Ofudesaki 16:024–5

Ofudesaki
Author: Miki Nakayama Date Published: 1998 Pages: 486 (English ed.) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 unnumbered set

Ofudesaki 16:024–5 is a set of verses from the Ofudesaki. The English translation below is the sixth edition translation.

Content

Everywhere in the world, people are alike:	sekai ni wa mina doko made mo onaji koto	せかいにハ　みなとこまても　をなし事
you prepare to marry off your children.	kodomo katazuke koshirae o suru	子共かたずけ　こしらゑをする

But no matter how well you prepare,	ika hodo ni koshirae shita to yūta to te	いかほどに　こしらゑしたと　ゆうたとて
no one knows what the future might be.	sono saki naru wa tare mo shiromai	そのさきなるわ　たれもしろまい

Alternate English translations

Third Edition

In the world everyone everywhere is the same. People prepare to marry off their children.

However carefully you might have prepared, no one can know how it shall turn out thereafter.

Inoue/Eynon

Everyone throughout the world is the same. You all make preparations to marry off your children.

No matter how thoroughly you may say you have prepared, no one can predict what the future will bring.

Commentary

Ofudesaki chushaku

This section contains translated material that has not yet been subjected to peer-review to check for accuracy and clarity. While the translator(s) have given their best effort to render Japanese text into English, we would like readers to keep in mind that the present translation may require further revising and refining. Any input to improve the present translation is greatly welcomed. Translator(s): Roy Forbes

16:24, 25 In the world at large, when a child reaches maturity, it is a sign of a parent’s love to make preparations to make sure that the child marries. However, no matter how much you may prepare, there is very likely no one who knows what their child’s future holds. *Note: These are words regarding Shuji’s illegitimate son Otojiro (refer to note for 1:26), who was sent to the branch family of the pawnbrokers the Muratas of Ta Village as an adopted son. Since Oyasama knew of Otojiro’s causality and his future behavior, She was against the prospect, saying that the any effort to send him off for marriage was the same as throwing him into muddy water (See 16:73). Yet from the standpoint of Shuji’s wife Matsue, she felt the obligation to make considerable amount of preparations. Although they were not rich, she managed to raise some money for a chest of drawers, a case for account books, a hundred yen, and a third-grade rice field for him to take when he married into the Murata family. Otojiro would later move to Magata Village where he attempted to be a shoyu dealer, a task he was unaccustomed to, and ended up losing money in the process. Upon leading a fast life, he had the Nakayama family buy back the rice field he was given and sold off various household possessions for money. He had completely lost his fortune within a year or two and the marriage was eventually dissolved in 1883.

『おふでさき註釈』、p. 239 二四、二五、世間では、親が子に対する情として、子供が成人すれば、必ずこれを縁付ける用意するが、しかし如何に用意したとて、子供の将来の事まで分かる者はなかろう。 註　これは、秀司先生の庶子音次郎（第一号二六註参照）を、田村の質屋村田某の分家の養子にやられるときのお言葉で、教祖には本人のいんねんなり、将来の身持ちが分かっているから、こしらえをして:も、泥水中へすてるも同然であると、とめられたが、秀司先生の奥様まつゑ様にしてみると、義理の中であるから、相当にこしらえをしてやらねばならぬと、そう豊かでない中から算段をして、たんす、長持、帳だんすの三荷と金百円に三段余の田地をつけて婿養子にやられた。その後、音次郎氏は匂田村に居を構え、醤油屋などなれぬ商売をして損した上、素行が治まらないから、分けてもらった田地は中山家に買いもどしてもらって金にしたり、その他の家財も売り払うて一両年中にすっきり財産を失くしてしまって、ついに明治十六年には離縁になった。

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