限りあれば、さのみもえ留めさせたまはず、御覧じだに送らぬおぼつかなさを、言ふ方なく思ほさる。いとにほひやかにうつくしげなる人の、いたう面痩おもやせて、いとあはれとものを思ひしみながら、言に出でても聞こえやらず、あるかなきかに消え入りつつものしたまふを御覧ずるに、来きし方行く末思し召されず、よろづのことを泣く泣く契りのたまはすれど、御いらへもえ聞こえたまはず、まみなどもいとたゆげにて、いとどなよなよと、我かの気色にて臥したれば、いかさまにと思し召しまどはる。

Because there were rules, [the Emperor] could not make a great effort to stop her, and he thought with helpless unease on how he would not even see her off. She was a very lovely and beautiful-looking person, and her face was very gaunt, and even though she felt deeply moved, she spoke words but did not say things, and he saw that she was disappearing as if alive or not; he did not think of the starting point or the destination, and he made all kinds of pledges in tears, but she could not respond. Her gaze seemed very languid, and because she was lying down even more weakened than usual, not knowing herself, he wondered in confusion what would happen.

• 思ほさる　　　おぼさる（大系、新大系）
• いかさまに　　いかさまにか（大系）

語釈

限り

Again this shows up as a keyword for the limits that constrain the Emperor; in this case it is the rules of court propriety and religious belief. The ritual pollution of death is to be avoided in the palace.

御覧じだに送らぬ

Not only is the Emperor forbidden from keeping her with him, but he cannot even see her off.

思ほさる

The る is the 自発 “spontaneous” passive, which occurs mostly with a limited set of words (one of them being 思ふ).

うつくしげなる人の

This whole section presents Kiritsubo through the eyes of the Emperor, relying on repeated uses of the げ suffix as well as words like にほひやか that represent the Emperor’s perception of her. The の subject marker here connects to the ものしたまふ later in the phrase.

いとあはれとものを思ひしみながら

This appears to be Kiritsubo’s own thoughts, the first time they are presented in the tale, although this whole clause is still wrapped up in the closing を御覧ずるにto remind us the Emperor is watching her.

言に出でても聞こえやらず

The distinction here seems to be that she is making sounds or saying some words, but that she is not saying anything intelligible. 聞ゆ here is humble for 言ふ.

ものしたまふ

The term ものす is frequently used in Genji for bodily things that might be indelicate to mention specifically.

来きし方行く末思し召されず

This phrase emphasizes the Emperor’s inability to think of anything beyond the situation in front of him.

契りのたまはすれど

If the Emperor has already resigned himself to Kiritsubo’s death, these would be pledges to be together in the next life. Otherwise (or in addition to this) he is repeating his vows of love.

我かの気色

我か indicates the person does not even know themselves—that is, she is barely conscious.

いかさまに

This could mean “What will happen?” or “What should I do?” In the 若紫 chapter, after Genji takes Murasaki, the text describes the confusion of her gentlewomen: あさましう、いかさまにと思ひあへり. The phrase also shows up in the thoughts of Niou’s attendants during one of his visits to Uji. Given these examples, it seems to express here the Emperor’s lack of control over the situation.

評

The narrative tightens in focus as Kiritsubo’s death scene continues, with generalized descriptions replaced by specific words and actions. Kiritsubo herself still does not get a voice, with her feelings and actions expressed only in how she appears to the Emperor. The theme of beauty at the moment of death occurs frequently in Heian works.

Several parallels have been suggested for this scene. One is the death of Fujiwara no Takushi, found in the Shoku nihon koki (839, 6th month, 30th day):

女御從四位下藤原朝臣澤子卒。故紀伊守從五位下総繼之女也。天皇納之誕三皇子一皇女也。〈宗康時康人康新子是也。〉寵愛之隆獨冠。後宮俄病而困篤。載之小車出自禁中。纔到里第便絶矣。天皇聞之哀悼。遣中使贈從三位也。
女御従四位下藤原ノ朝臣澤子卒ル。故ノ紀伊ノ守從五位下総繼ノ女也。天皇之ヲ納テ、三皇子一皇女ヲ誕スル也。寵愛ノ隆ナルコト獨リ冠タリ。後宮ニ俄カニ病ヒテ困篤シ、之ヲ小車ニ載テ、禁中ヨリ出ヅ。纔ニ里第ニ至テ便チ絶ヌ。天皇之ヲ聞キテ、哀悼シ、中使ヲ遣ヒテ從三位ヲ贈ル也。
Consort Fujiwara Takushi of the junior 4th rank died. She was the daughter of the late Governor of Ki, of the junior-5th rank. She bore one daughter and three sons to the Emperor. She was greatly loved by the Emperor and put at the head of the palace women. She suddenly became ill and the Emperor lavished great care on her, putting her on a small cart to leave the palace. She had hardly reached her home when she died. When the Emperor heard this he grieved, and he sent out a messenger to grant her the junior-3rd rank.

Another source is Bai Juyi’s poem 李夫人, about the grief of Emperor Wudi over Lady Li:

夫人病時不肯別
夫人病ム時肯テ別レズ
When Lady Li was ill, the Emperor could not bear to part from her.

Finally, the Eiga monogatari has a similar story surrounding Emperor Kazan and his consort Kishi (see pp 129-130 of volume 1 of McCullough’s translation), an event which would have happened during Murasaki Shikibu’s time in the court. Although there are a number of points of contact between Genji and this narrative, it is possible that the details in the Eiga monogatari are borrowed from Genji rather than the other way around.