“One ought not to be unkind to a woman merely on account of her plainness, any more than one had a right to take liberties with her merely because she was handsome”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“If like the leaf of the wisteria through which the sun darts his rays transparently you give your heart to me, I will no longer distrust you”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“It is indeed in many ways more comfortable to belong to that section of society whose action are not publicly canvassed and discussed”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“The hanging gate, of something like trelliswork, was propped on a pole, and he could see that the house was tiny and flimsy. He felt a little sorry for the occupants of such a place–and then asked himself who in this world had a temporary shelter.
[Anonymous, Kokinshuu 987:
Where in all this world shall I call home?
A temporary shelter is my home.]
A hut, a jeweled pavilion, they were the same. A pleasantly green vine was climbing a board wall. The white flowers, he said to himself, had a rather self-satisfied look about them.
‘I needs must ask the lady far yonder,” he said, as if to himself.
[Anonymous, Kokinshuu 1007:
I needs must ask the lady far yonder
What flower it is off there that blooms so white.]
An attendant came up, bowing deeply. “The white flowers far off yonder are known as ‘evening faces,” he said. “A very human sort of name–and what a shabby place they have picked to bloom in.”
It was as the man said. The neighborhood was a poor one, chiefly of small houses. Some were leaning precariously, and there were “evening faces” at the sagging eaves.
A hapless sort of flower. Pick one off for me, will you?”
The man went inside the raised gate and broke off a flower. A pretty little girl in long, unlined yellow trousers of raw silk came out through a sliding door that seemed too good for the surroundings. Beckoning to the man, she handed him a heavily scented white fan.
Put it on this. It isn’t much of a fan, but then it isn’t much of a flower either.”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“The wood-carver can fashion whatever he will. Yet his products are but toys of the moment, to be glanced at in jest, not fashioned according to any precept or law. When times change, the carver too will change his style and make new trifles to hit the fancy of the passing day. But there is another kind of artist, who sets more soberly about his work, striving to give real beauty to the things which men actually use and to give to them the shape which tradition has ordained. This maker of real things must not for a moment be confused with the maker of idle toys.”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“Would that, like the smoke of the watch-fires that mounts and vanishes at random in the empty sky, the smouldering flame of passion could burn itself away”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
I think lady Murasaki didn’t like the flame of passion but instead she thought that life is too short and anything could happen, that fate is so uncertain. I guess that’s why she had a bad impression about Sei Shonagon. Because she is serious about a lot of things, when she saw others indulged themselves on short period of passion, her sense told her not to be too emotional but to see the world calmly.
“Even those people who have no sorrow of their own often feel melancholy from the circumstances in which they are placed.”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
“The dews that wet the tender grass, At the sun’s birth, too quickly pass, Nor e’er can hope to see it rise In full perfection to the skies.” Shiônagon, who now joined them, and heard the above distich, consoled the nun with the following:— “The dews will not so quickly pass, Nor shall depart before they see The full perfection of the grass, They loved so well in infancy.”
― Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji
Some of the pomes that are translated into Chinese, and I just post them here for my own reading.
《空蝉》
蝉衣一袭余香在，睹物怀人亦可怜。
蝉衣凝露重，树密少人知。似我衫常湿，愁思可告谁？
《末摘花》
共见东山明月上，不知今夜落谁家？
月明到处清光照，试问今宵落哪边？
千呼万唤终无语，幸不禁声且续陈。
岂可禁声君且说，缘何无语我难知。
原知无语强于语，如哑如聋闷煞人。
夕雾迷离犹未散，更逢夜雨倍添愁。
雨中待月荒园里，纵不同心亦解怜。
朝日当轩冰著解，缘何地冻不消融？
白首老翁衣积雪，晨游公子泪沾襟。
冶游公子情可薄，锦绣春衣袖不干。
明知此色无人爱，何必栽培末摘花？
纵然情比春纱薄，莫为他人树恶名！
相逢常恨衣衫隔，又隔新添一袭衣。
梅枝挺秀人欣赏，底事红花不可怜？
《花宴》
若能看作寻常舞，贪赏丰姿不疚心。
你我皆知深夜好，良缘恰似月团圆。
妾如不幸归泉壤，料汝无缘扫墓来。
东寻西探芳名字，谣诼纷传似竹风。
朦胧残月归何处？刻骨相思恼杀人。
我屋藤花如拙陋，何须特地待君来？
石川高丽人，取了我的扇。我心甚后悔，可恨又可叹。……
暂赏朦胧月，还能再见无？山头凝望处，忧思入迷途。
但得心相许，非关月有无。山头云漠漠，安得入迷途？
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2212225-genji-monogatari
The Heian Court ----- Lady Murasaki and Sei Shanogan 