Pathway to Japanese Literature

Once, on a morning thick with mist. The Prince, seizing a moment when everyone had vanished, nimbly leapt from his glass-paneled chamber onto the lawn. And he hastily donned the large blue hat adorned with Hummingbirds and dashed off into the distance.

“Your Highness.” “Your Highness.” “Where are you, Your Highness?” “Hmm, Your Highness...”

And the elderly retainer was inside the chamber, turning this way and that as he shouted.

In the mist, the Prince came to a halt with panting laughter, glanced briefly in that direction, but immediately turned back and—gripping his sword sheath to muffle any sound—dashed onward and onward toward the Minister’s house.

All the grass of the lawn had drunk its fill of the morning mist, appearing blue and cold.

The walnut tree of the Minister’s house suddenly loomed large and black from within the mist. Under that tree, the figure of a child stood gazing intently at the sun beyond the mist.

The Prince called out. “Hey!” “Good morning.” “I came to play.” The small figure jolted as if startled and came running toward the Prince. It was the Minister’s Child, who was the same age as the Prince.

The Minister’s Child beamed, his face flushing crimson, “Your Highness, good morning,” he said. The Prince inquired briskly. “Have you been here all along? What were you doing?” The Minister’s Child replied.

“I was watching the sun.” “When the sun isn’t veiled by mist, it’s too dazzling to look at.” “Yeah. “When the sun’s veiled in mist, it’s like a silver mirror, huh?” “Yes, and it also appears to be a large opal plate.” “Yeah. “That’s right.” “I have an opal that big.” “But it doesn’t shine nearly as bright.” “I’m going to hunt for a better one next time.” “You coming with me?”

The Minister’s Child fidgeted slightly. The Prince promptly asked the Minister’s Child again.

“Hey, you. Where should I go to find even better gems than my ruby jars and such?”

The Minister’s Child replied. “I’ve heard there’s a ruby paint dish at the foot of the rainbow.”

The Prince said quickly. “Hey, let’s go get it.” “Let’s go.” “Right away, Your Highness?”

“Yeah. But I’d rather have a diamond than a ruby. I’ve got a good yellow diamond. And this time I’ll go get an even better one. Hey, where do you think diamonds are?”

The Minister’s Child tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then replied.

“Diamonds are probably at the mountaintop, I suppose.”

The Prince nodded.

“Yeah. “That’s what I figured.” “Let’s go look for it, yeah? Let’s go.” “Would it be acceptable if we don’t inform His Majesty?” asked the Minister’s Child, blinking rapidly with an anxious look.

At that moment, from the mist behind them, “Your Highness! Your Highness! Where are you?” “Your Highness!”

Then, the voices of the old retainers could be heard.

The Prince，tugging insistently at the Minister’s Child’s hand，said in a hushed，hurried voice. “Let’s go．Come on，hurry． They’ll catch up with us．”

The Minister’s Child nodded resolutely while tightening the sword-hung belt.

And the two of them dashed through the mist toward the forest faster than the wind.

＊

The two of them ran on and on through the mist-shrouded field. Far behind them, the retainers’ voices could faintly be heard once more.

The Prince laughed breathlessly,

“Come on, let’s run a bit farther.” “No one’s going to catch up with us now!” As the Minister’s Child passed under a small birch tree, he dropped his large blue hat. Then, he hurriedly picked it up and ran again with all his might.

The voices of their pursuers could no longer be heard. And the field gradually began to slope upward.

The two of them finally stopped running and, panting hurriedly, stomped through the grass.

Before they knew it, the fog had thinned out smoothly, and the sunlight began to shine through in a golden hue. Before long, the wind swept the fog away in a sudden gust, so the dew sparkled brilliantly, and the brown grass ears, like foxes’ tails, rippled in waves across the field.

When they suddenly noticed, from this side of the distant white birch tree, a rainbow so vivid it could wake the eyes was shining high in the sky. The white birch trunk was a blazing red.

“Look, there’s the rainbow.” “Let’s hurry and get the ruby dish.” “Hurry up and come here!”

The two started running again. However, the closer they got to the birch tree, the farther the beautiful Rainbow gradually retreated. And by the time they reached the white birch tree, the Rainbow was nowhere to be seen.

“So this is where the rainbow stood.” “I wonder if the ruby dish hasn’t fallen here.” The two of them used their feet to push through the smoke-like brown grass plumes and looked, but the ruby paint dish was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, when the rainbow fled over there, it must’ve dragged the ruby paint dish along with it, right?” “I believe that must be the case.” “Where on earth did the rainbow go?”

“Well...”

“Ah! It’s over there.” “It’s over there.” “It’s all the way over there!” The Minister’s Child looked that way. From beyond the pitch-black forest,the rainbow had spanned high into the sky—a grand bridge of dreams. “It’s beyond the forest isn't it?” “Let’s go check it out.” “It'll probably run away again.” “Let’s go check it out.” “Hey.” “Let’s go.”

The two of them started walking again. And they had already reached the oak forest. Inside the forest was pitch-dark and seemed eerie. Even so, the Prince resolutely pressed forward into the forest. As they passed by a thicket, monkey brambles extended countless green hooks trying to seize his clothes and hold him back. Even when trying to let go，they couldn’t easily break free.

The Prince, having grown annoyed, drew his sword and suddenly slashed through the thicket with a single stroke. And the two of them went on and on, stepping over spongy moss and shade-loving vines as they pressed deeper into the forest. The forest trees were densely layered and dimly lit, but beyond that, the sky itself seemed to be darkening as well. They could tell because the single blue beam of sunlight that had been piercing into the forest vanished abruptly, leaving the surroundings dim and misty.

The fog had returned. Before long, the forest interior turned a hazy white. They could no longer tell which direction they had come from.

The Prince sighed. The Minister’s Child kept looking around as well, but the fog flowed thickly everywhere, leaving only the tree right before his eyes dimly visible through the haze. The two of them were at a loss and stood there with their arms linked.

Then, in a lovely little voice, someone began to sing.

“Drip-drop, drip-drop, tweet-tweet, plink. The fog falling through the woods— ants’ juggling balls, triangular hats, a thumb-sized boy’s little leather ball.” The fog hopped-danced in staccato rhythm. “Drip-drop, drip-drop, tweet-tweet, plink. The fog falling through the woods— black oak acorns, the oak’s hardened nuts spilling cold milk.” The fog pattered down like scattered beads. Then silence pooled thick about them.

“Who could it be? Hmm.” “Who could it be?” “Who’s singing such a thing?” “It seems like two or three people.” The two of them glanced around restlessly, but there was no one anywhere. The voice gradually grew higher. It sounded like a skillfully played grass whistle. “Drip-drop, drip-drop, tweet-tweet-tweet. The fog falling in the forest, The droplets gradually grew larger, Now droplets go plink.”

The fog came swirling and swirling down, and from all around the trees came the plink-plink sounds of droplets. “Splash-splash, swirl-swirl-swirl. The fog falling in the forest, Soon this fog will turn to light rain, All trees don blue coats. Splash-splash, splash-splash, splash-splash, splash!” The fog turned into light rain and came splish-splashing down. The Minister’s Child widened his eyes into perfect circles, utterly at a loss.

“Who could it be?” “That was them.” “They made it rain.”

The Minister’s Child answered vacantly.

“Yes, Your Highness. Your clothes are full of grass seeds.” And from the Prince’s black velvet coat, he plucked off the green thief bush clover seeds one by one.

The Prince suddenly shouted.

“Who’s there? The one who just sang—come out here!”

To their astonishment, the two shimmering blue hummingbirds that had been adorning the Prince and his companion’s large blue hats buzzed and fluttered down before them. And they said in unison.

“Yes. How may we serve you?” “Was that song yours? Why did you make it rain so hard?”

The hummingbirds cried out like skilled grass whistles.

“That is Your Highness.” “Our precious master.” “We merely sang while gazing at the sky.” “By gazing at the sky, we could clearly tell whether the fog would turn to rain.” “And why did you sing and fly around?” “Yes.” “From here onward, this has become a place where we may sing and fly.” “Allow us to guide you.”

Rain fell splish-splash. With those words, the hummingbirds darted off toward the distance. Perhaps because they had steel stays embedded in their backs and chests, their flying seemed somewhat strange.

The Prince and his companion followed after them.

*

The surroundings suddenly brightened.

The rain, which had been pattering down until now, suddenly swelled into fat drops and came crashing down. The hummingbirds, glistening sleekly like blue fish through water, darted busily above the boys’ heads— Splat-splat-splat—splatter-splatter-splatter— Fall fall let it fall—sunshower rain— Topaz, sapphire, diamond.

they sang. Then, somehow, the very atmosphere around them shifted abruptly into something strange. The rain transformed into hail and came clattering down in a rapid patter.

And the two boys stood atop a beautiful grassy hill surrounded by forest.

Yet the two boys were utterly astonished. What they had thought was hail turned out to be all diamonds and topaz and sapphires. Oh, how resplendently dazzling that rain was! Beyond the rain, the sun—shedding its pale green corona—shone pure white, while on this side, the gemstone rain cast countless tiny rainbows. Diamonds collided violently, emitting blue phosphorescence.

The gemstone rain fell onto the grass with a clink-clink. It was meant to ring out so. The gentian flowers were built from carved amazonite and split amazonite, their leaves formed of smooth chrysocolla. The yellow grass ears gleamed as cat’s eye stones; the cranesbill petals carpeting the ground were milky opals holding faint rainbows; the corydalis leaves were jasper; their buds bore beautiful amethyst tips. And among them all, the most splendid stood a small wild rose bush. The wild rose’s branches had been polished with brown amber and purplish aragonite, its fruits glowing as vivid rubies.

If one were to examine the black soil forming that hill, it would undoubtedly prove to be verdigris or lapis lazuli.

The two boys stood astonished and dazedly, being pelted by the luminous rain.

The hummingbirds, though repeatedly struck by gemstones and nearly knocked from the sky, still kept frantically darting about, Splatter-splat, splatter-splat-splatter— Fall, fall—let it fall—sunshower rain— The cloud of light remained unceasing. As they sang this, the rain’s clamor swelled even louder, and the surroundings once again blazed with radiance. Then, the hummingbirds gradually slowed their flight, Splatter-splat, splatter-splat-splatter—

Halt the peaks, cease, cease—sunshower rain, The sky was polished turquoise.

As they sang this, the rain ceased abruptly. The last two or so diamonds sparkled and fell from that polished turquoise sky. “Hey, isn’t this gentian flower more beautiful than Father’s best cup? It’s heaped full of topaz!” “Yes, it’s splendid.” “Hmm. I’ll fill my handkerchief with this topaz. But maybe diamonds are better than topaz.”

The Prince took out his handkerchief and spread it open, but everything glittered so dazzlingly that he somehow felt gathering gems now would seem foolish. At that moment, the wind came. The gentian flower bent with a *clink*, tilting its amazonite blossom-cup downward. The topaz *clattered* out, spilling onto lily-of-the-valley leaves below before glinting away to vanish into the grass depths.

The gentian flower then creaked upright with a groan, heaved a sigh of relief, and sang.

“Topaz dew clatters and spills, Sparkling sangarin, While dwelling on this hill of light, What makes such sorrow still?” In the azure sky, hummingbirds trilled Tzaril-tzaril-tzarillin, weaving between the two boys and gentian flowers below. “What truly grieves the gentian so?” The Prince asked, mopping his brow with the handkerchief he’d spread to gather topaz.

“Well, I do not know.”

“I don’t know either, huh? It’s so beautiful. Hey, look—these cranesbill flowers here are just like a rainbow. It’s like a billowing rainbow surging forth! Ah, right! There’s a single drop of diamond dew in here!” Indeed, the cranesbill was quivering so delicately that the single diamond dewdrop within its blossom shone with such orange and green brilliance it seemed on the verge of crying out, glinting against the petals in a manner beyond description.

Just then, the wind came, so the cranesbill bent its body slightly and spilled the diamond dew with a plink. The dew emitted a final prickling blue light and sank into the depths of the jasper leaves.

The cranesbill flower rose with a crystalline chime and shone once again in swift flickers. Could it be that particles of the diamond’s intense light still lingered on its petals? And suddenly, the hummingbirds’ circling through the sky and their cries grew increasingly frenzied. The cranesbill flower shrieked so high and sharp, its petals and calyx nearly scattering asunder. “The comings and goings of glitter— Light’s benediction The rainbow sways, Though the sun weaves its light, Sorrow.

The blue sky is ancient, Light shatters, The wind’s moan— Though the sun weaves its light,

“Sorrow.”

The wild rose tree quietly sang, spilling crystal dewdrops plink-plink from its red berries. “The rainbow is tear-stained, Glitter weaves Hill of Light’s This loneliness.”

This sorrow.

Beneath the ice Blind fish Hill of Light’s

This sorrow.

Twilight clouds Wandering bird Hill of Light’s

“This sorrow.”

At that moment, the Hill of Light rustled with a soft swishing sound across its entire surface, and all the grass and flowers shook their bodies, bent over, scattered their glittering gemstone dew, and rose up with a metallic clang, a chime, and another clang. And then, in unison, they cried out toward the lofty sky.

“The Ten-Power Diamond has not come today, The blessing gemstones have not fallen today. If the Ten-Power Gem does not fall, the Hill of Light too becomes a pitch-black night.”

The two stood with their arms linked, rigid as posts, but the prince, as if finally noticing something, bent his body slightly, “Hey, why are you all so sad?” the prince asked the wild rose tree.

The wild rose reflected scattered points of red light onto the prince’s face as it

“It is as I just said. The Ten-Power Diamond has not yet come.”

The prince shielded his eyes with his hand against the prickling golden light streaming from the base of the lily of the valley in the distance while,

“What’s the Ten-Power Diamond like?” he asked.

The wild rose tree shook its body joyfully. “The Ten-Power Diamond does not glitter harshly like an ordinary diamond.”

The jasper lily of the valley glowed like a night when a hundred moons had gathered and spoke from afar.

“The Ten-Power Diamond does sparkle at times. “It can also become faintly cloudy. “There are days when it glows with a faint light. “At times, it is as dark as a cave.” The serene Amazonite gentian, as if it could no longer keep from dancing, sway-tap, sway-tap, moved its body in rhythm and spoke.

“That Ten-Power Diamond is softer than a spring breeze—sometimes round, sometimes egg-shaped. If it becomes grains smaller than mist, it could bury both sky and earth.”

With a laughing rainbow unfurled at midday, the plum bush clover said: “It splits into hundreds upon thousands of particles in an instant, then gathers back into one.”

The hummingbirds’ circling was so rapid that they appeared only as a hazy ring of blue light emitting a continuous whirring sound.

The wild rose tree, too overcome with agitation, clattered as it shouted. “The Ten-Power Great Jewel lies buried in black stable manure’s dampness at times.” “Then within trees’ and grasses’ bodies it sifts through moonlight hues and beats a pale faint pulse.” “Then it makes human children’s apple cheeks shine.”

And then everyone cried out together. “The Ten-Power Diamond has still not come today.”

The Ten-Power Diamond had still not fallen. Oh, the Ten-Power Diamond’s blessing that pervades heaven and earth!

“Descend upon us!” Suddenly, the hummingbirds let out a piercing “Keeen!”—a cry so sharp it seemed their steel-reinforced bones might burst. When they looked over in surprise, the sky began to shine anew as if revived, and the Hummingbirds descended straight onto their hats. Following the hummingbirds, two gemstones streaked down in a flash of light onto their blue hats, then fell among the flowers.

“It’s here! It’s here! “Ah, it’s finally here.” “The Ten-Power Diamond has finally descended!” the flowers shouted, shining as though about to take flight. The trees, the grass, the flowers, and the blue sky all sang out loudly in unison.

“Flames of destruction welling up, Though it envelops earth and people, Here is a tranquil land, The people of light abound here. Heaven and earth are filled with light, …………………”

Suddenly, the voices ceased to be heard, as if they had gone to some distant world. And before long, the Ten-Power Diamond descended to fill the hill. Now all those flowers, leaves, and stems had splendidly transformed as if awakening. From the blue sky showered down faint, faint strains of music, waves of light, a fragrant pure aroma, and the clear wind’s words of praise across the entire hill. For now, the lily of the valley’s leaves were indeed real grass—soft, faintly glowing green.

The plum bush clover now bore modest, genuine petals. And the Ten-Power Diamond permeated each and every one of the countless cells within the wild rose’s red fruit.

That Ten-Power Diamond was indeed dew.

Ah, and then—and then—the Ten-Power Diamond was not merely dew. The azure sky, the glittering sun, the wind racing across the hills, the flowers’ radiant petals and stamens, the grass’s supple stalks—the hills and fields bearing all this, the princes’ velvet coats and tear-glistening eyes—every last one of them was the Ten-Power Diamond. That was the Ten-Power Great Jewel. That was the venerable relic of the Ten-Power.

Who, then, was this Ten-Power? I had only just heard its name. The two, too, had only just heard that name. But why was it that these two youths—young as goshawks—knelt humbly upon the grass with fingers clasped upon their knees? Now from beyond the quiet forest at the heart of this light came voices calling for them—the retainers’ cries. “Your Highness! Your Highness!” “Are you here, Your Highness?” “Are you here, Your Highness?” “Your Highness!”

The two stood up.

“Hey! “Here!” the Prince tried to shout, but his voice came out hoarse. The two, their shining black eyes turned from the azure sky toward the forest, quietly descended the hill.

From the forest, the retainers emerged, laughing joyfully as they ran over. The Prince also tried to shout and run, but a single monkey-catching bramble suddenly extended a small blue hook and caught his leg. The Prince bent down and quietly removed it.