It's delightful to see someone who's a great ladies' man, and is pursuing numerous love affairs, arriving home at dawn from who knows what night-time tryst. Sleepy though you can see he feels, he nevertheless sits down and draws the inkstone up to write his next-morning letter to her. See how carefully he grinds the ink to a fine consistency and how tenderly he bends to the task of writing, not merely dashing off whatever springs to mind but putting himself heart and soul into what he writes.
He's wearing kerria-yellow or scarlet over layers of white gown, and as he finishes the letter his gaze lingers on the crumpled sleeve of his white shift. He doesn't just give his letter to the serving woman nearby, but takes the trouble to stand up and go over to call a young member of the guards or one of his retainers who's suited to the task, and hands it to him with whispered instructions. After the man has left he sits on there, lost in thought, softly murmuring to himself some appropriate bit of the sutras until he's ushered inside to avail himself of the washbasin and morning gruel that's been prepared. But even as he walks in, he pauses to lean at his desk and read a little. It's enchanting to witness him come across a particularely good passage, and raise his voice to recite it alound.
He washes his hands, slips into a cloak and sets about reciting by heart the sixth volume of the Lotus Sutra. This is all most impressive - but then the messenger reappears (no doubt the lady lives somewhere nearby) and signals his arrival, and our gentleman abruptly ceases chanting and turns his eager thoughts to the contents of her reply ...an amusing scene, for surely he's actually courting karmic retribution by this lapse!
 Lady Amarante Maruyama · Mon May 02, 2011 @ 07:50am · 0 Comments |
