Tonight, when GoFukakusa could not elicit a single word of reply from me, he treated me so mercilessly that my thin gowns were badly ripped. By the time that I had nothing more to lose, I despised my own existence. I faced the dawn with dread.

Ties of my undergowns undone,
The man uncared for—
Gossip soon will spread.
What surprised me, as I continued to brood, was that I still had wits enough to think of my reputation. [1.1]

sad girl



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From The Confessions of Lady Nijō, translated by Karen Brazell - About this site