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月日のたつのは早いもので、お勤めの交代の時期が来ました。下働きをした人たちは、みんな朝廷の前にあつまりました。まっ白いひげをたくわえた、気品ある帝(桓武天皇)が、

「ながいこと、ご苦労であった。なんでも望み次第の料理をしんぜよう」 と言うと、
「わしゃ、餅が食いてえ」
「わたしは、酒がいただきとうござりまする」
「おらあ、そば切りです」
と、みんな思い思いに、お願いしました。

久助は、黙っていると、
「その方は、何がしょもうじゃ、何なりと申せ」 帝がやさしく、うながしました。

「おらあ、ほかの物はいりません。ただ、白滝姫をお嫁にいただけますれば、ありがたきしあわせです」
と、久助は、恐る恐る申し上げました。

すると、そばにひかえた公郷百官殿上人たちが、一度にどっと、大笑いをしました。
「下郎の分際で、かなわぬ願いをいうものぞ」 と、殿上人たちは、あきれ顔をしました。

Kyusuke's love for the Princess intensified so much that he became quite lovesick and succumbed to a fever. Although he knew his love was futile, Kyusuke composed waka poems from his sick bed so that he might tell Princess Shirataki of the longing in his heart.
I envision you there high above me, over the clouds
Though my love in its intensity rises up to you
I fear you may not grasp my true feelings for you.
In this way, Kyusuke wrote poetry for Shirataki and sent it to her on three occasions. But he had no way of knowing whether or not the poems were delivered into her hands and the Princess, alas, wrote no poems in response to his.
Kyusuke was bedridden for about one month. His co-workers advised him, "No one should work in such a weak condition. You'd better stay in bed and take care of yourself."
But Kyusuke stubbornly responded, "I should not continue to be a burden on all of you." And so, thin as he was, Kyusuke began to work again. In due time, his health returned to him and the remaining days and weeks of his service to the Court passed quickly.

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Copyright (C)  1998 by M.Matsuzaki & KAIC & Orijin Studio
English by Barbara Kamiyama Kenichi Tsurumi