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Primary sourceBook1926 (novel written c. early 11th century)

The Sacred Tree

Murasaki Shikibu · 1926 (novel written c. early 11th century)

The text of a section of Murasaki Shikibu's novel The Tale of Genji, translated into English by Arthur Waley and published in 1926.

This is part of Murasaki Shikibu's novel The Tale of Genji in English translation, her major literary work.

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About this source

What it is

The Sacred Tree is the second part of Arthur Waley's English translation of The Tale of Genji, the novel written by Murasaki Shikibu, published in 1926. Waley's preface notes that little is known of Murasaki's life beyond basic facts, and that much of what we do know comes from her diary.

Why it matters

This translation introduced Murasaki Shikibu's novel to English readers in the early 20th century and shaped how Western audiences understood Heian Japanese literature. Waley's preface also reflects on how little biographical information survives about Murasaki herself, showing how much of her life must be reconstructed from her own writings.

Look closer

  • Why does Waley say so little is known about Murasaki's life apart from her own diary?
  • What choices might a translator make when rendering a thousand-year-old Japanese novel into English?
  • Why might Waley compare Buddhist rituals in the story to Catholic ones for his readers?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Murasaki Shikibu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Diary entry

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