General Comments:

Though this chapter's title draws attention to autumn, in truth this is a chapter about the new year and growth. It is brief, and for the most part, celebratory in tone -- it is full of music, dance, promotions (Genji gains the difficult 3rd rank, Fujitsubo becomes empress) and playful teasing (Genji and Tō no Chūjō play tricks on each other and together tease the aged yet still flirty imperial attendant Gen no Naishi no Suke; in her own way Murasaki teases Genji).

But set against this crimson-yellow-musical-banqueting mood is the darkness of Fujitsubo and Genji's secret: in this chapter he tries desperately to see and/or correspond with her while she holds fast to her resolve to avoid him, while spending service time with her emperor. Also in this chapter Fujitsubo gives birth and the baby looks like Genji, mortifying them both. The emperor so loves this child that, while reassuring Kokiden that her own child, the designated Crown Prince, will indeed become emperor, it seems clear that this next child will follow that ascension, something that must make Kokiden uncomfortable for she cannot measure well how long her son may be able to hold the throne. Further, Fujitsubo's promotion to empress (后, kisaki) is not matched with a similar promotion for Kokiden; thus she is now out-ranked.

Early in the chapter the wetnurse (乳母, menoto) Shōnagon, who came with Murasaki to Genji's Nijō estate, has advised her charge that, now that Murasaki is a year older (age was counted by the passing of new year, not the biological birth day), she should stop playing with dolls and act a bit more like a young woman. For his part, Genji tells her to stop wearing the dark mourning clothes she has continued to wear in memory of her grandmother, the nun who looked after her. (The appropriate mourning time has passed.) Later in the chapter, Shōnagon's advice seems to find fruition when Murasaki manipulates Genji into staying with her one night when he was playing to go out by expressing a mixture of displeasure, loneliness and coy behavior. Their time in bed together, however, remains chaste.

The most humorous aspect of this chapter is how the 57 or 58-year-old Gen no Naishi no Suke (Dame of Staff; Naishi) remains confident in her ability to attract men, even Genji and Tō no Chūjō, and all get entangled in rather unbecoming but entertaining behavior. Even here, though, Murasaki the writer is not blind to the loneliness of the aging Gen both in the contrast of her age to her amours and in how Genji and Tō no Chūjō in the end pair up in making fun of her.

So, all-in-all, a chapter of gorgeous men dancing beautifully to lovely music in the sparkling evening light and then the new year with the "birth" of Murasaki into the early stages of womanhood, the actual birth of Genji's secret son, promotions for many, and a comic interlude of Gen no Naishi no Suke, while behind it all is the painful love that has ensnared Genji and Fujitsubo, though each experiences this inescapable bond differently.

Basic Story Summary:

In the 10th month of Genji's 18th year, Genji and his friend Tō no Chūjō look beautiful as they rehearse before the Emperor and Fujitsubo for a performance at an imperial residence. (Fujitsubo cannot attend, so the Emperor has arranged the rehearsal for her to enjoy.) Genji looks so beautiful in the setting light and falling autumn leaves of this rehearsal that the Emperor later has prayers done for the gods, to avoid their jealousy towards Genji. The emperor later asks Fujitsubo for her reaction and she answers awkwardly.

The celebration at the Suzaku Imperial Residence (where a former emperor is in retirement, probably emperor Kiritsubo's father or elder brother) is carried out to much music and dance.

Genji is promoted to 3rd rank, upper, in this chapter. (Rising to 3rd rank is difficult--up to 4 happens in the ordinary course of things--and it is very unusual for someone his age.) Genji's love for Aoi is described in this chapter, if briefly. Genji's care of Murasaki and her education gets some narrative attention as well, including how the arrangement is viewed as a good one by the husband of the now-deceased grandmother who took care of Murasaki after Murasaki's mother's death.

Genji tries to see Fujitsubo but her brother arrives. (Each man finds the other very attractive.)

New Years arrives. Murasaki stops wearing mourning dress and looks somewhat more grownup.

In the 2nd month of Genji's 19th year, Fujitsubo gives birth to an exceptionally handsome son (who indeed looks like Genji) but, if the emperor notices, he shows no evidence of that, only great enthusiasm about the child. This is a difficult period for Genji and Fujitsubo. With the resolve of the Kiritsubo emperor, this boy is destined to be what Genji could not be (emperor). Fujitsubo and Genji exchange poems and a lonely, troubled Genji goes to Murasaki for consolation. She appears to interact with him in a somewhat more grown up manner.

The chapter includes the playful substory of Genji and Tō no Chūjō competing over the old (57-58) but flirty Gen no Naishi no Suke (Dame of Staff [T] Naishi [S]).

Fujitsubo is promoted to empress in the 7th month of this year, making her all the more distant from Genji.

 

Reading notes:

Seidensticker 135 Genji's first intimate companion:

With "first lady" as the description of Aoi, we should be clear that his wedding night was his first experience with sexual intimacy. At least that is the narrative position at this juncture.

Tyler 137 / Seidensticker 135 readability issues:

Around this area is an example of how there are times when Tyler is less "readable" (in terms of ease of reading) than Seidensticker. Tyler mimics the lack of detail regarding individuals that is indeed in the original but since it is an English translation--so separated by culture and language--that lack of detail gets emphasized and at times makes the text hard to capture. "young plant" (T 137) means "Murasaki" and "his mistress" (T 137) means "Aoi". Reading carefully and consecutively will definitely lead to being able to follow this but dropping in of the passage or reading rapidly might not. Seidensticker does the work for the reader with "young Murasaki" and "Genji's wife"--not close to the locutions of the original, granted. This type of substitution for indirectly designated agents in a sentence is pretty typical of Seidensticker's translation choice as is Tyler's choice to preserve the less declarative quality of the original when possible.

Tyler 144 / Seidensticker 142 the role of Aoi:

A subtle point perhaps but around the area of "I miss you, too" (T) "And I miss you " (S) Tyler suggests that there are multiple women to whom he should defer while Seidensticker suggests just one and, if just one, that would be Aoi, which makes her a little more of a fearful witch, perhaps, in the readerly mind. NKBZ's modern translation is similar to the choice Tyler made.

Tyler 145 / Seidensticker 143 the woman who comes to be teased by Genji and Tō no Chūjō:

The Dame of Staff / Naishi is a high ranking position, an elite position. We should understand her not as a lonely individual as much as someone who has long been of the court and retains the polish and amorous stylishness of her privileged position. However, she is, from one perspective, given rather harsh treatment. A narrative position repeated in Chapt 9, Aoi, when Genji settles his cart near hers and they exchange poems. Genji finds her attitude unpleasant. (Seidensticker 164-65 / Tyler 170-71).

Tyler 146 / Seidensticker 145, Genji's reputation:

It is easy to miss these small comments that clarify an aspect of his character, namely, that we see him as quite active among the women and many know of this but keep the secret to some extent suppressed while meanwhile his father the emperor is so uninformed about this aspect of his life that he worries he is too serious. "I hear constant complaints about your lack of interest in women" (T) "people complain that you show too little interest in romantic things" (S). In the earlier chapter titled "Suetsumuhana" a lady-in-waiting tease him about this (Tyler 115) and Tō no Chūjō comments on it as well. Genji manages his reputation carefully ... most of the time, and gets away with a great deal.