《源氏物語》裡秋的意象

Images of Autumn in The Tale of Genji

日本文學裡最早按照季節循環編排和歌順序的作品應是平安時代的和歌集《古今和歌隻》，而在物語文學裡最早按照季節推移，敘述各種事件的發生、經過、結果，及其影響者，則是《源氏物語》。學識豐富、感受力強的紫式部，在撰寫《源氏物語》時，亦依故事情節將其周遭的自然景物及其變化描繪出來，《源氏物語》的五十四卷幾乎每一卷皆有有關季節自然變化的描寫。當然，紫式部不僅是在描寫景物而已，還描寫出生活在這個時空下人們的喜怒哀樂等各種感情及其生活方式，充分融合自然與人事為一體，也因此使得整體情節更感人，故事更生動。而在四季當中無論量及質都以秋景所佔的份量最重。這些秋景的描述各自在何種情節以何種風貌出現呢？作者又意欲藉由這些秋景詮釋何種事物呢？是一饒富趣味的問題。作者這次為探討《源氏物語》裡的季節之一環，特別聚焦於《源氏物語》裡的秋天，希冀藉由這次考察對《源氏物語》裡的季節及自然描寫有所瞭解。

Although Kokinwakashu, the waka anthology in the Heian period, is the earliest work presenting season outlook in Japanese literature, yet as a matter of fact, The Tale of Genji is the first one to recount the occurring, the whole process and the influence of all kinds of events with the lapse of time. There are descriptions of the variations of seasons and nature in almost every chapter of The Tale of Genji. Lady Murasaki Shikibu, the writer of the book, describes not only the scenery, but also the gamut of human feeling—happiness, anger, grief and joy—of the people at that time, and their life styles. In her writings, natural world and human affairs are merged into an organic whole. And in the four seasons, autumn occupies the most important place. Focusing the attention on the autumn in The Tale of Genji, we try to understand more about the descriptions of the seasons and the nature in this classical masterpiece.