Entry 2: Jian 1 {1021} 4-5
治安元年四月・五月
Translators: Eric Esteban and Elinor Lindeman
Original Text:
四月一日丙午。
Kundoku:
四月一日丙午（ひのえうま）。
English:
Fourth Month, first day, hinoe uma.
Original Text:
三日戊申。平野祭。
Kundoku:
三日戊申（つちのえさる）。平野祭（ひらのさい）。
English:
Third day, tsuchinoe saru. Hirano Shrine Rite.
Notes
Hiranosai 平野祭 (sai per Abe 2003). This rite was held annually at Hirano Shrine to the northwest of the Imperial Palace. A variety of goods were offered to the deities along with prayers for the safety and longevity of the ruler and court. (Philippi 2020, 32-33)
Original Text:
四日己酉。廣瀨祭。梅宮祭。
Kundoku:
四日己酉（つちのととり）。廣瀨（ひろせ）、龍田祭（たつたさい）。梅宮祭（うめみやさい）。
English:
Fourth day, tsuchinoto tori. Hirose and Tatsuta Shrine Rites. Umenomiya Shrine Rite held.
Notes
Hirose Ōimi no Matsuri 廣大忌瀬祭. Rite held at the Hirose Shrine in Yamato to petition the deity Wakaukanome-no-mikoto for a bountiful harvest. (Philippi 2020 25-27)
Tatsutasai 龍田祭. Rite held at the Tatsuta Shrine in Yamato to petition the deities there for a bountiful harvest. (Philippi 2020 28-31)
Umenomiyasai 梅宮祭. Rite held at the Umenomiya Shrine in the west of Kyoto. (角川古語大辞典)
Original Text:
五日庚戌。小除目。今夜亥刻。小一條院高松殿燒亡。
Kundoku:
五日庚戌（かのえいぬ）。小除目（こじもく）。今夜，亥刻（いのこく），小一條院高松殿（たかまつどの）燒亡（しょうぼう）す。
English:
Fifth day, kanoe inu. Lesser Ceremony for Assigning Posts (kojimoku) held. Tonight, during the Hour of the Boar [21:00-23:00], Koichijō-in’s Takamatsu Residence burned down.
Notes
Kojimoku 小除目 Lesser Ceremony for Assigning Posts. Supplementary ceremony held in addition to the regular assignment of posts in the spring and fall. (国史大辞典)
Koichijō-in 小一条院 (994-1051) Alternate name of Prince Atsuakira 敦明, son of Sanjō Tennō (r. 1011-1016). He was the crown prince for a time, but was pressured by Michinaga to retire in 1017. The name Koichijō-in comes from the palace where he resided after his retirement. (Encyclopedia of Japan) Takamatsu Residence was his residence in 1021.
Original Text:
十三日戊午。賀茂齋王禊。
Kundoku:
十三日戊午（つちのえうま）。賀茂齋王の禊（みそぎ）。
English:
Thirteenth day, tsuchinoe uma. The Kamo Princess-Priestess Purification.
Notes
Kamo Saiō 賀茂斎王 also called Saiin 斎院: Priestess from the royal family who served the deities of the Kamo Shrines on behalf of the ruler. Most famous for her role in the Kamo Shrine Rite, where she progressed from the palace to the Lower and then the Upper Kamo Shrines in a grand procession. In 1021, the current saiō was Princess Senshi 選子内親王 (965-1035), who served for 56 years and was known as the Great Kamo Priestess 大斎院 as a result. (デジタル大辞泉)
Original Text:
十四日己未。警固。
Kundoku:
十四日己未（つちのとひつじ）。警固（けいご）。
English:
Fourteenth day, tsuchinoto hitsuji. A strictly guarded perimeter [due to the Kamo Shrine Rite].
Note:
Keigo 警固 An increased guard patrol; in its appearances here, the increased patrol was made in preparation of the crowds spectating the upcoming Kamo Shrine Rite. (日本国語大辞典)
Original Text:
十五日庚申。關白內大臣<賴通>參詣賀茂社。
Kundoku:
十五日庚申(かのえさる）。關白內大臣(かんぱくないだいじん）<賴通（よりみち>賀茂社（かもしゃ）に參詣（さんけい）す。
English:
Fifteenth day, kanoe saru. Viceroy and Inner Palace Minister [Fujiwara no] Yorimichi made a pilgrimage to the Kamo Shrines.
Original Text:
十六日辛酉。賀茂祭。
Kundoku:
十六日辛酉（かのととり）。賀茂祭（かもさい）。
English:
Sixteenth day, kanoto tori. Kamo Shrine Rite.
Notes
Kamo no Matsuri 賀茂祭. One of the most important events of the year to the court and populace of the capital. The Kamo Princess-Priestess and her many attendants made a grand procession from the palace to the Lower and Upper Kamo Shrines. Due to the hollyhock flowers used to adorn the princess-priestess and her palanquin, the festival is also known as the Aoi Matsuri 葵祭 (“hollyhock festival”). (角川古語大辞典)
Original Text:
十七日壬戌。解陣。
Kundoku:
十七日壬戌（みずのえいぬ）。解陣（げじん）。
English:
Seventeenth day, mizunoe inu. Guards’ strict perimeter ended.
Notes:
Gejin 解陣. The increased patrol was disbanded after the conclusion of the Kamo Shrine Rite.
Original Text:
十九日甲子，吉田祭。
Kundoku:
十九日甲子（きのえね）。吉田祭（よしだのまつり）。
English:
Nineteenth day, kinoe ne. Yoshida Shrine Rite.
Notes
Yoshida no Matsuri 吉田祭. The rite was held at the Yoshida Shrine east of the Kamo River during the Fourth (on a Day of the Rat) and Eleventh Months (on a Day of the Monkey). It was first held in 987 during the reign of Ichijō, who was a descendant of Fujiwara no Yamakage, the founder of the shrine. (角川古語大辞典)
Original Text:
廿三日戊辰。奉幣廿一社。依祈雨幷消疾疫難也。
Kundoku:
廿三日戊辰（つちのえたつ）。廿一社に奉幣（ほうへい）す。祈雨（きう）幷（ならびに）疾疫 （しつえき）の難を消すに依る也。
English:
Twenty-third day, tsuchinoe tatsu. Cloth strip offerings were presented [by royal messengers] to the deities of the Twenty-one Shrines. This was done in order to pray for rain as well as the eradication of difficulties due to the epidemic.
Notes:
The Twenty-one Shrines were Ise, Iwashimizu, Kamo, Matsuno’o, Hirano, Inari, Kasuga, Ōmiwa, Ōyamato, Isonokami, Hirose, Tatsuta, Ōharano, Yoshida, Sumiyoshi, Hiyoshi, Hirota, Umenomiya, Gion, Kitano, and Niu.
Original Text:
廿六日辛未。自今日三箇日。於石清水以下十六社轉讀仁王經。依除疾疫也。
Kundoku:
廿六日辛未（かのとひつじ）。今日より三箇日（さんがにち）、石清水以下十六社に於いて仁王經（にんのうぎょう）を轉讀（てんどく）す。疾疫（しつえき）を除くに依る也。
English:
Twenty-sixth day, kanoto hitsuji. For three days beginning from today, quick readings (tendoku) of the Sutra for Benevolent Kings (Nin’ō-gyō) will be performed at sixteen shrines starting with Iwashimizu. This will be done for the elimination of the epidemic.
Notes
Tendoku 轉讀. A practice in which one chants the title and abbreviated portions of a sutra text rather than chanting the entire sutra. This was most commonly done for longer sutras and was thought to generate good merit.
Ninnō-gyō 仁王經. Sutra for Benevolent Kings. Renwang jing in Chinese. Apocryphal East Asian sutra in which sixteen kings discuss compassionate Buddhist rulership. It was frequently utilized in rituals for realm protection.
Original Text:
五月一日乙亥。前太政大臣<道長>家法華卅講始。
Kundoku:
五月一日乙亥（きのとい）。前太政大臣（ぜんだいじょうだいじん）<道長>家法華卅講（ほうけさんじゅうこう）を始む。
English:
Fifth Month, first day, kinoto i. The Thirty Lectures on the Lotus Sutra [sponsored by] the house of Former Prime Minister [Fujiwara no] Michinaga began.
Notes:
Hokke Sanjū kō 法華卅講 a series of thirty lectures on the Lotus Sutra. Other entries in Nihon kiryaku show sponsorship of eight lectures on the Lotus Sutra, so the expansion into thirty lectures demonstrates that this was a longer, more elaborate, and likely more lavish event. The increase to thirty lectures allows for coverage of all twenty-eight fascicles of the Lotus Sutra. (Willa Jane Tanabe, “The Lotus Lectures: Hoke Hakkō in the Heian Period”, MN 39, no. 4, 1984)
Original Text:
八日壬午。於御殿不斷轉讀法華經。
Kundoku:
八日壬午（みずのえうま）。御殿（おおどの）に於いて，法華經を不斷して轉讀す。
English:
Eighth day, mizunoe uma. At [Michinaga’s] residence, Lotus Sutra quick chanting rites (tendoku) were performed continuously.
Original Text:
九日癸未。紫野御靈會。
Kundoku:
九日癸未（みずのとひつじ）。紫野（むらさきの）御靈會（ごりょうえ）。
English:
Ninth day, mizunoto hitsuji. A pacification rite for the dead was held in Murasakino.
Notes
Murasakino 紫野. A northern section of the capital. (デジタル大辞泉)
Goryō-e 御靈會. Rite held to pacify the spirits of those who died untimely deaths, perhaps in this case the spirits of those who had died in recent epidemics. (全文全訳古語辞典)
Original Text:
廿日甲午。從一位行左大臣藤原朝臣顯光上表。請罷所職。以藏人右中辨章信為使。以左近少將顯基返給。
Kundoku:
廿日甲午（きのえうま）。從一位（じゅういちいい）行（ぎょう）左大臣（さだいじん）藤原朝臣顯光（あきみつ）上表（じょうひょう）して、所職（しょしょく）をまからんと請う。藏人（くろうど）右中辨（うちゅうべん）[藤原]章信（あきのぶ）を以て、使と為す。左近少將（さこんのしょうしょう）顯基（［源の］あきもと）を以て返給（へんきゅう）す。
English:
Twentieth day, kinoe uma. Junior First Rank Minister of the Left, Sir Fujiwara no Akimitsu presented a memorial to the ruler asking to retire from his post. He had Royal Secretary Middle Controller of the Right [Fujiwara no] Akinobu present it [on his behalf]. The Captain of the Left Palace Guards [Minamoto no] Akimoto brought the response.
Notes:
Fujiwara no Akimitsu was Michinaga’s elder brother and the father of Enshi, consort to Prince Atsuakira (also known as Koichijō-in). Akimitsu allegedly set a curse upon Michinaga after Prince Atsuakira lost the title of crown prince and took a daughter of Michinaga for a second wife.
Fujiwara Akinobu was the third son of Michinaga.
Gyō 行 This character, when set between a person’s court rank and office posting, indicates that their posting is lower than their court rank would dictate.
Original Text:
廿一日乙未。左大臣又以上表。
Kundoku:
廿一日乙未（きのとひつじ）。左大臣（さだいじん）又以（またもって）上表（じょうひょう）す。
English:
Twenty-first day, kinoto hitsuji. The Minister of the Left once again presented his memorial to the ruler.
Original Text:
廿二日丙申，左大臣又上表。同敕答不許之。
Kundoku:
廿二日丙申（ひのえさる）。左大臣（さだいじん）又上表す。同じく敕答（ちょくとう）之を許さず。
English:
Twenty-second day, hinoe saru. The Minister of the Left again made his petition to the sovereign. The answer remained the same, and he was not allowed [to resign his position].
Original Text:
廿四日戊戌，左大臣依病上表。
Kundoku:
廿四日戊戌（つちのえいぬ）。左大臣（さだいじん）病に依り、上表す。
English:
Twenty-forth day, tsuchinoe inu. The Minister of the Left petitioned the sovereign due to illness.
Original Text:
廿五日己亥，左大臣藤顯光薨。〈年七十八〉。
Kundoku:
廿五日己亥（つちのとい）。左大臣藤［原］顯光薨（こう）ず。〈年七十八〉。
English:
Twenty-fifth day, tsuchinoto i. Minister of the Left [Fujiwara no] Akimitsu passed away. <He was 78 years old.>
Original Text:
廿七日辛丑，於大極殿，轉讀大般若經。今日，有僧綱贈官事。贈大僧正，覺運。依一條院并入道大相國［道長］之師也。贈大僧都，賀秀。〈元阿闍梨也〉。御持僧權大僧都慶命之先師也。依權少僧都-懷籌、定基等以下上奏也。宣命使參議-定賴、少納言代-右少將-實康等也。
Kundoku:
廿七日辛丑（かのとうし）。大極殿（だいごくでん）に於いて、大般若經（だいはんにゃきょう）を轉讀（てんどく）す。
今日、僧綱（そうごう）贈官（ぞうかん）の事（こと）有り。
贈大僧正（ぞうだいそうじょう），覺運（かくうん）。一條院并（ならびに）入道大相國（だいしょうこく）之師に依る也。
贈大僧都 （そうだいそうず）賀秀（かしゅう）。〈元阿闍梨也〉。御持僧（ごじそう）權大僧都（ごんだいそうず）慶命（けいみょう）之先師（せんし）也。
權少僧都（ごんしょうそうず）懷籌（かいじゅ）、定基（ていき）等（ら）以下の上奏（じょうそう）に依る也。宣命（せんみょう）の使（つかい）參議（さんぎ）定賴（さだより）、少納言代右少將（うしょうしょう）實康（さねやす）等（ら）也。
English:
Twenty-seventh day, kanoto ushi. In the Great Hall of State (daigokuden), quick readings (tendoku) of the Sutra of Great Wisdom (Dai hannya kyō) were conducted.
Today, there were posthumous postings to the Prelate’s Office.
Kaku’un was granted the title of Senior Primary Prelate. This was because he had been the teacher to [Prince] Ichijō-in and Novice Prime Minister [Michinaga].
Kashū was granted the title of Senior Secondary Prelate. <He was originally a preceptor.> It was because he was the teacher of the Imperial Protector Monk Keimyō.
All of this was because Supernumerary Junior Secondary Prelate Kaiju, Teiki and others had made a petition to the throne. The proclamation written in senmyō form was delivered by Advisor Sadayori, Right Junior Captain Saneyasu, acting in place of Junior Counselor, and others.