46

The approach to the Sanjo~ mansion from the palace was in a direction which would be interdicted by the stars once summer had come. He therefore moved his wife to Sanjo~ late in the Third Month—before what is called, I believe, “the parting of the seasons.” On the day before her removal, the emperor was host at a wisteria viewing in her mother's apartments. (It being a state assembly, the princess did not herself act as hostess.) The blinds were rolled up and the royal seat put out on the south veranda. The keepers of the palace larder saw that the courtiers of various ranks were suitably entertained. Yu~giri and Ko~bai were in attendance, as were two of Higekuro's sons, a councillor and a guards captain. Two princes of the blood, Niou and Prince Hitachi, were also present. Courtiers of medium rank were seated beneath the wisteria arbors in the south garden, with court musicians disposed along the east side of the Ko~ro~den Gallery, immediately beyond. As dusk came on they played a strain in the so~jo~ mode.* Musical instruments were brought out from the princess's rooms for the emperor's delectation. Yu~giri and certain lesser officials delivered them to the imperial presence. Yu~giri also presented two koto scores in the late Genji's own hand. Genji had given them to Kaoru's mother, and now, for presentation to the emperor, they were attached to felicitous pine branches. Lutes as well as kotos of the several varieties were brought out, all of them once the property of the Suzaku emperor. Then there was the flute that had been the source of a revelation in a dream, memento of a man long dead,+ which the emperor had on an earlier occasion pronounced to be of unexcelled tone: thinking there would not be another affair so brilliant, it would seem, its owner had it brought out. The emperor gave a Japanese koto to Yu~giri and a lute to Niou. Kaoru quite outdid himself on the flute. Numbers of medium-ranking courtiers famous for their voices serenaded the emperor most admirably. The princess sent out cakes of the five-colored cereals. As for the table settings, there were four trays of aloeswood and stands of sandalwood, and cloths of varied lavender embroidered with wisteria branches. There were glass cups# and silver saucers,** and indigo decanters.++ The guards captain busied himself seeing that the cups were kept full. Since it would not do to press too many drinks upon Yu~giri, and since no princes of the blood were present who could appropriately receive the royal cup, His Majesty turned to Kaoru. The young man protested that he was unworthy of the honor, but presently, whatever he may have read into the august invitation, he accepted and raised the cup high.

“To Your Majesty's health.” ## Even so ordinary a toast he managed to utter with a difference—or perhaps his very special position made it seem so to the assembly. He transferred the wine to another cup, and with incomparable dignity descended to the garden to offer ritual thanks. Men of the highest rank, ministers and princes of the blood and the like, find such attentions flattering; and for Kaoru there was the singular honor of having been received as a royal son-in-law. His rank did carry its limitations, however, and in the end he had to return to his low seat.

Ko~bai was annoyed. He had hoped to be so honored. He had had intentions upon the girl's mother, and had continued to write to her even after her presentation at court; and his thoughts had then turned to the daughter. He had let it be known that he would not be averse to being looked upon as her protector. The mother had chosen not to inform the emperor, however, and Ko~bai had not emerged from the affair with grounds for satisfaction.

“No doubt,” he said, “our friend was born under better stars than the rest of us, but I do think His Majesty is making a bit of a fool of himself. All this fuss over getting a daughter married! And I don't think it sets a very good precedent when a commoner no different from you and me takes over rooms practically next door to the celestial chamber itself, and is treated today as if he were the guest of honor.”

He had not wanted to be left out of what promised to be a brilliant assembly, but he was not happy.

Torches were lighted. Each guest, as he placed his poem upon the lectern, seemed more pleased with himself than the one before. Sure that the poems would be of the usual trite and fusty sort, I did not think I would trouble myself to write them down; but I do seem to have made note of a few after all, by way of remembering the occasion. (I must warn that rank bears little relation to performance as a poet.)

This would seem to be Kaoru's, presented with a sprig of wisteria for the royal cap:

“Wisteria, thought l, to grace the august bonnet;

And my sleeve has caught upon a high, high branch.” *

Such are the airs one assumes when one marries a princess.

And this His Majesty's reply:

“Its fragrance shall last through all the centuries.

We shall not then be weary of it today.”

Someone else+ presented this:

“The wisteria spray that graces the august bonnet

Competes with the purple clouds of paradise.”

And yet another:

“It sends its cascade of flowers to the loftiest heights.

Of a most uncommon hue is this wisteria.”

The last would seem to be by the unhappy Ko~bai.

I may have made mistakes in transcribing certain of these attempts at poetry, but can give assurance that none was conspicuous for its originality.

The hours passed, the concert was more and more interesting. Kaoru was in splendid voice as he sang “How Grand the Day.” * Ko~bai joined in, and one still recognized the voice for which he had been famous as a youth. Yu~giri's seventh son, a mere child, played the _sho~_ pipes so charmingly that he was given a robe by the emperor. Yu~giri himself descended to the garden to offer the ritual thanks. It was almost dawn when the emperor withdrew to his rooms, having made certain that appropriate gifts were at hand for ranking courtiers and princes of the blood. The princess had gifts, each appropriate to his rank, for lesser courtiers and for the musicians.