The Tale of Genji
Murasaki Shikibu
Majesty (His, Her)—Used for the Emperor and Empress.
Master of Discipline Risshi, Rishi—The lowest on the ladder of ecclesiastical ranks accessible to elite, fully ordained priests. In the time of the tale it is still a distinguished appointment—more so than in later times. “Discipline” means the body of Buddhist monastic discipline.
Master (of the Household) (Saburai no) Betō—The chief administrator of the household of an imperial family member, such as a Prince or a Retired Emperor.
Master of Spells Jugonshi—A specialist in performing spells (majinai) as healing magic, employed by the Office of Medicine (Ten'yaku Ryō).
Minister Otodo—The highest nonimperial office (second rank) provided for in the government's formal table of organization, as the office of Chancellor was not; however, the post of Palace Minister (Naidaijin, Uchi no Otodo) was also a later addition. The Minister of the Left (Sadaijin, Hidari no Otodo) was normally but not necessarily senior to the Minister of the Right (Udaijin, Migi no Otodo), and the Palace Minister was somewhat junior in standing.
Mistress of Staff Naishi no Kami—The senior woman official (third rank) in the Office of Staff. In principle, the incumbent supervised female palace staff, palace ceremonies, and the transmission of petitions and decrees. In practice, she was a junior wife to the Emperor.
Mistress of the Household Nyobettō—The ranking female official in a great lady's household.
Mistress of the Wardrobe Mikushigedono—The woman official in charge of the palace office that made the Emperor's clothing.
Mother of the Realm Kuni no Haha—An expression or title used to refer to an Empress or an Empress Mother.
Myōbu—A title borne in palace service by middle-ranking gentlewomen (fifth rank or above) or by the wives of gentlemen of those ranks. Since a number of gentlewomen bore this title at the same time, people distinguished one from another by attaching to her title the name of the major office associated with her husband, father, or brother.
Novice Nyūdō—A man or woman of noble birth who had taken preliminary vows as a monk or nun. A Novice did not join a monastic community but pursued Buddhist practice at home.
Ōmyōbu—A Myōbu (palace gentlewoman) of imperial birth.
page, page girl warawa—A boy or girl of good family, in service in a noble household. Particularly on the male side there were warawa of mature years as well, as a kind of long-term servant, but these hardly figure in the tale. See also privy page.
Palace Guards Konoefu—The double (Left and Right, Sakon and Ukon) corps of guards assigned to protect the palace proper and stationed in its innermost areas. The Palace Guards had precedence over the Watch and the Gate Watch. Their two Commanders (third rank, lower grade) outranked the Intendants of those units (fourth rank, lower grade). A second-level officer was a Captain (Chūjō fourth rank, lower grade), a third-level officer a Lieutenant (Shōshō; fifth rank, lower grade), and a fourth-level officer an Aide (Zō; sixth rank, upper grade).
Palace Minister Naidaijin, Uchi no Otodo—Normally the junior among the three Ministers who constituted the senior level of the Council of State.
Prelate (His Reverence) Sōzu—The highest ecclesiastical rank mentioned in the tale. Two higher ranks existed, but at the time of the tale (unlike later) they were rarely filled.
Prince (His Highness) Miya—An imperial son appointed to this title by his father. (Genji is therefore not a Prince.) Historically, most Princes were ranked in four grades and received an imperial stipend accordingly, but some were “unranked” (muhon). The tale says nothing about according this kind of status to an imperial grandson.
Princess (Her Highness) Miya—An imperial daughter appointed to this title by her father, or the recognized granddaughter of an Emperor in the male line. Suetsumuhana, whose father was a Prince, is therefore a Princess. In contrast, Aoi, whose mother is a Princess, is not one herself; the narration treats her purely as a commoner. Ukifune, the daughter of a Prince, is not a Princess because her father did not recognize her.
privy gentleman uebito, tenjōbito—A gentleman individually authorized by the Emperor to enter the privy chamber. The term referred more specifically to those gentlemen of the fourth and fifth ranks, together with Chamberlains (Kurōdo) of the sixth rank, who would not otherwise have enjoyed the privilege automatically granted the top three ranks. The number of privy gentlemen varied but usually fell below one hundred and was sometimes less than a third of that.
privy page tenjō warawa—A boy of good family, not yet of age, who served in the privy chamber in order to learn court customs and manners.
Reader Kōji—The official charged with reading out the Chinese poems composed at a festive gathering.
Regent Sesshō—A high-ranking, nonimperial nobleman appointed to act for the Emperor while the Emperor was a minor. (The title “Kanpaku,” also translated “Regent” and held by someone who acted similarly for an adult Emperor, does not appear in the tale.)
Retired Emperor (His [Cloistered] Eminence) In—An Emperor who has abdicated and who now resides in a separate palace. Such a figure appears most often in this translation as His Eminence or, if he has taken Buddhist vows, as His Cloistered Eminence.
Right Captain Uchūjō—See Captain.
Right City Commissoner Ukyō no Kami (Daibu)—The chief officer (junor fourth rank, lower grade) charged with population registration, tax collection, legal appeals, security, and so on in the right (west) sector of the City.
Right Controller Uchūben.
Right Deputy Migi no Suke—A second-level officer in the Right Gate Watch (fifth rank, lower grade).
Right Gate Watch—See Gate Watch.
Right Grand Controller Udaiben—See Controller.
Right Guards Commissioner Ukon no Taifu— An Aide of the Right Palace Guards, exceptionally promoted to the fifth rank, so that he bears the fifth-rank title of Commissioner.
Second Equerry Uma no Suke—A second-level officer (sixth rank, lower grade) of the imperial stables Left or Right.
Second of the Left Gate Watch Saemon no Taifu—The second-ranking officer (junior fifth rank, upper grade) in the Left Gate Watch. (The title “Taifu” acknowledges the fifth-rank appointment.)
Second of the Watch Hyōe no Suke—A second-level officer in the Watch (junior fifth rank, upper grade).
Secretary Kurōdo no Tō—A senior appointee in the Chamberlains' Office. Of the two Secretaries, one was concurrently a Controller (fifth rank, upper grade) and the other normally a Captain (junior fourth rank, lower grade).
Secretary Captain Tō no Chūjō—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Captain in the Palace Guards.
Secretary Controller Tō no Ben—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Controller.
Secretary Lieutenant Tō no Shōshō—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Lieutenant (fifth rank, lower grade) in the Palace Guards.
senior noble kandachime—A noble of at least the third rank (sanmi) and holding a post at least at the level of Consultant (Sangi).
Treasury Commissioner Okura no Taifu—The second level (fifth rank, lower grade) in the Office of the Treasury.
Upkeep Consultant Suri no Saishō—A dual appointment as Director of Upkeep and Consultant.
Viceroy Dazai no Sochi—The senior appointee to Dazaifu, the government outpost in Kyushu that was particularly responsible for such foreign relations as Japan had at the time. The post (junior third rank) was held by a Prince. Since it was a sinecure and the incumbent never actually went to Kyushu, the real government representative there was the Dazaifu Deputy.
Watch Hyōefu—The corps (divided into Left [Sahyōefu] and Right [Uhyōefu]) of guards charged with maintaining general security in the palace compound and in the City at large. The senior officer was the Intendant (junior fourth rank, lower grade), followed by the Second (junior fifth rank, upper grade).
yin-yang master—An expert in yin-yang lore, connected with the Yin-Yang Office (Onmyō Ryō), an organ of the Bureau of Central Affairs in charge of matters pertaining to astrology, weather, the calendar, timekeeping, and divination.
Summary of Poetic Allusions Identified in the Notes
Introduction
The world of The Tale of Genji considered poetry (uta, literally “song”) the highest form of art and, in principle, the most perfect mode of human communication. Cultivated people knew a great many poems by heart, and these naturally crept into their speech, their writing, and their own poems. When moved or troubled, they might well write out old poems brought to mind by their mood, mingled with new ones of their own. The text of the tale therefore contains a very large number of poetic allusions, of which a small but significant minority consists of allusions to Chinese poetry, especially that of Bai Juyi (772–846).
Many of these allusions are pointed and obvious, but in other cases it may be unclear whether the allusion is to a specific poem or whether that image or turn of phrase had simply become current in the literary language. For this sort of reason, different authorities may disagree on the allusions they recognize or exclude. The ones identified in the notes and summarized below therefore are neither exhaustive nor particularly authoritative.
The corpus of classical Japanese poetry is available in the printed and CD-ROM editions of Shinpen kokka taikan (Tokyo: Kadokawa). The identifying numbers given here were taken from the CD-ROM edition, released in 1996. The numbers for the poems of Bai Juyi are from Hanabusa Hideki, ed., Hakushi monjū no kisoteki kenkyū (Tokyo: Hōyū Shoten, 1974).
The identifications in the notes and below attribute each poem to a specific collection, of which the corpus contains a great many. However, this is often only a matter of convenience. Any cultivated person in the author's time should have known the Kokinshū (Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern, 905) by heart and been thoroughly familiar with Ise monogatari (Tales of Ise, tenth century), but otherwise it is not always easy to be sure in what context a particular poem reached the author. The expedient character of some of these identifications is obvious from the fact that they refer to collections that postdate The Tale of Genji itself.
The tale alludes to some poems more than once. Numbers in parentheses following poem numbers indicate the number of such recurrences. Some poem numbers are also followed by a particularly significant alternative source for the same poem.
Poems Listed by Collection
Fukuro no sōshi
A treatise on the art of poetry written by Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104–72?). 140
Genji monogatari kochūshakusho in'yō waka
This is not a poetry collection but a compilation peculiar to the Shinpen kokka taikan. Its title means “Poems quoted in old commentaries on The Tale of Genji.” A good many allusions in the tale are to poems known only from commentaries of roughly the twelfth to fourteenth centuries.
1, 76, 126, 148, 157, 160, 165, 177, 186, 199, 205, 244, 275, 300, 304, 367, 381, 382, 392, 394, 448, 464, 475, 514 (2), 639, 745, 927, 983, 1394, 1481(2), 1933
Gosenshū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 951.
64 (3), 100, 103 (3), 199, 372, 468, 479, 481, 563, 608, 640, 683, 705, 718, 719, 731, 809, 899, 900, 938 (2), 960, 1036, 1089, 1093 (2), 1102 (Kokin rokujō 1412), 1107, 1143, 1173, 1187 (2, Kokin rokujō 3133), 1188, 1224, 1240, 1260, 1264, 1333 (2), 1364
Goshūishū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 1086.
82, 216 (Shigeyuki shū 264), 894 (Kagerō nikki 93), 1041
Hakushi monjū
The complete poetic works of the Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772–846), as cataloged in Hanabusa Hideki, ed., Hakushi monjū no kisoteki kenkyū. Allusions to themes from Bai Juyi abound in the tale, and the examples listed are only the most obvious ones.
0004, 0075, 0076, 0131, 0144, 0160 (3), 0161, 0498, 0596 (3), 0603, 0631 (Wakan rōei shū 52), 0695, 0724, 0790, 0850, 0911, 0920, 0975, 0978, 1055, 1107, 1280, 1287, 2392, 2565, 2821, 3564
Ichijō no Sesshō go-shū
The personal collection of Fujiwara no Koremasa (924–72).
132
Ise monogatari
An immensely influential tenth-century collection of short tales built around poems, especially those by Ariwara no Narihira (825–80). The number cited first is that of the individual poem, followed by the number of times it is alluded to (if more then one), followed by the number of the section, or episode, in which that poem occurs.
1 (section 1), 6 (2, section 5, Kokinshū 632), 8 (2, section 7), 13 (section 9; Kokinshū 411), 63 (section 30), 90 (section 49), 119 (2, section 65; Kokinshū 501), 131 (section 71), 145 (section 82), 154 (section 84; Kokinshū 901), 174 (section 99; Kokinshū 476), 193 (section 112; Kokinshū 708)
Ise shū
The personal collection of a woman poet known as Ise. Mid-tenth century.
55 (2), 176 (Kokin rokujō 2479), 424, 483
Izumi Shikibu shū
The personal collection of a major woman poet contemporary with the author.
132 (also Shikashū 109), 150 (Shūishū 1342)
Kagerō nikki
The poetic diary of a woman known as “The Mother of Michitsuna.” Late tenth century.
93 (also Goshūishū 894)
Kokin rokujō
A large compendium of poetry from the mid- or late tenth century.
174, 371 (2), 423, 593 (Shinkokinshū 757), 987 (2), 1049, 1201 (Tsurayuki shū 15), 1296, 1412 (Gosenshū 1102), 1796 (2, Shinkokinshū 1379), 1888 (2), 1980, 1986, 2096 (2), 2122, 2233, 2345, 2479 (Ise shū 176), 2571, 2640, 2749, 2804 (2), 2841, 3019, 3057, 3133 (2, Gosenshū 1187), 3241 (3), 3333, 3360, 3507, 3508, 3874, 3916 (2, Man'yōshū 1428), 3962, 3984, 4131 (Tsurayuki shū 60), 4155, 4268, 4385, 4417 (Man'yōshū 1477), 4488 (2)
Kokinshū
The first imperially commissioned collection, completed in 905. A cultivated person needed to know it by heart (roughly a thousand poems).
13, 28, 31, 32 (2), 33, 37, 38 (2), 41 (5), 44, 66, 68, 70, 97 (2), 139 (2), 153, 167 (2), 171, 200, 204 (2), 214, 223, 229, 241, 243, 244, 248, 262, 279, 292, 297, 349, 356, 389, 405, 409 (2), 411 (Ise monogatari 13), 415 (Tsurayuki shū 764), 476 (Ise monogatari 174), 488 (3), 498, 500, 501 (2, Ise monogatari 119), 503, 506, 508, 509 (2), 535 (3), 546, 582, 603, 611, 617, 631, 632 (2, Ise monogatari 6), 636, 637, 647, 683, 684, 685, 689 (3), 694 (2), 695, 699, 701, 705, 706, 708 (Ise monogatari 193), 713, 727, 732 (3), 743, 747, 756, 792, 806, 831 (2), 832 (3), 838, 839, 841, 853 (2), 855, 861, 867 (4), 868, 870, 875, 878, 892 (2), 901 (Ise monogatari 154), 907, 909 (2), 934, 935, 938, 944, 948 (2), 951 (2), 952 (3), 955 (2), 961 (3), 962, 965, 967, 968, 970, 977, 981, 982 (3), 983 (3), 987, 992 (2), 1007, 1008, 1009 (2), 1025 (2), 1037, 1041, 1061, 1080, 1086, 1091, 1093 (2), 1098, 1108, 1110 (2)
Komachi shū
The personal collection of a major tenth-century woman poet.
98 (Shinkokinshū 336)
Man'yōshū
A large and immensely important collection compiled in the eighth century. It was not widely read in the author's time because its language was too archaic and its script too difficult to read.
267, 1234, 1398 (Shūishū 967), 1428 (2, Kokin rokujō 3916), 1477 (Kokin rokujō 4417), 2325, 2429 (2, Shūishū 1243, a later variant), 3829, 4482
Motoyoshi Shinnō shū
The personal collection of Prince Motoyoshi (890–943).
150
Nakatsukasa shū
The personal collection of the woman poet Nakatsukasa (tenth century).
249
Nihon shoki
A court-sponsored history of Japan written in Chinese and completed in 720.
66(2)
Ōkagami
A historical work in Japanese. Roughly 1100.
14 (the “Tokihira-den” section)
Saneakira shū
The personal collection of Minamoto no Saneakira (910–70).
28, 50
Shigeyuki shū
The personal collection of Minamoto no Shigeyuki (tenth century).
264 (Goshūishū 216)
Shikashū
An imperially commissioned collection of the mid-twelfth century.
109 (Izumi Shikibu shū 132)
Shinkokinshū
A particularly important, imperially commissioned collection completed in 1205.
55, 336 (Komachi shū 98), 757 (Kokin rokujō 593), 1013, 1052, 1379 (2, Kokin rokujō 1796), 1494, 1515 (2), 1599, 1703 (Wakan rōei shū 722)
Shinsenzaishū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 1359.
526, 599
Shūishū
An imperially commissioned collection of the late tenth century.
5, 29, 62, 183, 351, 451 (2, Wakan rōei shū 469), 477, 506 (2), 511, 545, 577, 579, 662, 665, 668, 685, 727, 735, 736, 844, 853, 870, 876, 894, 895, 953 (2), 967 (Man'yōshū 1398), 985, 1005, 1063, 1068, 1098, 1210 (2), 1217, 1243 (2, Man'yōshū 2429), 1342 (Izumi Shikibu shū 150), 1350
Tsurayuki shū
The personal collection of Ki no Tsurayuki (868–945), the compiler of the Kokinshū.
15 (Kokin rokujō 1201), 60 (Kokin rokujō 4131), 764 (Kokinshū 415)
Utsuho monogatari
A long tale datable to the tenth century.
212
Wakan rōei shū
An influential collection of poems in both Chinese and Japanese, roughly contemporary with the author. Circa 1012.
25, 52 (Hakushi monjū 0631), 187, 267, 380, 469 (2, Shūishū 451), 536, 587, 701, 703, 722 (Shinkokinshū 1703), 783
Yakamochi shū
The personal collection of Ōtomo no Yakamochi (716–85).
284 (2)
Yamato monogatari
A mid-tenth-century collection of tales built around poems.
161 (section 106)
Characters in The Tale of Genji
Characters are listed wherever possible by Japanese designation and identified, with their English appellations and the chapters in which they appear.
Akashi no Amagimi, Akashi no Nyūdō's wife, Akashi no Kimi's mother The Akashi Nun, 12; mother of Akashi no Kimi, 13; the Nun, 18, 19, 34, 35
Akashi no Himegimi (Akashi no Nyōgo, Akashi no Chūgū), daughter of Genji and Akashi no Kimi (Born), 14; the young lady, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 28, 32; the Consort (of the Heir Apparent), 33; the Heir Apparent's Kiritsubo Consort, then Haven, 34; the Kiritsubo Consort, the Consort, 35; the Consort, 36, 37; Her Majesty, the Empress, 40, 42, 47, 49, 52, 53
Master of Discipline Risshi, Rishi—The lowest on the ladder of ecclesiastical ranks accessible to elite, fully ordained priests. In the time of the tale it is still a distinguished appointment—more so than in later times. “Discipline” means the body of Buddhist monastic discipline.
Master (of the Household) (Saburai no) Betō—The chief administrator of the household of an imperial family member, such as a Prince or a Retired Emperor.
Master of Spells Jugonshi—A specialist in performing spells (majinai) as healing magic, employed by the Office of Medicine (Ten'yaku Ryō).
Minister Otodo—The highest nonimperial office (second rank) provided for in the government's formal table of organization, as the office of Chancellor was not; however, the post of Palace Minister (Naidaijin, Uchi no Otodo) was also a later addition. The Minister of the Left (Sadaijin, Hidari no Otodo) was normally but not necessarily senior to the Minister of the Right (Udaijin, Migi no Otodo), and the Palace Minister was somewhat junior in standing.
Mistress of Staff Naishi no Kami—The senior woman official (third rank) in the Office of Staff. In principle, the incumbent supervised female palace staff, palace ceremonies, and the transmission of petitions and decrees. In practice, she was a junior wife to the Emperor.
Mistress of the Household Nyobettō—The ranking female official in a great lady's household.
Mistress of the Wardrobe Mikushigedono—The woman official in charge of the palace office that made the Emperor's clothing.
Mother of the Realm Kuni no Haha—An expression or title used to refer to an Empress or an Empress Mother.
Myōbu—A title borne in palace service by middle-ranking gentlewomen (fifth rank or above) or by the wives of gentlemen of those ranks. Since a number of gentlewomen bore this title at the same time, people distinguished one from another by attaching to her title the name of the major office associated with her husband, father, or brother.
Novice Nyūdō—A man or woman of noble birth who had taken preliminary vows as a monk or nun. A Novice did not join a monastic community but pursued Buddhist practice at home.
Ōmyōbu—A Myōbu (palace gentlewoman) of imperial birth.
page, page girl warawa—A boy or girl of good family, in service in a noble household. Particularly on the male side there were warawa of mature years as well, as a kind of long-term servant, but these hardly figure in the tale. See also privy page.
Palace Guards Konoefu—The double (Left and Right, Sakon and Ukon) corps of guards assigned to protect the palace proper and stationed in its innermost areas. The Palace Guards had precedence over the Watch and the Gate Watch. Their two Commanders (third rank, lower grade) outranked the Intendants of those units (fourth rank, lower grade). A second-level officer was a Captain (Chūjō fourth rank, lower grade), a third-level officer a Lieutenant (Shōshō; fifth rank, lower grade), and a fourth-level officer an Aide (Zō; sixth rank, upper grade).
Palace Minister Naidaijin, Uchi no Otodo—Normally the junior among the three Ministers who constituted the senior level of the Council of State.
Prelate (His Reverence) Sōzu—The highest ecclesiastical rank mentioned in the tale. Two higher ranks existed, but at the time of the tale (unlike later) they were rarely filled.
Prince (His Highness) Miya—An imperial son appointed to this title by his father. (Genji is therefore not a Prince.) Historically, most Princes were ranked in four grades and received an imperial stipend accordingly, but some were “unranked” (muhon). The tale says nothing about according this kind of status to an imperial grandson.
Princess (Her Highness) Miya—An imperial daughter appointed to this title by her father, or the recognized granddaughter of an Emperor in the male line. Suetsumuhana, whose father was a Prince, is therefore a Princess. In contrast, Aoi, whose mother is a Princess, is not one herself; the narration treats her purely as a commoner. Ukifune, the daughter of a Prince, is not a Princess because her father did not recognize her.
privy gentleman uebito, tenjōbito—A gentleman individually authorized by the Emperor to enter the privy chamber. The term referred more specifically to those gentlemen of the fourth and fifth ranks, together with Chamberlains (Kurōdo) of the sixth rank, who would not otherwise have enjoyed the privilege automatically granted the top three ranks. The number of privy gentlemen varied but usually fell below one hundred and was sometimes less than a third of that.
privy page tenjō warawa—A boy of good family, not yet of age, who served in the privy chamber in order to learn court customs and manners.
Reader Kōji—The official charged with reading out the Chinese poems composed at a festive gathering.
Regent Sesshō—A high-ranking, nonimperial nobleman appointed to act for the Emperor while the Emperor was a minor. (The title “Kanpaku,” also translated “Regent” and held by someone who acted similarly for an adult Emperor, does not appear in the tale.)
Retired Emperor (His [Cloistered] Eminence) In—An Emperor who has abdicated and who now resides in a separate palace. Such a figure appears most often in this translation as His Eminence or, if he has taken Buddhist vows, as His Cloistered Eminence.
Right Captain Uchūjō—See Captain.
Right City Commissoner Ukyō no Kami (Daibu)—The chief officer (junor fourth rank, lower grade) charged with population registration, tax collection, legal appeals, security, and so on in the right (west) sector of the City.
Right Controller Uchūben.
Right Deputy Migi no Suke—A second-level officer in the Right Gate Watch (fifth rank, lower grade).
Right Gate Watch—See Gate Watch.
Right Grand Controller Udaiben—See Controller.
Right Guards Commissioner Ukon no Taifu— An Aide of the Right Palace Guards, exceptionally promoted to the fifth rank, so that he bears the fifth-rank title of Commissioner.
Second Equerry Uma no Suke—A second-level officer (sixth rank, lower grade) of the imperial stables Left or Right.
Second of the Left Gate Watch Saemon no Taifu—The second-ranking officer (junior fifth rank, upper grade) in the Left Gate Watch. (The title “Taifu” acknowledges the fifth-rank appointment.)
Second of the Watch Hyōe no Suke—A second-level officer in the Watch (junior fifth rank, upper grade).
Secretary Kurōdo no Tō—A senior appointee in the Chamberlains' Office. Of the two Secretaries, one was concurrently a Controller (fifth rank, upper grade) and the other normally a Captain (junior fourth rank, lower grade).
Secretary Captain Tō no Chūjō—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Captain in the Palace Guards.
Secretary Controller Tō no Ben—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Controller.
Secretary Lieutenant Tō no Shōshō—A dual appointment as a Secretary and as a Lieutenant (fifth rank, lower grade) in the Palace Guards.
senior noble kandachime—A noble of at least the third rank (sanmi) and holding a post at least at the level of Consultant (Sangi).
Treasury Commissioner Okura no Taifu—The second level (fifth rank, lower grade) in the Office of the Treasury.
Upkeep Consultant Suri no Saishō—A dual appointment as Director of Upkeep and Consultant.
Viceroy Dazai no Sochi—The senior appointee to Dazaifu, the government outpost in Kyushu that was particularly responsible for such foreign relations as Japan had at the time. The post (junior third rank) was held by a Prince. Since it was a sinecure and the incumbent never actually went to Kyushu, the real government representative there was the Dazaifu Deputy.
Watch Hyōefu—The corps (divided into Left [Sahyōefu] and Right [Uhyōefu]) of guards charged with maintaining general security in the palace compound and in the City at large. The senior officer was the Intendant (junior fourth rank, lower grade), followed by the Second (junior fifth rank, upper grade).
yin-yang master—An expert in yin-yang lore, connected with the Yin-Yang Office (Onmyō Ryō), an organ of the Bureau of Central Affairs in charge of matters pertaining to astrology, weather, the calendar, timekeeping, and divination.
Summary of Poetic Allusions Identified in the Notes
Introduction
The world of The Tale of Genji considered poetry (uta, literally “song”) the highest form of art and, in principle, the most perfect mode of human communication. Cultivated people knew a great many poems by heart, and these naturally crept into their speech, their writing, and their own poems. When moved or troubled, they might well write out old poems brought to mind by their mood, mingled with new ones of their own. The text of the tale therefore contains a very large number of poetic allusions, of which a small but significant minority consists of allusions to Chinese poetry, especially that of Bai Juyi (772–846).
Many of these allusions are pointed and obvious, but in other cases it may be unclear whether the allusion is to a specific poem or whether that image or turn of phrase had simply become current in the literary language. For this sort of reason, different authorities may disagree on the allusions they recognize or exclude. The ones identified in the notes and summarized below therefore are neither exhaustive nor particularly authoritative.
The corpus of classical Japanese poetry is available in the printed and CD-ROM editions of Shinpen kokka taikan (Tokyo: Kadokawa). The identifying numbers given here were taken from the CD-ROM edition, released in 1996. The numbers for the poems of Bai Juyi are from Hanabusa Hideki, ed., Hakushi monjū no kisoteki kenkyū (Tokyo: Hōyū Shoten, 1974).
The identifications in the notes and below attribute each poem to a specific collection, of which the corpus contains a great many. However, this is often only a matter of convenience. Any cultivated person in the author's time should have known the Kokinshū (Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern, 905) by heart and been thoroughly familiar with Ise monogatari (Tales of Ise, tenth century), but otherwise it is not always easy to be sure in what context a particular poem reached the author. The expedient character of some of these identifications is obvious from the fact that they refer to collections that postdate The Tale of Genji itself.
The tale alludes to some poems more than once. Numbers in parentheses following poem numbers indicate the number of such recurrences. Some poem numbers are also followed by a particularly significant alternative source for the same poem.
Poems Listed by Collection
Fukuro no sōshi
A treatise on the art of poetry written by Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104–72?). 140
Genji monogatari kochūshakusho in'yō waka
This is not a poetry collection but a compilation peculiar to the Shinpen kokka taikan. Its title means “Poems quoted in old commentaries on The Tale of Genji.” A good many allusions in the tale are to poems known only from commentaries of roughly the twelfth to fourteenth centuries.
1, 76, 126, 148, 157, 160, 165, 177, 186, 199, 205, 244, 275, 300, 304, 367, 381, 382, 392, 394, 448, 464, 475, 514 (2), 639, 745, 927, 983, 1394, 1481(2), 1933
Gosenshū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 951.
64 (3), 100, 103 (3), 199, 372, 468, 479, 481, 563, 608, 640, 683, 705, 718, 719, 731, 809, 899, 900, 938 (2), 960, 1036, 1089, 1093 (2), 1102 (Kokin rokujō 1412), 1107, 1143, 1173, 1187 (2, Kokin rokujō 3133), 1188, 1224, 1240, 1260, 1264, 1333 (2), 1364
Goshūishū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 1086.
82, 216 (Shigeyuki shū 264), 894 (Kagerō nikki 93), 1041
Hakushi monjū
The complete poetic works of the Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772–846), as cataloged in Hanabusa Hideki, ed., Hakushi monjū no kisoteki kenkyū. Allusions to themes from Bai Juyi abound in the tale, and the examples listed are only the most obvious ones.
0004, 0075, 0076, 0131, 0144, 0160 (3), 0161, 0498, 0596 (3), 0603, 0631 (Wakan rōei shū 52), 0695, 0724, 0790, 0850, 0911, 0920, 0975, 0978, 1055, 1107, 1280, 1287, 2392, 2565, 2821, 3564
Ichijō no Sesshō go-shū
The personal collection of Fujiwara no Koremasa (924–72).
132
Ise monogatari
An immensely influential tenth-century collection of short tales built around poems, especially those by Ariwara no Narihira (825–80). The number cited first is that of the individual poem, followed by the number of times it is alluded to (if more then one), followed by the number of the section, or episode, in which that poem occurs.
1 (section 1), 6 (2, section 5, Kokinshū 632), 8 (2, section 7), 13 (section 9; Kokinshū 411), 63 (section 30), 90 (section 49), 119 (2, section 65; Kokinshū 501), 131 (section 71), 145 (section 82), 154 (section 84; Kokinshū 901), 174 (section 99; Kokinshū 476), 193 (section 112; Kokinshū 708)
Ise shū
The personal collection of a woman poet known as Ise. Mid-tenth century.
55 (2), 176 (Kokin rokujō 2479), 424, 483
Izumi Shikibu shū
The personal collection of a major woman poet contemporary with the author.
132 (also Shikashū 109), 150 (Shūishū 1342)
Kagerō nikki
The poetic diary of a woman known as “The Mother of Michitsuna.” Late tenth century.
93 (also Goshūishū 894)
Kokin rokujō
A large compendium of poetry from the mid- or late tenth century.
174, 371 (2), 423, 593 (Shinkokinshū 757), 987 (2), 1049, 1201 (Tsurayuki shū 15), 1296, 1412 (Gosenshū 1102), 1796 (2, Shinkokinshū 1379), 1888 (2), 1980, 1986, 2096 (2), 2122, 2233, 2345, 2479 (Ise shū 176), 2571, 2640, 2749, 2804 (2), 2841, 3019, 3057, 3133 (2, Gosenshū 1187), 3241 (3), 3333, 3360, 3507, 3508, 3874, 3916 (2, Man'yōshū 1428), 3962, 3984, 4131 (Tsurayuki shū 60), 4155, 4268, 4385, 4417 (Man'yōshū 1477), 4488 (2)
Kokinshū
The first imperially commissioned collection, completed in 905. A cultivated person needed to know it by heart (roughly a thousand poems).
13, 28, 31, 32 (2), 33, 37, 38 (2), 41 (5), 44, 66, 68, 70, 97 (2), 139 (2), 153, 167 (2), 171, 200, 204 (2), 214, 223, 229, 241, 243, 244, 248, 262, 279, 292, 297, 349, 356, 389, 405, 409 (2), 411 (Ise monogatari 13), 415 (Tsurayuki shū 764), 476 (Ise monogatari 174), 488 (3), 498, 500, 501 (2, Ise monogatari 119), 503, 506, 508, 509 (2), 535 (3), 546, 582, 603, 611, 617, 631, 632 (2, Ise monogatari 6), 636, 637, 647, 683, 684, 685, 689 (3), 694 (2), 695, 699, 701, 705, 706, 708 (Ise monogatari 193), 713, 727, 732 (3), 743, 747, 756, 792, 806, 831 (2), 832 (3), 838, 839, 841, 853 (2), 855, 861, 867 (4), 868, 870, 875, 878, 892 (2), 901 (Ise monogatari 154), 907, 909 (2), 934, 935, 938, 944, 948 (2), 951 (2), 952 (3), 955 (2), 961 (3), 962, 965, 967, 968, 970, 977, 981, 982 (3), 983 (3), 987, 992 (2), 1007, 1008, 1009 (2), 1025 (2), 1037, 1041, 1061, 1080, 1086, 1091, 1093 (2), 1098, 1108, 1110 (2)
Komachi shū
The personal collection of a major tenth-century woman poet.
98 (Shinkokinshū 336)
Man'yōshū
A large and immensely important collection compiled in the eighth century. It was not widely read in the author's time because its language was too archaic and its script too difficult to read.
267, 1234, 1398 (Shūishū 967), 1428 (2, Kokin rokujō 3916), 1477 (Kokin rokujō 4417), 2325, 2429 (2, Shūishū 1243, a later variant), 3829, 4482
Motoyoshi Shinnō shū
The personal collection of Prince Motoyoshi (890–943).
150
Nakatsukasa shū
The personal collection of the woman poet Nakatsukasa (tenth century).
249
Nihon shoki
A court-sponsored history of Japan written in Chinese and completed in 720.
66(2)
Ōkagami
A historical work in Japanese. Roughly 1100.
14 (the “Tokihira-den” section)
Saneakira shū
The personal collection of Minamoto no Saneakira (910–70).
28, 50
Shigeyuki shū
The personal collection of Minamoto no Shigeyuki (tenth century).
264 (Goshūishū 216)
Shikashū
An imperially commissioned collection of the mid-twelfth century.
109 (Izumi Shikibu shū 132)
Shinkokinshū
A particularly important, imperially commissioned collection completed in 1205.
55, 336 (Komachi shū 98), 757 (Kokin rokujō 593), 1013, 1052, 1379 (2, Kokin rokujō 1796), 1494, 1515 (2), 1599, 1703 (Wakan rōei shū 722)
Shinsenzaishū
An imperially commissioned collection completed in 1359.
526, 599
Shūishū
An imperially commissioned collection of the late tenth century.
5, 29, 62, 183, 351, 451 (2, Wakan rōei shū 469), 477, 506 (2), 511, 545, 577, 579, 662, 665, 668, 685, 727, 735, 736, 844, 853, 870, 876, 894, 895, 953 (2), 967 (Man'yōshū 1398), 985, 1005, 1063, 1068, 1098, 1210 (2), 1217, 1243 (2, Man'yōshū 2429), 1342 (Izumi Shikibu shū 150), 1350
Tsurayuki shū
The personal collection of Ki no Tsurayuki (868–945), the compiler of the Kokinshū.
15 (Kokin rokujō 1201), 60 (Kokin rokujō 4131), 764 (Kokinshū 415)
Utsuho monogatari
A long tale datable to the tenth century.
212
Wakan rōei shū
An influential collection of poems in both Chinese and Japanese, roughly contemporary with the author. Circa 1012.
25, 52 (Hakushi monjū 0631), 187, 267, 380, 469 (2, Shūishū 451), 536, 587, 701, 703, 722 (Shinkokinshū 1703), 783
Yakamochi shū
The personal collection of Ōtomo no Yakamochi (716–85).
284 (2)
Yamato monogatari
A mid-tenth-century collection of tales built around poems.
161 (section 106)
Characters in The Tale of Genji
Characters are listed wherever possible by Japanese designation and identified, with their English appellations and the chapters in which they appear.
Akashi no Amagimi, Akashi no Nyūdō's wife, Akashi no Kimi's mother The Akashi Nun, 12; mother of Akashi no Kimi, 13; the Nun, 18, 19, 34, 35
Akashi no Himegimi (Akashi no Nyōgo, Akashi no Chūgū), daughter of Genji and Akashi no Kimi (Born), 14; the young lady, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 28, 32; the Consort (of the Heir Apparent), 33; the Heir Apparent's Kiritsubo Consort, then Haven, 34; the Kiritsubo Consort, the Consort, 35; the Consort, 36, 37; Her Majesty, the Empress, 40, 42, 47, 49, 52, 53
