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Author’s Note: I have chosen not to record it here. Women are supposed to know nothing of Chinese verse and so we’re I to write it down, I would leave myself open to the criticism that I am being presumptuous by taking on the airs of a scholar.

The ceremony of first trousers.

Who knew that was a thing?!

“Keeping you here was as wasteful as wearing brocade at night.”

Who knew?!

“With tear soaked sleeves.”

An extremely popular turn of phrase in The Tales of Genji.

Chapter 12 (part 5) - His chest tighten when he boarded the boat to sail the last 30 miles to Sum-a. Genji quotes a Chinese poem, “How envious I am of those waves as I watch them return to the capital.” His new abode was disturbingly isolated. The house itself was charming. He felt extremely alienated… a stranger in a strange land. Genji writes letters to all of the women he left behind in the capital.

Chapter 12 (part 4) - Genji decides to only take a few essential items with him into exile: a few books and his 7-string koto. The thought of never meeting again filled him with sadness. “Sinking in a river of tears that has no ford where we can meet.” This excursion was different from his many escapades in the past; everyone was depressed. Even the lowest servant regretted Genji’s exile.

Chapter 12 (part 3) - There is no precedence for a man going into exile to bring his wife with him. Genji looks into a mirror and thinks, “Is that really me? I am so thin. I am not the man I used to be.” Before departing, Genji goes to visit the lady of the scattering orange blossoms. Genji tells her before he leaves, “Sorrowful tears of uncertainty darken my vision.”

Chapter 12 (part 2) - Genji’s father-in-law is happy that his daughter had passed away because she would have been heartbroken by Genji’s exile. Genji’s look of melancholia would have made tigers weep. His retainers were in shock knowing that they would follow their lord into exile. He hasn’t departed, but his estate already appears to have become dilapidated. Genji notices things he has never seen before.

Chapter 12 (part 1) - Exile to Sum-a. Sum-a is a backwater fishing village at some considerable distant from the capital. A self imposed exile of no defined period. Genji did not think he should take his mistress into exile with him. He took off in secret with 7 or 8 retainers. Before he departed, Genji wrote to all of his women (the author admits she was not able to reads these letters).

The part about Hard Scrabble Farms reminded me of 6th Grade camp at Camp Storer.

Chapter 11 (part 1) - The Lady at the villa of scattering orange blossoms. Genji was suffering from distress from every worldly woe. He remembered a woman he once had a brief encounter with. So much time had passed since last he saw her, he wondered if she would remember him at all. He sent her a poem. She replied with a poem of uncertainty. The scent of Orange blossoms remind him of things from the past.

Another quick pick from Libby.

Chapter 10 (part 10) - Genji sponsored the reading of sutras at his home. Genji was able to relax in this way and he rarely visited the palace. Genji held a party in which the guests compose poems in Chinese and Japanese. Many of the poems were in praise of Genji. Genji’s response to the praise is modest saying that he is already in decline. Genji has a tryst with a court woman, but he is caught by her father.

Chapter 10 (part 9) - Genji goes to visit his former mistress in her new location. Genji looked disarmingly handsome. He draws near to the screen since the small room insured that she was near to it. Privately she had fearful thoughts about her relationship with Genji. She says fervent prayers of protection for herself.

Chapter 10 (part 8) - Genji and the lady attend the ceremony of the reading of the 8 scrolls. On the 4th day she announced she would take vows and renounce the world. The gathered people were shocked by her announcement. She immediately has her waist length hair cut in front of the crowd. Everyone is distraught. With so many people nearby, Genji is not able to say everything he would like to have.