Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Song of the Reed FluteAuthor: Murō Saisei
| Original Title | 荻吹く歌 |
|---|---|
| Author | 室生 犀星 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a world where ambition and devotion collide, a young woman named Seiken yearns to escape the harshness of rural Naniwa for Kyoto’s glittering court. Her lover, a fallen nobleman reduced to poverty, sacrifices his last treasures to fund her journey, clinging to a fragile promise of reunion. Yet Kyoto’s allure—its refined arts, enigmatic fortune-tellers, and a flute-playing aristocrat drawn to her poetic soul—threatens to sever her ties to the past. Years later, success cannot quiet Seiken’s longing for the man she left behind. Returning to Naniwa, she finds him unrecognizable: a ragged reed seller haunted by shame. Their fleeting encounter unravels in whispers and unspoken regrets, as pride and time render their love a bittersweet echo. Amidst autumn reeds and moonlit melodies, choices made in hope and desperation ripple across lifetimes, asking what endures when dreams are realized—and what is lost when hearts outgrow their origins. A haunting meditation on love’s sacrifices, where beauty and decay intertwine like the notes of a distant flute. |
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