Yashima no Homare

This is one of the most uplifting of all the chapters in the Heike monogatari.

The Heike, defeated on land by the Genji forces, have taken to the sea. From their boats, they challenge the Genji to a contest of skill to shoot a fan from a boat with a bow and arrow.

The youth, Munetaka Nasu no Yoichi, rises to the challenge drawing acclaim from friend and foe alike.

The Honour at Yashima（屋島の譽 / Yashima no Homare）

Ennōsai Shigemitsu, “Nasu no Yoichi Munetaka’s Renown for Hitting the Fan Target at the Battle of Yashima (Genpei War).” 遠浪斎重光 作「源平八嶋のたゝかひに那須の与市宗高扇のまとをゐをとして天下に高名の図」

The Challenge

梅は寒苦を経て、清香を發し、

Ume wa kanku o hete, seikō o hasshi,

Through that bitter cold of early spring plum trees bloom fragrantly.

人は死地に入って大功をたつ、

Hito wa shichi ni itte daikō o tatsu,

Men faced with that death certain challenge will far exceed their peers.

弓矢取る身の心のうち、

Yumiya toru mi no kokoro no uchi,

Awaiting him that seeks out the archer’s way of life

千辛萬苦も啻ならず、

Senshin banku mo tada narazu,

a fate of ten thousand most severe trials.

茲に下野の国、

Koko ni Shimozuke no kuni,

Born in Shimozuke no Kuni.

那須の與市宗高と申ししは、

Nasu no Yoichi Munetaka to mōshi shi wa,

Nasu no Yoichi Munetaka was how he was known.

幼き時より大空に、

Osanaki toki yori ōzora ni,

From his youth and early childhood he could shoot and strike

かける小鳥も程遠き、

Kakeru kotori mo hodo tōki,

at any distance a bird soaring in the sky.

百歩の外の柳葉も、

Hyappo no soto no yanagiba mo,

Or a willow leaf dangling one hundred strides afar,

千度百度あだ矢なく、

Chitabi momotabi adaya naku,

he could hit a hundred times or a thousand times

射落す程の弓取なり、

Iotosu hodo no yundori nari,

without even missing once such was his skill.

The Field of Battle

元暦二年二月十八日、

Genryaku ninen nigatsu jūhachi nichi,

Genryaku, the second year, February eighteenth,

大将軍源義経は、

Taishōgun Minamoto no Yoshitsune wa,

The general and leader Minamoto no Yoshitsune led

三百餘騎にて譛州の、

Sanbyaku yoki ni te sanshū no,

a force of three hundred men for Sanshu

屋島の内裏を守りたる、

Yashima no dairi o mamoritaru,

determined to defend and hold the court at Yashima

平家の軍を討たむとて、

Heike no gun o utan to te,

from the Heike army moored off the nearby coast.

源氏が峯のあたりより、

Genshi ga mine no atari yori,

The Genji Clan headed from the high ground

牟禮の方へとうって出づ、

Murei no kata e to utte izu,

They raced onto the Murei peninsula.

壇ノ浦の夕まぐれ、

Dan no ura no yū magure,

The sun was setting on Dan no Ura.

霞ににほふ花としも、

Kasumi ni nihou hana to shi mo,

Its rays colour the light mist.

The Challenge of the Fan

見ゆるばかりの女房が、

Miyuru bakari no nyōbō ga,

And then, therein emerges the form of a young girl

柳の五つ重に紅の、

Yanagi no itsutsu no kasane ni kurenai no,

of noble birth dressed in green and white clothes with a dark deep red

袴をつけて小舩より、

Hakama o tsukete kobune yori,

hakama rowing forth in a tiny boat.

立ちあらはれて日の丸の、

Tachi arawarete hinomaru no,

Next she raises up a long narrow pole attached

扇を舳に押し立てて、

Ōgi o hesaki ni oshitatete,

at the tip of which there is placed a rising sun fan.

渚に向ひ漕がせつつ、

Nagisa ni mukai kogasetsutsu,

Thereupon she calls her challenge

之を射よとぞ招きける、

Kore o iyo to zo manekikeru,

for one of them to take up their bow and shoot the fan.

Yoshitsune’s Dilemma

義経之を討守り、

Yoshitsune kore o uchi-mamori,

Yoshitsune, intently glared and thought deeply:

是ただ我を引出し、

Kore tada ware o hikidashi,

this is nothing but a trick meant to deceive

一と矢に射止めむ謀、

Hito ya ni itomen hakarigoto,

our side and deny us of victory on this day.

誰か射落す諸あると、

Tare ka iotosu mono aruto,

“Would there be among us here one who can prevail?”

尋ねらるれば重忠等、

Tazunerarureba Shigetadara,

he inquired and in reply Shigetada said,

宗高をこそとすすめけれ、

Munetaka o koso to susumekere,

“Munetaka most certainly would not miss that fan.”

Munetaka’s Resolve

此時宗高十七歳、

Kono toki Munetaka jūshichi sai,

At this time Munetaka was seventeen years old.

心のうちに思ふやう、

Kokoro no uchi ni omou yō,

Deep within his heart and mind he thought of this task:

かかる晴なる場所にいで、

Kakaru harenaru basho ni ide,

he should find a better view somewhere near the shore.

若しも此矢を過らば、

Moshimo kono ya o ayamaraba,

If by chance with this arrow he should miss the fan,

弓切り折って割腹し、

Yumi kiri otte kappuku shi,

he would not seek an excuse but break up his bow

いひわけせむと思いつめ、

Iiwake sen to omoitsume,

and disembowel himself than live with such shame.

The Wind and the Waves

扇の的を見渡すに、

Ōgi no mato o miwatasu ni,

He looked across at the fan measuring its range.

矢比中中遠ければ、

Yagoro nakanaka tōkereba,

It was a lot further out than it first had seemed.

駒を海中の岩間まで乗り入れたれど其あはひ、

Koma o kaichū no iwama made nori iretaredo sono awai,

So he then spurred his horse further on into the sea but at this new position he did

come to see

なほまだ遠き浪路をば北風烈しく吹きすさみ、

Nao mada tōki namiji o ba kitakaze hageshiku fuki susami,

the fan now felt further than it had felt before. Moreover, now the North wind blew as in a storm.

磯打浪も高ければ、

Iso utsu nami mo takakereba,

The waves striking on the beach were powerful and high.

駒ははやりて狂へるを、

Koma wa hayarite kurueru o,

The horse grew uneasy, chopped at its bit.

手綱ゆりすゑゆりすゑ鎮むれど、

Tazuna yurisue yurisue shizumuredo,

He caught the reins swung them left – then swung them right – left and right again:

鎮まり兼ねる駒の足扇と共に定まらず、

Shizumari kaneru koma no ashi ōgi to tomo ni sadamarazu,

and yet the horse chopped and turned, kicking at the sea as the fan bounced and tumbled after every wave.

The Prayer

宗高ぢっと目をとぢて、

Munetaka jitto me o tojite,

Munetaka closed tightly his eyes in deep prayer.

国の御為源家の為、

Kuni no on-tame Genke no tame,

Consider this sacred land – consider my lord.

扇を射落させ給えとて、

Ōgi o iotosase tamae tote,

I beg You let me not fail in this coming trial.”

心をこめてぞ祈りける、

Kokoro o komete zo inorikeru,

Putting his heart in every word he prayed fervently.

此の念力や通じけむ、

Kono no nenriki ya tsūjiken,

Could this plea have been answered?

磯吹く風も音絶えて、

Iso fuku kaze mo oto taete,

For the wind grew completely calm its sound died away.

駒も扇も静まりぬ、

Koma mo ōgi mo shizumarinu,

The horse and the distant fan drew to a still.

The Arrow Flies

宗高心勇み立ち、

Munetaka kokoro isami tachi,

Emboldened with a new courage welling in his heart,

鏑矢番へて引しぼる、

Kaburaya tsugaete hiki shiboru,

Munetaka took a whistling arrow: fit it to his bow.

源氏の兵聲聲に、

Genshi no tsuwamono koegoe ni,

All this time the Genji warriors roared calling his name,

今少し打入れ給へ打入れ給へと呼ばるを、

Imasukoshi uchi ire tamae uchi ire tamae to yobawaru o,

“Let one go! Now’s the time! Let it fly away! Let one go! Let it fly!” is how they called.

更に耳にもきき入れず、

Sara ni mimi ni mo kiki irezu,

But focused now on the fan he didn’t hear a word,

矢聲をかけて切って放つ、

Yagoe o kakete kitte hanatsu,

opening his body he pulled. Twang! it was away.

矢音は浦になりわたり、

Yaoto wa ura ni nari watari,

The sound of the whistle arrow was heard throughout the cove.

要際よりふっつと射切る、

Kanamegiwa yori futtsu to i kiru,

It hit the fan at its pin and sliced it right through.

The Fan in Flight

屋島潟、

Yashima-gata,

At Yashima bay

いる日の影に、

Iru hi no kage ni,

under sunlight radiant

なるはずの、

Naru hazu no,

an arrow whistle.

響は高し、

Hibiki wa takashi,

Its sound was high, piercing

浪のはてまで、

Nami no hate made,

beyond yonder waves afar.

餘勇ある矢の飛び行くは、

Yoyū aru ya no tobi yuku wa,

All who saw this arrow say it flew

秋のみ空に雁の、

Aki no misora ni karigane no,

as a wild goose crossing the Autumn sky –

眞一文字に鳴り渡る、

Maichi monji ni nari wataru,

direct and straight through the air.

趣ありて舞あがる、

Omomuki arite mai agaru,

All were speechless at this beauty! As for the fan

扇の夕日に輝くは、

Ōgi no yūhi ni kagayaku wa,

gleaming in the evening sun, it spun and twirled

龍田の山のもみぢ葉の、

Tatsuta no yama no momiji ba no,

as a maple leaf on Mount Tatsuta

風にかっ散る心地せり、

Kaze ni kacchiru kokochi seri,

snapped free by a blast of wind – falling, now hither now thither.

The Roar of Praise

敵も味方も此時に、

Teki mo mikata mo kono toki ni,

Then enemy and comrade, friend and foe alike

箙を叩き舷を叩いて、

Ebira o tataki funabata o tataite,

were slapping their quivers or the side of their boats with full delight.

鯨波をぞあげにける、

Toki o zo agenikeru,

All roared in praise of this great deed.