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This is the website of MORINORI, which holds small Heikyoku (a performance of the Heike Monogatari accompanied by the Heike biwa) concerts and lectures. On this page, we introduce a modern translation of the summary of the Heike Monogatari, Volume 11, “Senteigojyusui”. It’s not very good, but please take a look if you like. We also introduce a small Heikyoku concert, “The Final Sea, Dannoura,” in the second half.
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A simple summary of the Heike Monogatari, Volume 11, “Senteigojyusui
Awanominbu Shigeyoshi surrendered after his eldest son was taken prisoner. Lord Tomomori regretted that he should have killed Shigeyoshi, but it was too late. The Heike had a plan in place, but it was ruined by Shigeyoshi’s betrayal. The soldiers from Shikoku and Chuzen also betrayed the Heike and sided with the Genji. The Genji soldiers one after another boarded the Heike ships and, after killing the helmsmen and sailors, took control of the ships.
Lord Tomomori hurried to the imperial ship and ordered that anything unsightly be thrown into the sea, and he cleaned up himself. When his ladies asked him about the state of the battle, Lord Tomomori laughed jokingly, but his ladies cried and wailed. Niidono, carrying the Imperial regalia and the sacred sword, declared that he would “accompany the Emperor” and quietly made his way to the edge of the boat. Niidono, in tears, told the Emperor that his fate had come to an end, bade farewell to the Grand Shrine at Ise, and implored him to swear to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. The Emperor obeyed and sank to the bottom of the sea with Niidono.
The Tale of the Heike, Volume 11, “The Former Emperor’s Suicide by Water” – Full modern translation
*This is a modern translation of the text taken from the Heikyoku score “Senteigojyusui”.
Well, Awanominbu Shigeyoshi, thinking that his son, Den’naizaemon Norinobu, was no match for the enemy, surrendered, taking off his armor and removing the string from his bow. Lord Tomomori, the new Chūnagon, regretted that he should have “cut down and left behind that Shigeyoshi”, but there was nothing he could do about it. After that, the Heike side loaded their best warriors onto their warships and their foot soldiers onto Chinese ships, and prepared to trap and kill the Genji if they attacked the Chinese ships. However, because Shigenobu had betrayed them, this plan fell through, and the Genji paid no attention to the Chinese ships and attacked the warships carrying the Heike general.
After that, all the soldiers from Shikoku and Chuzen betrayed the Heike and sided with the Genji. They had served their former masters with loyalty until then, but now they were drawing their bows against their former lords and drawing their swords against their former masters. If they tried to reach the shore, the waves were high and rough, and they could not advance. If they tried to come to this shore, the enemy was waiting with their arrows drawn. It seemed that the struggle between the Genji and Heike clans would be the last today.
After that, the soldiers of the Genji clan one after another boarded the Heike ships, and the helmsmen and oarsmen were shot dead with arrows or cut down with swords, so that they were unable to steer the ships, and everyone collapsed to the bottom of the ships. Lord Tomomori, the new Minister of the Middle, hurried to the imperial ship and ordered, “This is the end of the world as we know it. Throw away anything unsightly into the sea and clean the ship.” He then personally went around the stern and bow of the ship, cleaning it himself.
The ladies gathered around and asked, “Lord Chūnagon, how is the army doing?”, to which the chūnagon replied, “You will soon see some rare warriors from the eastern provinces”, and laughed heartily. The ladies cried out, “How can you joke about such a thing?”.
Niidono, who had been thinking about this for some time, put on a dull-colored, double-layered robe, lifted the hem of her hakama high, tucked the Imperial regalia under her arm, and put a sword at her waist. I will go with the Emperor. Those of you who are loyal to the Emperor, hurry and follow me.” Then she quietly walked to the edge of the boat.
The Emperor was eight years old this year. He was much more mature than his age, and his appearance was beautiful, as if he were shining. His hair was black and long, reaching almost to his back. The Emperor, looking surprised, asked, “Where are you taking me?” Niidono, facing the young Emperor, shed tears as he replied
“The Emperor did not know this, but you were born as the ruler of the world through the power of the ten good precepts you practiced in your previous life, but your fate has already come to an end due to your bad karma. First, you must go east to the Grand Shrine at Ise to bid farewell. After that, you must go west and make a vow to be welcomed into the Western Pure Land. This country is called Sokusanhendo, a land of suffering, so I will take you to the joyful land of Gokurakujoudo,” he said, crying as he explained, and the Emperor, with his hair arranged in the color of a mountain dove and his beautiful, small hands joined together in prayer, turned first to the east and bowed down to pray at the Grand Shrine of Ise. After that, as he chanted the name of Buddha facing west, Niidono eventually took the Emperor in her arms and comforted him, saying, “There is a capital at the bottom of the waves, too,” and then sank into the depths of the thousand-fathom sea.
How sad. The merciless waves of the spring wind of impermanence scattered the flower-like figure of the Emperor, and the waves mercilessly parted, sinking his precious body. Even though the Emperor had lived a long life and was to live for a long time in a palace that was designated for him, and even though the gate was inscribed with the word “immortality” and he was to be protected without aging, he was reduced to a bubble at the bottom of the sea before he had even reached his tenth year. No words can fully express the fruit of the Ten Good Deeds of the Emperor’s throne.
The dragon in the heavens descended to become a fish in the sea. It once flourished in the palace that soared high above the great Brahma, and in the palace of Sakra, the Joy-Giver, and in ancient times it had nine families under its command in the Hall of the White-Colored Gate and the Hall of the Thorny Path, but now it has lost its life in an instant in a boat, beneath the waves, how sad
The final sea, Dannoura. Click here for the concert feature page
https://morinorijapan.com/heike-tale-final-sea-dannoura
Thank you for reading this far.
I hope to see you somewhere someday.
