Palace Meidi – Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Poetry Meeting

The poetry meeting for the New Year is starting, so everyone is talking about Poetry! Poetry! Poetry! Is Misono reading Akiko’s poem right?

This is the first chapter in volume 2. This translation is intended to be read along with the ebook or paper volumes, so it isn’t a scanlation, just a translation.

4: Since long ago, the people in the palace have written poems from within their hearts.}
Totsuji: A poem/ is becoming stronger in my heart…
Lady: So,/ Is it a love poem?
sfx: whisper whisper…
5: Misono: W-what are you doing/ in this place?!/
Men are prohibited within the inner palace!!/ Coming here without permission…
sfx: Ahh
Toutsuji: Misono/ Aren’t you a man too?
6: {The modern palace people are becoming more numerous./ Palace Meidi./
The previous emperor was called the Meidi Emperor./ The elegant Palace was in splendor./
I, Misono Kimiyori,/ am allowed access to the palace in my role as a student chamberlain’s attendant.}
Misono: Since I’m an attendant, it’s all right if I go inside.
7: Toutsuji: Yeah
{This person is Toutsuji-san./ Formerly, he was my senpai as an attendant.}
Toutsuji: I’m the same age as you, but I already retired./ Misono./
It’s because you have Her Majesty’s favor, isn’t it?
sfx: thump
Misono: Something like “favor”…
sfx: mumble mumble
{“I’m fond of you.”}
Toutsuji: I heard from the palace ladies/ Did Her Majesty stop you from retiring?
Small text: Huh?/ No… that was…
sfx: woof
8: sfx: woof woof
Toutsuji: It’s been a while, Ron./ That’s right, you recieve Her Majesty’s favor too.
sfx: hahaha
Toutsuji: You’re Misnono’s rival.
Misono: Why am I the same as a dog?/ This is “favor”?
sfx: step/ whoosh
Akiko: Is that Toutsuji I hear?
sfx: woof
{And this person is–}
9: Akiko: It’s been a while since you’ve come to the palace. Let me see your face.
{The one I serve,/ the current emperor Akiko-sama.}
Toutsuji: Your Majesty/ If I may be allowed to enter the inner palace…
10: Akiko: It’s not a problem if it’s you. You make the palace ladies happy./
Today is the day the first poetry meeting rehersal?
Toutsuji: Yes ma’am.
Misono: That’s right. Toutusji-san is from a poetry family…
{The first poetry meeting/ opens in January for the New Year./
Starting with Her Majesty, the Miya family and the courtiers attend this palace event./
The palace tradition is to recite the melody loudly.}
Small text: The “Introduction” is said.
{This is the role of the Imperial Court families.}
Akiko: Misono/ Are you going to the outer palace?
Misono: Yes ma’am.
11: Akiko: Yunagihara is coming to the palace to instruct me in poetry./
I’ll see you later, Toutsuji.
Toutsuji: Be well, Your Majesty.
Akiko: Misono
Small text: See you later./ Yeah
Yunagihara: I looked at your honorable work./ It’s very nice,/ Your Majesty.
sfx: ta-da [I think this might be some kind of thump or gong sound]
{The poet, Yunagihara Utako}
12: Akiko: Is that so?/ Then, I should present this poem at the first poetry meeting?
Yunagihara: It’s very good.
sfx: breathes/ murmur murmur rustle rustle
Yunagihara: Here, it would be better to replace with “Imperial Court’s garden” in the old palace style./
Get rid of the last line, it should be changed completely./
That would make it a more Emperor-like poem.
Akiko: If you’re going to correct it that much, say it’s a bad poem from the beginning,/ Yunagihara.
sfx: Oh
Yunagihara: Your Majesty!/ It’s…
13: Akiko: Well, okay./ To be honest, I’m not good at poetry./
My father was known as a great poet, but I didn’t inherit his talents.
sfx: rustle
Akiko: “Imperial Palace gardens” was Yunagihara’s correction.
sfx: bow
Misono: Yunagihara has left.
Akiko: Misono,/ deliver a clean copy of this poem to the Toutsuji family.
Small text: I’ll just copy this for the practice.
14: Akiko: She said I should write the poem from my heart,/ but she corrected it to be “more like an emperor.”
sfx: clatter
Akiko: So, I’m not good at poetry.
Misono: Is this the paper you wrote it on?
Akiko: That’s a rejected poem. It’s scrap paper now.
Misono: A rejected poem…/ Ah
sfx: rustle
15: {This type of poetry, I…}
Akiko: Do you like my poem?
Misono: Ah… No!/ Right! This kind of thing is my weak point./
I made one for school homework./ I was “fourth in rank”
sfx: haha
16: {Her laughing face…}
Akiko: What kind of poem was it?
Misono: I-I already forgot.
sfx: eep
Akiko: Surely it was an honest poem.
Misono: What do you mean…/ If Yanagihara-san saw it, I think she would put a big X on it.
sfx: wrong
Akiko: When I see Yanagihara-san’s hair, I’m amazed./ How does she put it up?
sfx: shake shake ahhh
Misono: Me too. When I brought her here, I kept colliding with it!
17: {It’s okay if her affection for me is the same as for a dog./ Seeing her laugh beside me/ is enough.}
18: Toutsuji: Your love isn’t returned, Misono.
Misono: Please stop!/ It’s not like that with Her Majesty… I respect her!
Toutsuji: I merely worship her respectfully….
sfx: mumble mumble grin grin
Toutsuji: Right, right/ I read a former emperor’s honest love poem: / “How can there be beauty? If even love is suffering.”¹
Small text: Umm, who was it?
Oritsu: Toba-no-in
19: Small text: Who?
Misono: Oritsu!/ Oritsu is our new maid.
Toutsuji: What about that large maid?
Misono: Otomi’s knee is bad and she wasn’t able to do all the work. We had to hire someone new.
Small text: Young master~~/ very plump…
Oritsu: Toutsuji-sama/ Just now, that was a work of Toba-no-in.
Toutsuji: Right. You know a lot.
{Free Translation: What kind of thing is beautiful?}
20: {For her also, the awakening of my love causes the same suffering/ if she were to embrace me.}
Misono: Since the current emperor is bad at poetry.
sfx: nyo nyo [not sure what this means, I couldn’t find it.]
Misono: It’s okay with me! / What are you doing at the poetry meeting?
Toutsuji: I’ll be the speaker.
Misono: As the speaker, don’t you read poetry at the beginning!?
Small text: Wow
Toutsuji: It’s certainly a big role. Because they have to read for so long, a young person is chosen each year./
This year it’s me.
21: Toutsuji: The speaker must understand the three collections of poetry.
Misono: The three collections?
Toutsuji: The Kokinshuu, the Gosenshuu²
Oritsu: The Shuishuu.
sfx: appears suddenly
Small text: Yes, that’s right!
Misono: Are you really going to be okay, Toutsuji-san!?
sfx: ehehe
Toutsuji: I have a beautiful voice <3/ See you at the poetry meeting at the Palace!
22: Misono: You suprised me, Oritsu./ You replied so smoothly, like you’d gone to school.
Oritsu: It’s not… It wasn’t anything special…
sfx: stuttering
Misono: Do you like poetry?
sfx: nod
Misono: Well, if you enjoy listening to poetry you might enjoy the poetry meeting.
23: Man 1: Do you know the order of poems for certain?/ The order of introduction is by social status./ If you make a mistake it will be disrespectful!
Chamberlain: Be very careful, Toutsuji-san.
Small text: I’ve memorized it.
Toutsuji: Ye-s
Chamberlain: It will soon be time/ for the introductions / in the Palace.
24: {The first poetry meeting is in the Palace’s Phoenix Room./ The Emperor’s presence signals the beginning./
The poem’s from the retainers are before/ The Miya family representatives, the Imperial Princess and Imperial Prince./
At the end, Her Majesty’s poem is read.}
25: {Unlike at an ordinary poetry meeting, there is no criticism./ Excepting the opening poem, having silence is the custom between poems.
This year, the theme is/ “Youth”}
sfx: breathes
Toutsuji: At the year’s beginning–/ the same—-/ Youth—
26: Toutsuji: It/ is through / Her Majesty’s command that the poems are read. [This is a really vague translations, you can change it if you want].
Misono: He has a nice voice!
Small text: On standby in the corridor
Lady 1: Misono-san
Lady 2: Shh-
Misono: Is it okay? For the palace ladies to come out here…
sfx: hahaha
Lady 2: Suke-sama only commanded us to listen./ Besides, we have to protect this gentleman as well.
Misono: Crown Prince!
{The Crown Prince is Her Majesty’s younger half brother.}
sfx: clears throat
Prince: I wrote a poem too.
27: Misono: Would you allow me to see it?
Small text: Yeah
{I can’t read it!}
Prince: “I don’t know anything about youth and old people. It fell asleep in my lap. The cat.”
Misono: That’s a very good poem.
Prince: But the grand master said I was too little and couldn’t go to the poetry meeting.
sfx: pfft
Misono: We can listen from here together.
Poem: The moon’s–
{The speaker’s recitation ended./ The lead vocalist and the chorus recite the poems.}
28: {High/ Low}
Misono: Amazing…!
{How can there be beauty?}
29: {She would experience the same pain as the awakening of my love/ if she were to favor me with an embrace./
He’s not satisfied to be alone…/ It’s a spiteful love poem.}
sfx: heh
{But… I know the feeling well.}
sfx: chatter
Yanagihara?: The Prisoner’s Poem, Yangihara no Utako.
Misono: It’s Yanagihara-san!
Small text: Her hair is amazing today too…
Lady 2: It’s because the Prisoner’s Poem is presented by a poet.
sfx: breathes
Speakers: The palace’s—/ garden of young trees—/ hopeful—
30: Misono: Huh? This poem…
{At the end, the emperor’s poem is read!}
Small text: The feeling–/ of poetry
{He’s made a mistake in the order!}
Small text: Huh?
31: sfx: heh
Small text: That’s not…/ my poem…
Misono: Toutsuji-san
Small text: Everyone has noticed…
Lady 1: What has happened?
sfx: patter patter
Misono: The Crown Prince!
Small text: whispered
32: sfx: bows
Prince: Please read my poem.
sfx: nod/ excited/ rustle
33: {They can’t read it!}
Small text: The kanji?
sfx: stare/ silently [he’s mouthing the words in the box]
{“Misono can read it.”/ I can’t do that!!!}
sfx: silently
{You understand poetry.}
34: Small text: I only heard it once before…
{No way!}
sfx: deep breath
Misono: Next is the poem of the Imperial Child–
Small text: I don’t know anything about youth and old people.
Small text: Well, he certainly… has a good voice.
sfx: hah hah
Misono: It’s over. I should leave soon…
sfx: step
35: Totsuji: You should also read the emperor’s poem!
sfx: silently
{Toutsuji-san!?}
Small text: Please.
{These people./ Because there was a mistake a little while ago,/ they still can’t read the poem!!}
Small text: Yes Yes/ Please
36: sfx: sit
Lady 1: Well, Misono-san.
Lady 2: He’s in the seat to introduce poems.
{When the same poem was read a little while ago/ it spoiled the atmosphere here./
Nevertheless, If the emperor’s name was read by a different person,/ it would be disrespectful./
I know about/ Her Majesty’s poem.}
37: sfx: cough
Misono: Youth–/ is what the poem was written about./ Her Majesty’s poem.
sfx: whoosh
38: sfx: breathes/ chatter chatter
Guests: Well, that was the first poetry meeting./ Truly elegant…/
Now, everyone go the the Paulownia Room for some celebratory drinks.
Speakers: We can offer no excuse!!
sfx: shudder shudder
39: sfx: chuckle
Akiko: Well, it was a very interesting first poetry meeting./
The one who introduced the poems was put through a lot of trouble./
You should all drink some sake too.
sfx: sigh [of relief]
Toutsuji: Well/ If it’s Her Majesty’s command ❤
Small text: What did you say?
sfx: ehehe
Large text: It’s all your fault!
Misono: Your Majesty!/ Please give the command!/
I selfishly read You Majesty’s discarded poem…
40: Akiko: Misono/ Why did you memorize that poem?
Misono: Even though Your Majesty had discarded it, I stole what you called wastepaper./
I memorized it./ In that poem…
41: sfx: eheheh
Misono: I saw the same kanji as my name.³
Ah/ I know that it has absolutely no connection with me.
sfx: wahh
Misono: It was only a coincidence that the kanji were the same. It was…
Akiko: So, I really am bad at poetry.
sfx: fu
Akiko: It was intended to convey the true state of my heart.
42: Akiko: I suppose I didn’t convey it at all.
sfx: astonished
43: Akiko: If you like that poem,/ I’ll give it to you.
Small text: Your Majesty
{Shall I say that the grade was completely honest?}
Small text: Lady: That was very good, Your Highness.
Crown Prince: Thanks
Toutsuji: Let’s drink
Yanagihara: My poem…
44: {Why did my teacher give me the poetry rank of “Four”/ when I didn’t understand/ poetry even a little?}
Misono: On clear days and rainy days/ the figures of the young trees in the park/ comfort me./
I won’t forget Her Majesty’s poem if I write it down.⁴
45: Small text: After the poetry meeting…
Toutsuji: “The park”?
sfx: hiccup
Small text: “The park” in honorific language
Toutsuji: Ah, the garden! It was good to use that word in the poem, right…
{As I expected, it wasn’t about me.}
Misono: It’s an embarrassing mistake./ Oritsu!/ Oritsu–/ Are you there, Oritsu?
Oritsu: Yes, Young Master.
sfx: patter patter
{“On clear days and rainy days, the figures of the young trees in the park give comfort to my heart.}⁵
sfx: stare
Small text: Nearsighted
Oritsu: The young trees in the park…/ Is it possible that
46: Oritsu: this poem was written about the young master?

 

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^{1. I’ve never translated Heian era poetry before. I looked but I could not find a translation of this real poem by Toba-no-in (Go-Toba). I’m not certain of my translation, the verbs are a bit strange.↩}

^{2. The translated names of these collections are quite long. The first one is the Collection of Poems of Modern & Ancient Times, the second one is the Later Collection, and the last one is the Collection of Gleanings.↩}

^{3. Misono’s name is written with the same kanji that Akiko used to write about the garden in her original poem. The last kanji in his name means garden.↩}

^{4. The close up of the poem shows Misono’s name embedded in the word for “park”.↩}

^{5. The poem is slightly different here.↩}