On the water, where
not even his shadow stays,
my tears fall and add
themselves, and less than ever
can I dam them back again
- Meaning
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On the water, where not even his shadow remains, my tears fall and add themselves, and less than ever can I hold them back.
- Commentary
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Part Three: Tenarai
The Governor of Kii, a grandson of the old nun, called at the house and spoke of how the Commander of the Right was preparing the first anniversary service for a woman he had lost at Uji. Knowing that the talk was of herself, Ukifune could only sit still and listen. When they had gone she set this down, unable to hold back her tears.
"The one I once saw" is Kaoru. "The water, where not even his shadow stays" recalls the Uji river into which she threw herself. "Tears that fall and add themselves" join the water below, and ochi, to fall, hints at the drowning. Since the Hashihime chapter it has been Kaoru who looked for a reflection in water; here it is Ukifune who uses the same scene, and the reversal of their places stands out.
- Author
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Murasaki Shikibu
- Source
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Genji Monogatari
- Other
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