Nori's blog----Novels, Poems, Essays, from Japan

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７４

The culprit stopped in front of the miserable sight.
And he looked up the sky spreading over the sight.

(To be continued)

* 　

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７３

It was the sight of the hill that lost its cherry trees.
The culprit and the monk witnessed a miserable sight
of the hill where the cherry trees, that used to be there
and covered the hill, were all cut and only stumps of
those cut cherry trees remain.

（To be continued)

* 　　　　　

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　７２

At last, they arrived the top of the hill, where they
witnessed an unbelievable sight.　　　

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

Original Japanese version is on this
web-page.
http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

All Rights Reserved

*

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　７１

The culprit climbed the hill step by step. Regardless of
the imprisonment in dungeon for nine years, the culprit
could climb the hill. It was due to the physical efforts
the culprit continued to maintain his physical abilities
even in the dungeon.
But he needed his stick to climb the hill. His walk was so
slow that one could hardly notice him being the same
person with the general of samurai he used to be.
The monk was deeply saddened by such figure of the culprit.
The monk was so deeply saddened that he had an illusion
as if his release from the dungeon yesterday had been a
tragedy. And the monk followed the culprit to climb the
top of the hill.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７０

On the next day, the culprit left for the hill. The culprit
told the monk he wanted to go to the hill, where he had
been caught by the lord nine years ago in the hanami
banquet. And he left for the top of the hill with a stick,
though it has passed only a day after he got out of the
dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　６９

Thus, the culprit got out of his dungeon after
imprisonment of nine years.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　６８

When the culprit opened his eyes, the door of his
dungeon was opened.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６７

The culprit closed his eyes. And he clasped his hands to pray
to the stone statue of jizou in front of his dungeon, while he
continued to sit on his knees in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６６

“Our great lord has suddenly fallen ill and passed away
three days ago in the midst of hanami banquet.” said the
chief vassal. Then the chief vassal bowed deeply to the
culprit again and added that the lord's eldest son, who had
been exiled to the neighboring country, has now succeeded
this country, in his calm voice.
The culprit only listened such words the chief vassal told
him and did not say anything. The monk, biside the vassals
there, listened the same words as well, while he calmed his
upset mind.

(To be continued)

* 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６５

The chief vassals who appeared in front of the culprit sat
on their knees on the ground in front of the dungeon.
And they put their hands on the ground to bow deeply to
the culprit in the dungeon. The culprit also sat on his
knees in the dungeon to reply their courtesy.　
Then one of those chief vassals who sat in the center
looked the culprit up and said “We haven't seen you for
a long time.” It was the chief vassal who killed the lord
in the hanami banquet three days ago. The culprit bowed
quietly to the vassal in his dyngeon.
“Our lord has passed away.”said the high vassal.
The monk doubted his ears with his words. The monk gazed
the back of the chief vassal with surprise. But the
culprit did not react tothe words and only continued
sitting on his knees in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６４

Those who made the sound of footsteps shortly appeared with
the monk in front of the culprit's dungeon. Then they announced
a great news to the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６３

The culprit was making a hand-written copy of sutra as usual.
Then he noticed the sound of footsteps coming from the graveyard
toward his dungeon in the wind. He certainly heard it. The culprit
stopped writing sutra. And he strained his ears in wind to the
sound of footsteps coming toward his dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　６２

As the messenger had announced, the chief vassals of the
lord arrived the temple shortly after the noon. They bowed
courteously to the monk and asked the monk to allow their
visit to the culprit in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６１

It was when the messenger appeared again guiding the chief
vassals riding on horses that the monk was convinced something
serious has happened in this country.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６０

The monk suspected something unusual has happened in the
castle at the visit of the armor-clad messenger. However,
the messenger did not give any explanation to the monk
and other men of the temple. The messenger turned his horse
and returned to the castle without a word.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５９

　
It was a messenger from the castle. The messenger, who was
in full armor, got off his horse at the temple's gate and asked
to see the monk. And when the monk appeared, the messenger
announced to the monk that the vassals will come to this temple
around noon. The monk wondered what happened, as he had not
known what had happened 3 days ago in the hanami banquet.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５８

3 days later, an armor-clad messenger riding
on a horse visited the temple.

(To be continued)

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５７

The lord fell down. He tried to stand up in his own blood
while women screamed in fright. But the lord could not stand
up any more.
The vassal said “Gomen!(Forgive me!)”to the lord and gave
the lord a finishing blow with his sword. It was as if those
vassals had determined to do so in case the lord had rejected
retirement.
The vassals stood up. They sorrounded the injured lord under
the cherry blossoms in full bloom and clasped their hands.
In the circle of their clasped hands, the lord died shortly.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５６

The lord was enraged. He abused the chief vassal who urged him
to retire representing all his chief vassals. But the chief vassal
did not flinch at the lord's abuse. On contrary, the chief vassal,
sitting on his knees in front of the lord, criticized the lord's
various acts until then and urged him to retire again.　　　
The lord could not control his mind any more. He took his sword
and drew it. The lord attempted to kill the chief vassal, who is
sitting on his knees in front of him, with the sword.
It was then that another chief vassal of the lord, who was on the
other side of the lord, stood up. The vassal shouted “My lord!”
in a loud voice. He then drew his sword and struck a blow with the
sword on the lord from his front, at the moment the lord looked him
back.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５５

One more year has passed. A drastic change has occurred in
this country, when cherry blossoms were in full bloom again
in new spring. It was that the chief vassals of the lord,
who attended the annual hanami banquet in the spring, suddenly
required the lord to retire from his position.
In the previous a few years, the lord has become even more
suspicious and doubted his vassals irrespective of persons.
And the lord tyrannized over his country while he drank a lot,
was doubtful of anybody around him, and listened to nobody,
to mislead his government. The chief vassals of the lord, who
were deeply concerned about such behaviors of the lord, required
the lord to retire suddenly in the hanami banquet, after
they had arranged their act against the lord.
Since the hill, where they used to hold their annual hanami
banquet, had lost its cherry trees by the fire the lord made,
the hanami banquet of the year was held near a pond, which
is far from the castle but surrounded by cherry trees.
The lord held his annual hanami banquet in the spring, as
usual year, taking his chief vassals there, to hold his banquet
of sake(liquor) and music.
But the lord was suddenly told to retire by all the chief
vassals who attended there, when the banquet was at its height,
at the moment the lord finished dancing sarugaku(Noh dance) there.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated
into English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

All Rights Reserved.

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　５４

Thus, the spring of the year ended.

(To be continued)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５３

And the culprit strained his ears to the sound of the wind.　
The culprit imagined the cherry blossoms in the country in
the sound and celebrated the spring of the year.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５２

There was only soil in front of the culprit. The culprit
gazed the soil and recalled the days when the soil had
been covered with cherry flowers.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５１

It was because flower leafs of sakura are not brought to
the dungeon now. As wind ceased to bring cherry flower
leafs here, spring seemed to be different with previous
springs this year.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５０

One year has passed. Spring has come to the dungeon again.
But the spring seemed to differ from the spring until then.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　４９

Thus, spring of this year ended.

(To be continued)

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４８

The culprit clasped his hands. And he prayed something in
his mind to the stone statue of jizou in front of the dungeon.
There were a few flower leafs of sakura still left at the foot
of the stone jizou.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４７

The culprit recalled the lord's visit here a few days ago.
The culprit was aware that what is going on at the hill now
is the consequence of what happened here then, though he
stays in this dungeon and could not go to the hill to see
what is going on there.--He did not have to go there by
himself to see the sight with his own eyes.
The monk was amazed at the manner of the culprit.
The culprit sitting in the dungeon remained utterly calm
as usual morning regardless of the sounds of cutting trees
and the faint smoke that reaches here now. The culprit was
sitting in his dungeon with his calm expression on the
face as usual morning.

(To be continued)

*