Prevod

Long ago, a man who served as a chamberlain used to visit in secret the daughter of a monk who was superintendent of Daianji Temple in Nara. He was so deeply in love with her that he sometimes stayed through the day. Once, while taking an afternoon nap, he dreamed that suddenly everyone in the house, high and low alike, broke into loud weeping. Wondering what had happened, he went out to look. There stood the monk, his father-in-law, and the monk’s wife, a nun, together with every other member of the household, all holding up great earthenware bowls and weeping. Why should they be crying over these bowls? he wondered. Looking more closely, he saw that each was filled with molten copper. Though no one could have borne to drink such a liquid even if a demon beat them and forced it upon them, they were drinking it of their own accord, weeping all the while. Some, after painfully draining their bowls, even asked for more. Not a soul, down to the lowliest servant, failed to drink. A waiting woman came to summon the lady who had been lying beside him, and she rose and sat up. Anxious to know what would happen, he looked again. The waiting woman handed her a great silver bowl filled with molten copper. Taking it, the lady raised her delicate, lovely voice in a cry and drank through her tears. Smoke curled from her eyes and nose. As he stood watching in horror, someone said, “Serve our guest as well,” and a waiting woman came toward him carrying a bowl on a tray. Must I drink such a thing too? he thought, aghast, and just as he was about to flee in panic, he awoke. He looked around in alarm and saw a waiting woman bringing him food, while from the monk’s quarters came the bustle and clatter of a meal. They must be eating food that belongs to the temple, he thought. That is why I saw them so in my dream. Filled with dread and disgust, he lost even his love for the daughter. Saying that he felt unwell, he left without eating a thing. After that, he never went there again.