Masaoka Shiki's words

Speaking of Kyoshi, Shiki was shocked with a disappointing outcome of the relationship with him in the end of the previous year. The time was in December,1985, when Shiki’s hip bone pain eased a little, and he began to go to the office of Newspaper Nihon. Around that time Shiki invited Kyoshi to his house in order to persuade him to move to the course as Shiki had long thought. It is recorded that Shiki took thirty to forty minutes walking with Kyoshi the length of about 1,000 meters. With the two sitting on the chairs in a teahouse at Dookan-yama, the talks between them began. Shiki recommended Kyoshi to proceed to the path succeeding him. Nevertheless, Kyoshi did not agreed to it. The details of the talks were written in the letter sent to Ioki Ryohzo (Hyootei) in December,1896 (the 29th year of Meiji),with no definite date, but estimated around the 10th.. In the letter Shiki lamented for his failure to persuade Kyoshi to succeed him, and said :

―Today I lost a child I have cherished.―

―The work I have initiated could no longer last beyond my life time.-

その虚子と子規との関係では、その前年の暮れに一つのクライマクスを迎えている。１２月になってから腰の痛みが少し和らぎ、子規は日本新聞社へも顔を出しているが、その頃のことである。子規はかねて気にしていたことを虚子に促すべく虚子を自宅に呼んだ。その時子規は虚子をつれ、三四十分かけて１０町の距離を歩いたという。道灌山(どうかんやま)の茶屋に腰掛けて二人の話が始まった。子規は自分の後継者としての道を虚子に進めたが、終に虚子を首を立てにふらなかった。この時のことは、１２月（１０日頃）子規が五百木良三（飄亭）に宛てて出した手紙に詳しく語られている。子規は
「小生は今日只今(ただいま)二人となき一子(いっし)を失い申候(もうしそうろう)」、「最早(もはや)小生の事業は小生一代の者(もの)に相成(あいな)り候(そうろう)」
と言って、悲しみにくれている。

Masaoka Shiki's words

After these words, Shiki wrote that he picked up “Wakana-shu,” a magazine circulated among Kyoshi and his friends, and read the novel in it to laugh. And also he wrote:

―I usually say novels are necessary to human beings. Its saying always comes from my theoretical viewpoint. This is the first time I have directly felt its benefit.―

And the letter is concluded by the following:

―These things should not be said to others so as to avoid their misunderstanding. Yours sincerely―

The doctor whom Shiki consulted at this time was an expert in rheumatism. It seems to be clear that the doctor said the pain didn’t come from rheumatism. But, what was said by the doctor beside that? This point is vague no matter how many times I may read the letter carefully. The doctor might have not said to such an extent that tuberculosis bacilli had begun invading the spinal marrow of Shiki’s body. But, in my guess, the things close to it was said or suggested by the doctor at that time.
Truly, on the same day, there is another letter sent by him to his uncle Ohara Tsunenori. In the letter Shiki notified his uncle of the doctor’s diagnosis results in short, and it didn’t contain Shiki’s emotion toward literature shown in the letter to Kyoshi.
Reading the letter sent to Kyoshi at this time, I understand Shiki’s mental anguish very much. Nevertheless, even in such a hard time, Shiki kept calmness in his mind and never collapsed. What is written at the end of the main text of the letter to Kyoshi was:

― I would like the accompanying text to be read and laughed away.
Yours truly.―

Shiki issued these words considering others’ feeling, which shows his kind character.
Shiki wrote a letter only to Kyoshi except for Ohara Tsunenori at that time. This is a natural thing to Shiki, I think.

と言っている。そして最後に
「右(みぎ)等(ら)の事総(すべ)て俗人に言うなかれ　天機(てんき)遺漏(いろう)の恐れあり　あなかしこ」
の言葉で括(くく)られている。
　このとき診てもらった医者がリューマチの専門医だから、リューマチではないと言われて、他に何を言われたのか。そこはこの手紙を読んでも判然としない。結核菌が脊髄を侵し始めたのだとまでは言われなかったかも知れない。しかしそれに近いことが言われたか、あるいは示唆されたのだと思われる。
手紙については、実は同じ日付で叔父の大原恒徳にも出している。そして同じく医者の診断結果を伝えている。が、比較的短く事実を淡々と述べているのみで、虚子の手紙にあるような文学への思いを滲ませる内容ではない。
虚子へ出した手紙を読むと、この時の子規の心中の苦痛が伝わってくる。しかしこのときにあっても、子規は冷静さを堅持しており崩れていない。虚子への手紙の本文の末に、
「別紙御一笑(ごいっしょう)に供え候　怱々(そうそう)不一(ふいつ)」
とわざわざ書いているのは、他者への配慮の気持ちからからだと思う。
この時の手紙の相手が、叔父の大原恒徳以外では、虚子であったことは、子規にとっては必然のことだっただろう。

Masaoka Shiki's words

This passage makes you understand the style of Sohseki’s writing and his haiku, and also the relationship between Sohseki and Shiki. I have long appreciated that Sohseki’s way of depicting the landscape is very good and reasonable. The secret of Sohseki’s literary works is shown in this short passage too. I am sure that the viewpoint Sohseki had in his writing is the same as that he did in composing haiku. And it was just the same as the concept of “ Shasei,” a viewpoint or a sense of a writer in delineating or sketching the natural and mental landscape, which Shiki had advocated.

It was probably in 1896 (the 29th year of Meiji) when Shiki consulted the doctor on the pain in his left hip bone which he had assumed was because of rheumatism. He likely consulted plural doctors. On March 17,1896,he had a rheumatism-expert doctor examine his pain.
The person whom Shiki first notified of the results of the doctor’s diagnosis on March 17 was Kyoshi ( Takahama Kyoshi), who was then in Matsuyama for visiting his older brother who was ill. The letter sent by Shiki to Kyoshi dated on March 17,1896 was divided to two parts: the main text and its accompanying text.The main text was shortly written:

―Dear Sir I heard that your brother was ill in bed again. I hope he will soon get better. I myself have still been not in good shape with the pain on my hip bone. However, lately, for the past several days, I have been very fine and the pain has eased. I would like the accompanying text to be read and laughed away.
Yours truly.―

And the accompanying text continues:

―You should not be surprised hearing this, but I was surprised.
This evening, I was surprised by the words from a doctor I saw for the first time. The doctor said this illness didn’t come from rheumatism. …(words partly omitted)… Because I somewhat supposed that it might not be due to rheumatism, I should have not been so surprised. Nevertheless, I was really surprised. Yet, I was not surprised to the extent that I came to feel the beating of my heart. The timing when I should say a word of thanks to the doctor only delayed just five seconds. After five seconds, I got calm as usual. After the doctor left my home, I was in bed for about ten minutes doing nothing. I don’t remember what I thought during that time. However, in the time…… Though there have been many who have had big ideas in the world, there has been no one who matches me. Though there have been many who have been buried beneath the ground while having big ideas, there has been no one who has been buried while having as big an idea as mine. Though I have revealed some of my ambitions on the haiku, it would not be enough. Even if I have reached the goal in the haiku, it would not be enough, for it were just like zero compared with my essential huge ambition. Have there been some who have been buried while having big ideas like mine? I seldom know such men. Who could know that I have such big ideas, if I die now? If I tell people my ideas which I have in mind and have not yet completed, they would certainly be surprised at the hugeness of them, or they would laugh at its craziness. The thinking of a big bird’s could not be understood by small birds. Even if a big bird tries to make others understand its thinking, it will end to evoking the laughter from them. So, I cannot reveal to others my ambitions I have only in my mind and have not yet attained. In the long history there might have been some people thinking that way, I thought. And their thinking and ideas have come to be unknown to the posterity. Only these thoughts I remember.…… I took again a historical story book I had not finished reading, and resumed reading it. It was interesting and I understood it well. But my brain was naturally different from that when I read the first half of it. Sometimes I got back half of a page. Such things happened several times. After forcing myself to read through a few chapters, I quit reading it.―

　漱石の文章と彼の俳句、そして子規との関係が、分かってきそうな一節である。
漱石の風景描写は見事だとかねがね思っているが、この短い文章の中でもその一旦を垣間見ることはできる。漱石が文章を著すに際してとった視点は、作句における視点と同様で、それはまさしく子規が提唱した写生の視点だと、私は思う。

さて、子規がリューマチだと思っていた腰の痛みのことで医者に正式に診てもらったのは明治２９年になってからだと思われる。複数の医者に診てもらったようである。そして明治２９年３月１７日には、リウマチが専門の医師の診断を受けている。
３月１７日の医者の診断結果をまず手紙で知らせた相手は、その時長兄の病気見舞いで松山にいた高浜虚子だった。明治２９年３月１７日付けのその手紙は本文と別紙に分かれている。本文は短く、
「啓　伯兄又々御病気の由御摂養専一に存じ候　小生依然たる腰抜なり　併(ただし)しこの四五日元気太(はなはだ)だよろし　痛み少しく減じ申し候(そうろう)　別紙御一笑に供え候(そうろう)　怱々(そうそう)不一(ふいつ)」
と、書いてある。そして、以下の別紙が続く。
貴兄驚き給うな僕は自ら驚きたり　今日の夕暮れゆくりなくも初対面の医師ニ驚かされぬ　医師ハ言へり此の病は僂(リュー)麻質(マチ)ニあらずと（中略）僂(リュー)麻質(マチ)にあらぬことは僕も略略仮定し居たり　今更(いまさら)風声鶴戻に驚くべきわけもなし　然れども余は驚きたり　驚きたりとて心臓の鼓動を感ずる迄に驚きたるにはあらず　医師に対していふべき言葉の五秒間おくれたるなり　五秒間の後は平気に腹(もど)りぬ　医師の帰りたる後(のち)十分許(じっぷんばかり)り何もせず只(ただ)枕(まくら)に就きぬ　その間(かん)何(なに)を考えしか一向(いっこう)に記憶せず　只その中に世間野心多き者多し　然(しか)れども余(わ)レ程野心はあらじ　世間大望を抱きたるままにて地価に葬(ほうむ)らるる者多し　されども余(わ)レ程の大望を抱きて地下に逝(ゆ)く者ハあらじ　余(われ)は俳句の上に於いてのみ多少野心漏らしたり　されどそれさへも未だ十分ならず　縦し於いて思ふままに望みを遂げたりともそは余(われ)の大望の殆んど無窮(むきゅう)大(だい)なるに比して僅(わず)かに零(ゼロ)に値するのみ　余(われ)の如く大望を抱きて空しく土と化せしもの古来幾人かある　余(われ)ハ殆んど之を知らず　されバ余(われ)今ここに死したりとも誰か余(われ)の大望ありしと許りも知り得んや　去りとて未だ遂げざる大望の計画を人に向かって話さば人は呆然(ぼうぜん)としてその大なるに驚くにあられバ転(てん)然(ぜん)としてその狂に近きを笑ハん　鵠(こく)鴻(こう)の志は燕(えん)雀(じゃく)の知る所にあらず　大鵬(たいほう)南を図つて徒(いたずらに)に　　鷦鷯(しょうりょう)に笑ハれんのみ　余は終に未遂の大望を他に漏らす脳(あた)ハざるなり　古人亦斯くの如く思ひあきらめしかばその大望(たいもう)ハ後世終(つい)に之を知るなきに至りしのみといふ瞬間の考えのミ僅(わず)かに今記憶せり　再び読みさしたる歴史談を取て読む　誠に面白く珍しく能(よ)くその意をも解し得たり　されども僕の脳髄ハ前半を読みたる時の脳髄と自(おのずから)ら異なれり　時には半枚程前へ立ち戻りて繰返したることも二三度ハありたり　一二篇を無理に読みたる後(のち)之を放擲せり
とある。

Masaoka Shiki's words

―Many big trees, which could be barely held by two or three people, stood in line on that bank. Furthermore, big bamboo grove covered the openings between the trees. Then, there might have been no chances at all in a day when people could see the sun directly. So, if you go out wearing wooden hiyori geta (clogs),which are used in a fine day, it is quite certain that you meet terrible things. My memory of the thaw of frost there has soaked into my mind as more terrible thing than rains and snows.
There could have been a fire sometimes even in such an inconvenient place. At a corner of the town, a tall ladder stood ,too. And on the top of it was a fire bell being hung. Like this way, I often recall such landscapes in those days: A small restaurant where people ate a bowl of rice and others also was located just under the fire bell. These landscapes naturally come to my mind as though they were reflected on the back of my eyelids. From the openings of the rope noren (shop front curtain) hung in front of the restaurant a good smell of boiled vegetables and fish comes into the streets, and melts into the evening mist. Such kinds of things also are unforgettable. The reason why I composed a haiku” Hanshoo to narande takaki huyugi kana(半鐘と並んで高き冬木哉)” when Shiki was still alive was that I hoped to commemorate that fire bell.―


あの土手の上に二抱えも三抱えもあろうという大木が、何本ともなく並んで
その隙間々々をまた大きな竹藪が塞(ふさ)いでいたのだから、日の目を拝(おが)む時間と云ったら、一日のうちに恐らくただの一刻もなかったのだろう。下町へ行こうと思って、日和(ひより)下駄(げた)などを穿(は)いて出ようものなら、きっと非道(ひどい)い目にあうに極(き)まっている。あすこの霜(しも)融(どけ)は雨よりも雪よりも恐ろしいもののように私の頭に染み込んでいる。
　　　その位不便な所でも火事の虞(おそれ)はあったものと見えて、やっぱり町の曲がり
角に高い梯子(はしご)が立っていた。そうしてその上に古い半鐘も型の如く吊るしてあった。私はこうして有のままをよく思い出す。その半鐘のすぐ下にあった小さな一膳飯屋(いちぜんめしや)もおのずと眼先に浮かんで来る。縄暖簾(なわのれん)の隙間からあたたかそうな煮(に)〆(しめ)の香が煙と共に往来へ流れ出して、それが夕暮れの靄(もや)に融け込んで行く趣(おもむき)なども忘れることが出来ない。私が子規のまだ生きているうちに、「半鐘と並んで高き冬木哉」という句を作ったのは、実はこの半鐘の記念のためであった。

Masaoka Shiki's words

Reading the letters sent by Shiki from his Tokyo house in Kamai-negishi, I notice that the same symptom is referred to often after coming back to Tokyo. In the letter, with no date, sent to Itoh Hanjiro in Kitamura, Shuuchi-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, the following was written:

―After returning to Tokyo, my hip pain has come to be severer, and I have not been able to walk at all especially for the past several days. I have always been bed-ridden lately.―

However, the next words were added to it:

―As long as I lie in bed, there is no pain. Then I am going to hold a haiku gathering tomorrow.―

Actually, there is a postcard dated on November 8 and sent to Ohno Yuuta in Hatsune-cho,Shitaya-ku,Tokyo. It notified that a haiku gathering would be held on the next day, November 9, on Saturday, beginning at one o’clock in the afternoon. In the postcard, Shiki wrote:

―Since I have to lie in bed, I might be impolite in everything.―

But, the pain seemed to ease in December. And he went to the office of Newspaper Nihon. Reading the letters sent by him this month, I notice that the words are often seen, which say his health condition has gotten better. In the beginning of the next year also, it seemed that his condition was fairly good. And in the afternoon of January 3, 1986 (the 29th year of Meiji), on Friday, a haiku gathering was held in the Shiki’s house. Sohseki also attended it because he was in Tokyo for his homecoming. Mori Ohgai, who was then in the post of Principal of the Army Medical School, came in the middle of the gathering and participated in it. Judging from these things, the haiku gathering that day was a rare kind of gathering with eminent persons attending it, difficult to hold again. One of the haiku composed by Sohseki that day was the following haiku:

半鐘と並んで高き冬木哉
Hansho to narande takaki huyugi kana

Standing beside a fire bell,
How tall the trees are!
In winter season…..

In the compound of Shiki-Kinen Museum there is a stone tablet inscribed with two haiku: one is from Shiki and the other from Sohseki. For the haiku of Sohseki’s, this is adopted. Sohseki also likely loved it. Sohseki continued contributing his writing to the Asahi Shimbun in the period from January 13 through February 23 of 1915 (the 4th year of Taisho). Today we are able to read the writings that time in the book titled “Garasudo-no-naka” (from within the glass windows of the house). There is a part in the book where Sohseki casually refers to the haiku and Shiki. And also,the landscapes in the neighborhood of the house where Sohseki was born, which was in Yoko-cho, Baba-shita, Ushigome,Tokyo, were depicted as follows:

上根岸から各所へ書いて出した子規の手紙を読むと、帰京後も同じ症状をしばしば訴えている。日付はないが１１月上旬に静岡県周智郡気田村の伊藤半次郎宛に出した手紙には、
「帰京後しだいに烈しくこの四五日は歩行全く出来(でき)ず臥(が)褥(じょく)まかり在(あり)り候(そうろう)義」
とある。
但し、
「寝てさえ居れば別に苦痛もこれ無く候(そうら)へば明日(あした)は拙宅(せったく)に於(お)いて一会相(あい)催(もよお)す筈(はず)に致(いた)し候(そうろう)」
と書いてあり、実際、１１月８日には同じ下谷区初音町大野豊太宛にはがきで、翌９日の土曜日午後１時から句会を開くと案内を出していて、
「尤(もっと)も病気(びょうき)にて臥(が)褥中(じょく)ナレバ万事失礼致(いた)すべく候(そうろう)」
とある。

１２月になるといくらか痛みが和らいだようで、新聞社へ出社している。
その頃に出された手紙には大分よくなったという言葉が多くなる。年が明けたすぐの頃も比較的体調はよかったようで、明治２９年１月３日（金）午後から子規宅で句会が催されている。帰京中の漱石もこれに出席している。このときの句会には軍医学校長になっていた森鴎外も途中から参加しており、今考えると錚々たるメンバーが集まった、稀有(けう)の句会である。
その日漱石が詠(よ)んだ句の一つに、


半鐘(はんしょう)と並んで高き冬木(ふゆき)哉(かな)


と言う句がある。
子規記念博物館の敷地内に、子規と漱石の句からそれぞれ一つが選ばれて句碑が建っているが、漱石の句はこれが採用されている。この句は漱石も気に入っていたらしい。大正４年１月１３日から２月２３日まで朝日新聞に掲載された漱石の文章を今私たちは「硝子(ガラス)戸の中」と題した作品で読むことができる。その中に、この句のことにさりげなく触れている箇所があり、子規の名前も出てくる。そして牛込馬場下横町にあった彼の生家近くの風景が、以下の如く描かれている。