrow flew some thousand feet or more from the

boat in the sea to the shore, where it lodged in the

upper left arm of Miura Taro, who had stopped more

than thirty-five feet behind Yoshimori.

Observing what had happened, Miura’s men

laughed and said, “Look at that! Yoshimori thought

that no one could outshoot him. Now he’s angry be-

cause he’s been shown up!”

Overhearing them, Yoshimori exclaimed, “He

won’t get away with this!” Getting into a small boat,

he had himself rowed out into the very midst of the

Heike forces. There, fitting one arrow after another

into his bow, he succeeded in killing or wounding

several men.

Around the same time, a large arrow made of

bamboo came winging from the sea and landed in

Yoshitsune’s boat. As in the case ofYoshimori, the

archer challenged him to return it. When Yoshit-

sune had someone pull out the arrow and examine

it, he found that it was fourteen handbreadths and

three fingers in length, the shaft of bamboo fledged

with pheasant feathers and inscribed with the name

“Chikakiyo of Iyo.”

Yoshitsune sent for Gotō Sanetomo. “Do we have

anyone on our side who can return this arrow?” he

asked.

“Lord Asari no Yoichi of the Kai Genji clan is

one of our finest archers.”

“Send for him!” ordered Yoshitsune, and soon the

man appeared.

“Someone out in the ocean shot this arrow here

and dares us to shoot it back. Can you do that for

me?”

“May I see the arrow?” said Yoichi, and he tested

it with his finger. “The bamboo shaft is rather weak

and the arrow is too short. If it is all the same, I’ll use

平家物語・遠矢


博士晴信を召て、「江豚は常に多けれども、

未だか様の事なし。いかゞあるべきと勘

へ申せ。」と仰られければ「此江

豚見かへ

り候はば、源氏滅び候べし。はうて通候

はば、御方の御軍危う候。」と申も果ねば、

平家の船の下を、直にはうて通りけり。「世

の中は今はかう。」と

ぞ申たる。

阿波民部重能は、此三箇年が間、平家に

能々忠を尽し、度々の合戦に命を惜まず

ひけ

るに、暫は白雲かと覚しくて、虚空

に漂ひけるが、雲にては無りけり、主も

なき白旗一流舞下て、源氏の船の舳に、

竿附の緒のさはる程にぞ見えたりける。

判

官、「是は八幡大菩薩の現じ給へるにこ

そ。」と悦で、手水鵜飼をして、是を拜し

奉る。兵共皆此のごとし。又源氏の方よ

り江豚といふ魚、一二千這うて、平家

の

方へぞ向ひける。大臣殿是を御覽じて小

立たる仁井紀四郎親清が真正中をひやう

づばと射て、船底へ逆様に

射倒す。死生

をばしらず。安佐里与一は、本より精兵

の手きゝ也。二町に走る鹿をば、外さず

射けるとぞ聞えし。其後源平、戦に命を

惜まずをめき叫んで攻戦ふ。何れ劣れり

とも見

えず。されども、平家の方には、

十善帝王三種の神器を帯して渡らせ給へ

ば、源氏如何あらんずらんとあぶなう思

one of my own arrows.”

So saving, he took an arrow fifteen handbreadths

in length, with a lacquered bamboo shaft and black

eagle feathers. Gripping it in his large fist, he fitted

it into his huge nine-foot bow wrapped with rattan

and lacquered, drew the bow far back, and sent it off

with a whoosh. It sailed a thousand feet and struck

Chikakiyo of Iyo, who was standing in the bow of

one of the large Heike boats, square in the chest. He

tumbled head over heels to the bottom of the boat

whether dead or alive, no one knew. Asari no Yoichi

was a natural-born archer. It was rumored that he

could shoot deer on the run from as far away as seven

hundred feet without ever missing.

After this the Genji and Heike fell on each other

with no thought for their own safety, shouting and

yelling wildly. It was impossible to say which side

was winning, but because the emperor with his ten

kinds of virtue and three imperial regalia was with

the Heike, the Genji could not help feeling them-

selves at a disadvantage. Then something that looked

like a white cloud appeared in the sky and hovered

there for a moment. It was not a cloud, however, but

a white banner, with no one holding it, which flut-

tered down until the cord dangling from its handle

seemed to touch the prow of one of the Genji boats.

Yoshitsune was overjoyed. “This is a sign from

the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman!” he declared and,

rinsing his hands and mouth with water, he bowed in

obeisance. All his warriors followed his example.

In addition, some one or two thousand porpoises

appeared, coming from the direction of the Genji

boats and swimming toward those of the Heike.

Munemori, the Heike commander, observing this,

summoned Harenobu, a doctor of divination, and

stated, “There are always porpoises hereabouts, but

I’ve never seen so many of them. What meaning do

you divine in this?”

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike Far-Flying Arrows


りける。

ける。新中納言「やすからぬ、重能めを

切て棄べかりつるものを。」と千たび後悔

せられけれども叶はず。さる程に四国鎮

西の兵共、皆平家を背いて、源

氏に附く。

今まで従ひ著たりし者共も君に向て弓を

引き、主に対して太刀を拔く。彼岸につ

かんとすれば、波高して叶ひ難し。此の

汀に

寄らんとすれば、敵箭鋒を汰て待懸

たり。源平の国争、今日を限とぞ見えた

“If these porpoises staying near the surface go

back in the direction they came from, it means the

Genji are doomed. But if they continue in their cur-

rent direction, then I’m afraid our own forces will be

in danger.”

He had hardly finished delivering these words

when the porpoises dived directly under the Heike

boats and disappeared. “This is the end of our world!”

he said.

Shigeyoshi of Awa had faithfully served the

Heike lords for three years, again and again going to

battle in their defense without thought for his own

life. But after his son Saemon had been taken pris-

oner by the Genji forces, perhaps concluding that

his efforts were hopeless, he abruptly shifted his al-

legiance and went over to the Genji side.

The Heike had contrived a scheme whereby they

would assign their highranking men to the ordinary

boats and their men of inferior class and fighting

capacity to the large, Chinese-style ships. They as-

sumed that in the battle the Genji would concentrate

on the Chinese vessels and that when they did so,

the Heike, having made the necessary preparations,

would close in for the kill.

Because Shigeyoshi of Awa had gone over to the

other side, however, the Genji, now aware of the

scheme, paid no heed to the Chinese vessels but in-

stead directed their attack at the boats in which the

Heike commanders, disguised as common soldiers,

were riding. “What a blunder!” exclaimed the Heike

leader Tomomori. “I should have cut off and thrown

away Shigeyoshi’s head!” Much as he might pour out

his regrets, however, the situation was now past rem-

edy.

So it was that all the fighting men of Shikoku

and Kyushu turned up against the Heike and threw

in their lot with the Genji. Those who up to now

had been models of obedience suddenly turned their

防ぎ戦ひけるが、子息田内左衛門を生捕

にせられて、いかにも叶はじとや思ひけ

ん、忽に心替りして、源氏に同心してんげ

り。平家の方にははかりごとに、好き人

をば兵船に乗せ、雜人共を唐船に乗せ

て、

源氏心にくさに唐船を攻めば、中に取籠

て討んと支度せられたりけれども、阿波

民部が返忠の上は、唐船には目も懸けず、

大将軍のやつし乗給へる兵船をぞ攻たり

平家物語・遠矢


「中納言殿、軍は如何に。」と口々に問ひ

給へば、「めづらしき東男をこそ御覽ぜら

れ候はんずらめ。」とて、からからと笑ひ

給へば、「何

条の只今の戲れぞや。」とて、

声々にをめき叫給ひけり。二位殿は此有

様を御覽じて日比思食設けたる事なれば、

にぶ色の二衣打覆き、練袴の傍高く挾み、

伸璽

を脇に挾み、寶劔を腰にさし、主上

を抱奉て、「我身は女なりとも、敵の手に

先帝身投

源氏の兵共既に平家の船に乗移りければ、

水主梶取共、射殺され、切殺されて船を

直すに及ばず、船底に倒伏しにけり。新

中納言知盛卿、小船に乗て、御

所の御船

に参り、「世の中はいまはかうと見えて

候。見苦しからん物共皆海へ入させ給へ。」

とて艫舳に走り廻り、掃いたり拭うたり、

塵拾ひ、手づから掃除せ

られけり。女房達、

bows on their own leaders or drew their swords to

menace those who had been their commanders.

When the Heike made for this or that shore, they

found high waves impeding their approach; when

they headed for this or that beach, they discovered

the arrows of their enemies waiting for them. The

long struggle between the Genji and the Heike for

mastery of the realm was destined, it seemed, to end

on this very day.

Book 11 Chapter 9

The Drowning of the Former Emperor

By this time, the Genji warriors had succeeded

in boarding the Heike boats, shooting dead the

sailors and helmsmen with their arrows or cutting

them down with their swords. The bodies lay heaped

in the bottom of the boats, and there was no longer

anyone to keep the boats on course.

Taira no Tomomori boarded a small craft and

made his way to the vessel in which the former em-

peror was riding. “This is what the world has come

to!” he exclaimed. “Have all these unsightly things

thrown into the sea!” Then he began racing from

prow to stern, sweeping, mopping, dusting, and at-

tempting with his own hands to put the boat into

proper order.

“How goes the battle, Lord Tomomori?” asked

the emperor’s ladies-in-waiting, pressing him with

questions.

“You’ll have a chance to see some splendid gentle-

men from the eastern region!” he replied with a cack-

ling laugh.

“How can you joke at a time like this!” they pro-

tested, their voices joined in a chorus of shrieks and

wails.

Observing the situation and evidently having

been prepared for some time for such an eventuality,

the Nun of the Second Rank, the emperor’s grand-

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Drowning of the Former Emperor


でたき所へ具し参せさぶらふぞ。」と泣々

申させ給へば、山鳩色の御衣にびんづら

結せ給ひて、御涙におぼれ、小さく美し

き御手を合せて先東を伏

し拜み、伊勢大

神宮に御暇申させ給ひ、其後西に向はせ

給ひて、御念仏有しかば、二位殿やがて

抱き奉り、「浪のしたにも、都のさぶらふ

ぞ。」と慰奉て千尋の

底へぞ入給ふ。悲き

哉、無常の春の風、忽に華の御容を散し、

奉り涙を押へて申されけるは、「君

は未知

し召れさぶらはずや。先世の十善戒行の

御力に依て、今万乗の主と生させ給へど

も、悪縁に引かれて、御運既に尽させ給

ひぬ。先づ東に向はせ給ひて、伊

勢大神

宮に御暇申させ給ひ、

其後西方浄土の来迎

に預らむと思食し、西に向はせ給ひて御

念仏候ふべし。此国は粟散辺地とて、心

憂き境にてさぶらへば、極

楽浄土とてめ

はかゝるまじ。君の御供に参る也。御志

思ひ参せ給はん人々は、急ぎ続き給へ。」

とて舟端へ歩み出られけり。主上は今年

は八歳に成せ給へども御年の程より遙に

ねびさせ給ひて、御容美しくあたりも照

り輝くばかり也。御ぐし黒う優々として

御せなかすぎさせ給へり。あきれたる御

様にて、「尼ぜ、我をばいづちへ具してゆ

かんとするぞ。」と仰ければ、幼き君に向

mother, slipped a two-layer nun’s robe over her head

and tied her glossed silk trousers high at the waist.

She placed the sacred jewel, one of the three imperial

regalia, under her arm, thrust the sacred sword in her

sash, and took the child emperor in her arms. “I may

be a mere woman, but I have no intention of falling

into the hands of the enemy! I will accompany my

lord. All those of you who are resolved to fulfill your

duty by doing likewise, quickly follow me!” So saying,

she strode to the side of the boat.

The emperor had barely turned eight but had the

bearing of someone much older than that. The beau-

ty of his face and form seemed to radiate all around

him. His shimmering black hair fell down the length

of his back.

Startled and confused, he asked, “Grandma,

where are you going to take me?”

Gazing at his innocent face and struggling to

hold back her tears, the nun replied, “Don’t you un-

derstand? In your previous life you were careful to

observe the ten good rules of conduct, and for that

reason you were reborn in this life as a ruler of ten

thousand chariots. But now evil entanglements have

you in their power, and your days of good fortune

have come to an end.

“First,” she told him tearfully, “you must face east

and bid farewell to the goddess of the Grand Shrine

at Ise. Then you must turn west and trust in Amida

Buddha to come with his hosts to greet you and lead

you to his Pure Land. Come now, turn your face to

the west and recite the invocation of the Buddha’s

name. This far-off land of ours is no bigger than a

millet seed, a realm of sorrow and adversity. Let us

leave it now and go together to a place of rejoicing,

the paradise of the Pure Land!”

Dressed in a dove gray robe, his hair now done

in boyish loops on either side of his head, the child,

his face bathed in tears, pressed his small hands to-

平家物語・先帝身投


を一時に亡し給ふこそ悲しけれ。

無情哉、分段の荒き浪、玉体を沈め奉る。

殿をば長生と名附けて長き棲かと定め、

門をば不老と号

して、老せぬとざしとか

きたれども、未だ十歳の内にして、底の

水くづとならせ給ふ。十善帝位の御果報、

申すも中々愚なり。雲上の龍降て、海底

の魚となり給

ふ。大梵高台の閣の上、釈

提喜見の宮の内、古は槐門棘路の間に九

族を靡かし、今は舟の中波の下に、御命

gether, knelt down, and bowed first toward the east,

taking his leave of the deity of the Ise Shrine. Then

he turned toward the west and began chanting the

nembutsu, the invocation of Amida’s name. The nun

then took him in her arms. Comforting him, she

said, “There’s another capital down there beneath the

waves!” So they plunged to the bottom of the thou-

sand-fathom sea.

How pitiful that the spring winds of imperma-

nence should so abruptly scatter the beauty of the

blossoms; how heartless that the rough wave of rein-

carnation should engulf this tender body! Long Life

is the name they give to the imperial palace, signal-

ing that one should reside there for years unending;

its gates are dubbed Ageless, a term that speaks of a

reign forever young. Yet before he had reached the

age of ten, this ruler ended as refuse on the ocean

floor.

Ten past virtues rewarded with a throne, yet how

fleeting was that prize! He who once was a dragon

among the clouds now had become a fish in the

depths of the sea. Dwelling once on terraces lofty

as those of the god Brahma, in palaces like the Joy-

ful Sight Citadel of the god Indra, surrounded by

great lords and ministers of state, a throng of kin and

clansmen in his following, now in an instant he end-

ed his life beneath this boat, under these billows—

sad, sad indeed!

[Translation adapted from Burton Watson]

Heike monogatari: The Tale of the Heike The Drowning of the Former Emperor


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