The Dancing Girl
舞姫
森鴎外 · Japanese
A Japanese government scholar in Berlin falls in love with a poor young dancer named Elise, and must choose between her and the career awaiting him at home.
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Pagera Editor's Note
A Japanese government scholar in Berlin falls in love with a poor young dancer named Elise, and must choose between her and the career awaiting him at home. Mori Ogai's foundational novella of Meiji-era inner conflict.
Author
森鴎外
Mori Ōgai (1862-1922) was a Japanese novelist, translator and army surgeon, and with Sōseki one of the two pillars of modern Japanese literature. The Dancing Girl drew on his years studying medicine in Germany. He later turned to historical fiction and biography, writing in a compressed classical style.
The Dancing Girl
舞姫
森鴎外 · Japanese
A Japanese government scholar in Berlin falls in love with a poor young dancer named Elise, and must choose between her and the career awaiting him at home.
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Original (Japanese)
石炭をば早や積み果てつ。中等室の卓のほとりはいと静にて、熾熱燈の光の晴れがましきも徒なり。今宵は夜毎にこゝに集ひ来る骨牌仲間も「ホテル」に宿りて、舟に残れるは余一人のみなれば。 五年前の事なりしが、平生の望足りて、洋行の官命を蒙り、このセイゴンの港まで来し頃は、目に見るもの、耳に聞くもの、一つとして新ならぬはなく、筆に任せて書き記しつる紀行文日ごとに幾千言をかなしけむ、当時の新聞に載せられて、世の人にもてはやされしかど、今日になりておもへば、穉き思想、身の程知らぬ放言、さらぬも尋常の動植金石、さては風俗などをさへ珍しげにしるしゝを、心ある人はいかにか見けむ。こたびは途に上りしとき、日記ものせむとて買ひし冊子もまだ白紙のまゝなるは、独逸にて物学びせし間に、一種の「ニル、アドミラリイ」の気象をや養ひ得たりけむ、あらず、これには別に故あり。 げに東に還る今の我は、西に航せし昔の我ならず、学問こそ猶心に飽き足らぬところも多かれ、浮世のうきふしをも知りたり、人の心の頼みがたきは言ふも更なり、われとわが心さへ変り易きをも悟り得たり。きのふの是はけふの非なるわが瞬間の感触を、筆に写して誰にか見せむ。
English translation (Pagera AI)
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Pagera Editor's Note
A Japanese government scholar in Berlin falls in love with a poor young dancer named Elise, and must choose between her and the career awaiting him at home. Mori Ogai's foundational novella of Meiji-era inner conflict.
Author
森鴎外
Mori Ōgai (1862-1922) was a Japanese novelist, translator and army surgeon, and with Sōseki one of the two pillars of modern Japanese literature. The Dancing Girl drew on his years studying medicine in Germany. He later turned to historical fiction and biography, writing in a compressed classical style.
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