『겐지모노가타리(源氏物語)』의 애상 - 미노리(御法)권을 중심으로 - = Elegiac Sentiment in The Tale of Genji - Focusing on the Minori Chapter -

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study focuses on the Minori(御法) chapter of The Tale of Genji(Genji monogatari, 源氏物語), analyzing in depth the poetic exchange(zōtōka, 贈答歌) between Genji(源氏) and Empress Akikonomu(秋好中宮) following the death of Murasaki no Ue(紫の上), and clarifying the role this scene plays in the development of the narrative. In particular, it examines the differences in interpretation between classical and modern commentaries concerning the upper verse (kami-no-ku, 上の句) ‘the ascended sky’(noborinishi kumoi, のぼりにし雲居) and the lower verse(shimo-no-ku, 下の句) ‘together with the end of autumn, I have grown weary’(akihatenu, あきはてぬ), and proposes new possibilities for interpretation. The analysis shows that ‘noborinishi kumoi’ can be understood as a polysemous expression referring both to Murasaki no Ue’s death and to Akikonomu, while ‘akihatenu’ functions both as a reply poem addressed to Akikonomu and as a soliloquy poem(dokueika, 独詠歌) to Murasaki no Ue. This dual meaning emerges through overlapping scenes and structures of recollection, revealing the deep empathy and mutual understanding between Genji and Akikonomu. Furthermore, the study links this poem to the celestial ascent motif of Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime, かぐや姫) in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter(Taketori monogatari, 竹取物語), identifying it as a pivotal moment that initiates Genji’s decision to renounce the world and marks a psychological turning point in the Maboroshi(幻) chapter, thereby deepening the narrative themes of death, loss, and attachment.