Yadorigi (宿木)

Yadoriki is one of the 54 chapters of "The Tale of Genji." This is the 49th chapter. It is the fifth chapter of 'Uji Jujo' (The Ten Quires of Uji), which is a part of the third section.

The title was taken from the waka poem which Kaoru and Ben no Ama exchanged: 'Yadorikito omoiidezuwa kinomotono tabinemoikani sabishikaramashi' (If I don't remember that I have once stayed, how sleep in journey would make me feel lonely)' and 'Arehaturu kuchikinomotowo yadorikito omoiokikeru hodonokanashisa' (It is sad to consider dilapidated place under rotten wood as place in which once I stayed). Yadoriki' here is kakekotoba (pun) on words both 'yadorigi' (another name for ivy) and 'yadoriki' (once stayed).

Plot summary
It is a story which covers from spring to summer when Kaoru was 25 to 26 years old.

The present Emperor Kinjo no Mikado told Kaoru that he wanted Kaoru to look after Onnaninomiya, who lost her mother and had no guardian. Kaoru, who could not forget late Oigimi, reluctantly agreed to it. Yugiri, who knew this, decided to arrange a marriage between his daughter, Rokunokimi, and Nioumiya.

The day for the wedding was set on August 16 (old calendar). This was an enormous shock for Naka no Kimi, who was invited by Nioumiya and lived in Nijoin in Kyoto then. She became pregnant around May and remained in poor physical condition, but inexperienced Nioumiya did not notice and Naka no Miya spent her days in loneliness. She revealed her secret wish to go back to Uji City to her guardian, Kaoru, but he protested against her.

Although Nioumiya reluctantly got married to Yugiri's daughter, he became enslaved by Rokunokimi's beauty, and gradually forgot to visit Naka no Kimi. Under these circumstances, Kaoru remained in her company and consoled her, and this sympathy changed into affection towards Naka no Kimi. One night, at last, Kaoru went to tell her about his feelings, but he found the pregnant Naka no Kimi adorable, and restrained himself. Nioumiya, who came back to his residence, wondered about lingering scent of Kaoru on Naka no Kimi, and tried to question her closely. Naka no Kimi tried to divert Kaoru's attention, and told him about her younger sister by a different mother, Ukifune, who looked like the late Oigimi.

Nioumiya began to spend more and more time with Naka no Kimi.

In February of the following year, Naka no Kimi safely gave birth to a boy. Kaoru was promoted to Gon Dainagon (provisional major counselor) and concurrently Udaisho (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards), then married Onnaninomiya. In late April, Kaoru visited Uji, and happened to meet Ukifune, who had made a stopover with her party at the residence of Uji on their way back from Hatsuse mode (the custom of visiting the Hase-dera Temple to worship). He was surprised to find that Ukifune, whom he caught a glimpse of, looked like late Oigimi, and asked Ben no Ama to act as an intermediary between them.

[Original Japanese]