Prevod

Long ago, in the reign of Emperor En’yū, the imperial palace burned down, and His Majesty took up residence in the palace reserved for retired emperors. One day, many courtiers were seated at the dining table in the courtiers’ hall, eating, when the chamberlain Sadataka fell asleep with his forehead resting on the table. At first they thought he was snoring, but after a little while the sound grew strange: with his forehead still pressed against the table, he began making a gurgling, rattling noise in his throat. The Lord of Ononomiya (Lord Sanesuke), who was then still Head Chamberlain and Middle Captain, said to an attendant from the Palace Maintenance Office, “There is something odd about the way that Assistant Secretary of Ceremonial is sleeping. Wake him.” The attendant went over and tried to rouse him, but he was stiff and would not move. Alarmed, the man felt him all over and exclaimed, “He is already dead! What a dreadful thing!” At this, every courtier and chamberlain present was so overcome with terror that, without a thought, they all scattered in whatever direction they happened to be facing. The Head Chamberlain and Middle Captain said, “Even so, we cannot leave him here. Summon some servants from the offices and have them carry him out.” When asked through which guard gate the body should be taken, he replied, “Take him out through the eastern gate.” Hearing this, everyone in the palace gathered there to watch the body being carried out. But, contrary to what had been announced, Sadataka was carried out through the western gate, still lying on the mat from the courtiers’ hall, and so none of them saw him. Just as the body was being carried through the gateway, his father, a courtier of the Third Rank, arrived, received it, and departed. “How cleverly he kept the body from everyone’s eyes,” people said. Some twenty days later, Sadataka appeared in the Head Chamberlain and Middle Captain’s dream, looking just as he had in life. He came close, weeping bitterly, and spoke. “I am deeply grateful to you. Through all my lives to come, I shall never forget how you concealed the shame of my death. Had you not contrived to have me carried out by the western gate, so many people would have seen my face, and I should have suffered disgrace in death.” And in the dream he wept and rubbed his hands together in gratitude.