Yosha Bunko

Tokyo nichinichi shinbun
No. 862
   1874-11-26 (no seal)
Married in next world

Story in brief

"A man and woman in the village of Komoro in the province of Musashi -- where colors remain unchanged for a thousand, even eight thousand eras, and there is no white hair and one day counts as two or three generations -- lamenting the thinness of their kharma in the present world, and hopeless -- died for love at an incense and flower temple." (WW)

Complete translation to follow.


Commentary

died for love reflects 情死せし (jōshi seshi).

incense and flower temple reflects the graphic meaning of 香花院, which would be read "kōgein" (incense and flower temple) in Sino-Japanese, but is here marked to be interpreted as "tanomi no tera" -- a temple (tera) where one offers incense and flowers to Buddha while making a request (tanomi).