Sarugenji Soushi - The Tale of Genji

Japanese: 猿源氏草紙 - さるげんじそうし

During the Edo period, during the Kanbun era (1661-73), Shibukawa Seiemon, a book dealer in Shinsaibashi, Osaka, selected "Interesting Stories from the Past" and published this work under the title "Otogi Bunko." This work was written during the Muromachi period. The author is unknown. There is also an old manuscript entitled "The Sardine Seller," which is thought to be the same as the "Tale of the Sardine Urino" in the entry for February 5, 1597, in the Tokitsune Kyoki. The story is about a sardine seller named Monkey Genji who falls in love with a courtesan named Hotaru-bi in Gojo Higashinotoin thanks to his virtue in waka and renga poetry, and rises to success in life. Monkey Genji is named after Hikaru Genji, so it can be said to be a commoner's version of the Tale of Genji.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

江戸時代，寛文年間(1661‐73)に大坂心斎橋の書肆渋川清右衛門が〈いにしへのおもしろき草子〉を選び，《御伽文庫》と名づけ板行した23編中の一つ。室町時代の成立。作者未詳。《鰯（いわし）売り》と題した古写本も存し，《言経卿記（ときつねきようき）》慶長2年(1597)2月5日条の〈鰯ウリノ物語〉は同じものと思われる。内容は，鰯売りの猿源氏が和歌連歌の歌徳により五条東洞院の傾城〈蛍火〉との恋を遂げ，立身出世するというもので，猿源氏は光源氏の名を踏まえており，いわば《源氏物語》の庶民版草子ともいえる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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