The Yamato Monogatari is a Japanese literary work thought to have been established in the first half of the 10th century and belongs to the genre of Uta monogatari. This word ‘uta’ means classical Japanese poem(和歌:waka). (A waka is a form of song consisting of five phrases of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.) And the word monogatari means a tale.
The Tale of Genji has not yet been written, and the form of the tale has not yet been formulated.The genre of Uta monogatari is different from the novel in that it begins with a waka poem and then briefly describes the background and episodes of the poem’s composition.
Most of the characters are aristocratic, and each story is very short. As in Chekhov’s short stories, nothing noteworthy happens. However, people meet, fall in love, part, and die. Everyone dies, but each time they do, those who are left behind think about something. The Yamato Monogatari is a work that tries to depict these thoughts.
The marriage bond of the Heian(8c-12c) aristocracy was a loose one, similar to the relationship between lovers. The man goes to the home of the woman he loves and must return home before dawn. Once the relationship is established to a certain extent, they may live together. Having more than one wife is also common in the upper nobility. Even if there is more than one wife, a man will go to his girlfriend for more. Married people often have relationships with other married people. It is also common for men of the aristocratic class to have relations with the maidens who serve their wives. Women of the aristocracy rarely leave the house, making it difficult for them to meet outside.
A man should not be tactless because he is visiting a woman for love. InThe Pillow Book, Sei Shonagon is angry that a man should not say he is hungry when he is meeting a woman. A man must eat himself to death before going out. Rice was an important source of protein, as people did not eat much meat or fish at that time. The aristocracy ate 600g of rice at a time (more than 1 kg after cooking). It is thought that Sei Shonagon also ate large quantities of food without her lover.
：Collection of Tokyo National Museum, Sumiyoshi-monogatari emaki
Off topic.
Of course, the aristocrats ofThe Yamato Monogatari do not eat. They fall in love, and if their feelings for their partner wane, they separate. If the man is too busy, he cannot attend the woman’s house and they become estranged for some reason. Sometimes lovers break up without reason.
We read the story in an unobtrusive way and think about the passage of time. Before we realise it, summer has passed and in the woods, brightened by the falling leaves, we know that winter is coming. The changing of the seasons is similar to the life of a human being. Seasons pass, people pass. At such times, they compose poems.
I give you a passage from The Yamato Monogatari .
The Yamato Monogatari No.7
There was a man and a woman. They loved each other for many years, but broke up over a trivial matter.Both were still in love with each other, but because they had parted, they both had deep feelings for the other. So the man gave the woman a Uta.
I don’t think I’ll ever see you again,
but every time I think of you, I weep.
The woman also thought deeply about many things.
Image of the page head : Akikusa-zu byobu, Sotatsu Tawaraya, Collection of Tokyo National Museum
