Hyōhaku #1

Juuni Kokuki’s side story — 十二国記外伝
(The Twelve Kingdoms)

漂舶
(Drifting Ship)

Translated by o6asan
First edition released on 2010.Jan.23
Second edition released on 2013.May.29
Third edition released on 2014.Feb.2 : Current

Acknowledgements

   At Third edition, Delonix helped me so much again. My translation had more reader-friendly English by him.
   This story is very short but contains a lot of humor and irony, so we had more arguments for the translation. Rokuta’s bad language was always big headaches and a big challenge for me. A few characters in the story sometimes use bad language. They were also my headache.
   We’ve worked together for this edition from December 1 to January 27. After that, I removed all kanji characters in the translation and added a lot of links to the notes. I am very glad if the notes will help you. Now, we completed our mission. I can release it now. I really appreciate his help, again.

By o6asan (2014.Feb.2)

chapter1 chapter2 chapter3 chapter4 chapter5 chapter6 chapter7 chapter8

   Mt.Kankyū, En. The top of the mountain pierces the Sea of Clouds. It is literally an isolated island far off in the sea, where Gen’ei-kyū spreads in the gray of dawn, the palace is very isolated. The moon still remains in the sky, and the calm sea surface is like a vast sheet of brocade to which the wavelet was interwoven with silver threads.
   There is time before daybreak. However, a block of Gen’ei-kyū, the building that is called Jinjū-den, already overflows with lower officials. Especially, the main bedroom is surrounded by a thick wall of women and men of the court. Though all of them don’t particularly do anything, they keep close watch on around and feel highly tense. The lower officials pause near the doorway and the windows seem as if holding their own breath.
   In the silence, not hearing even a cough, time flows slowly. Then, the morning sun shines, and the bell sounds loud as if waiting for it.
   The lower officials here and there begin to move, startled. They open the door, open the windows, and occupy the place after letting the sunlight in. The court ladies who were waiting in a corner of the bedroom open the door of a luxurious bed, and rush into it.
   “Taiho! Please awake, my lord!”
   When one of the court ladies raises her voice, it seems the sign for someone who wriggles in the curtains which envelope the bed itself. As two court ladies from right and left pull and open the curtain, a shadow slips into the bedding like escaping, it has been recognized. A pail is brought in while doing so, clothes of a rack are replaced, and tools for the morning dress are prepared on the table. There is no room around the bed because the court ladies move all together.
   “It is the time to get up, my lord.
   “Please get up, my lord.”
   One of the court ladies peels off the covers and the other raises the master who jumps on the bed. The third one is taking his pajamas off, at the same time the fourth is letting out his official clothes and dressing him in it.
   “Stop! I’m up. Already up!”
   Rokuta throws off those court ladies’ hands, running feverishly into a far corner of the bed while clinging to his pillow. The court ladies who call for his getting up and stand in a row thickly by the side of the bed are literally a wall. Moreover, the wall seems about to collapse and to surge on the bed at any moment.
   “Taiho! Please get up, my lord.”
   “Changing clothes, my lord.”
   “Setting hair, my lord.”
   “Wait, I’m getting up now! Everyone, just calm down. ―Right?”
   The Prime Minister of the country is running around to escape by sheltering behind his pillow, above all, it might need that he himself settles down.
   “Well, Taiho, step on it, my lord!”
   “It is the time, now, my lord.”
   “I get up. Now, at once.”
   “Hurry up, my lord. ―Taiho.”
   Rokuta shouts holding his pillow.
   “And you all request me to get out of my bed and to go to the conference immediately. I will, I will!”

chapter1 chapter2 chapter3 chapter4 chapter5 chapter6 chapter7 chapter8