Evening Faces

Chapter 4. Evening Faces 夕顔 Genji 17 years old

“A hut, a jeweled pavilion, they were the same” (Genji 57).
For Genji, women are temporary shelters to find some comforts.
(ものはかなき住まひを、あはれに、 「何処かさして」と思ほしなせば、 玉の台も同じことなり)

Evening Faces (19 years old):
The face seemed quite to shine in the evening dew.
But I was duzzled by the evening light (Genji 70).
(光ありと見し夕顔のうは露はたそかれどきのそら目なりけり)
--I misunderstood that a shining dew (Genji) came upon a flower of evening faces. It should not be happening since there is a huge gap between the ranks of Genji and me. A shiny dew would not rest on an indecent flower.

Evening Faces夕顔:

a woman with low rank. She had a relationship with To-no Chujo and bore a child of him. The child appears as Tamakazura in later chapters (玉鬘).
Evening Faces dies of an evil spirit of Rokujo Lady.

miho