Read Ebook: The nightless city; or The history of the Yoshiwara Yūkwaku by De Becker J E Joseph Ernest

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Ebook has 662 lines and 124396 words, and 14 pages

The signs used in this book are as follows:--

? Ditto.

? Ditto.

? Ditto.

Food.

? Ditto.

EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF ABOVE CYPHER.

? Name of guest.

" " courtesan.

? " " guest.

" " courtesan.

? " " guest.

" " courtesan.

HOW A VISITOR'S BOOK SHOULD BE KEPT.

Y?jo no hiki-fuda.

Specimen No. 1.

Positively no guest sent through a tea-house will be received or entertained.

MANJI-YA MOKICHI,

Sumi-ch?,

Shin Yoshiwara.

Should any woman be found unsatisfactory another may be substituted.

Specimen No. 2.

Verbal Message.

In force from the 10th day of the 5th month .

Daikoku-ya. Bunshir?.

Yedo-ch? It-ch?-me,

Shin Yoshiwara.

Specimen No. 3.

Notice.

September, 1875.

Kimpei Daikoku. Yedo-ch? It-ch?-me, Shin-Yoshiwara.

Ageya no sashi-gami.

To Sh?zabur? Esq.

As we have a guest to-day, we desire to engage the services of a courtesan belonging to your house named Tsumasaki during the day-time. I guarantee that my guest is not one of those persons who are "wanted" by the authorities, but a respectable party, and should anyone be found to allege anything to the contrary I am prepared to offer an explanation of the matter at any time or place. The above is written for future reference.

Ky?yemon.

Ch?bei.

"Kuruwa-kotoba" or Yoshiwara Dialect.

It also appears that in former times the various brothels had their own special dialects, but these, not being specially interesting, all the dialectical differences are omitted here.

A few examples of sundry sentences and expressions may be cited to give an idea of the language:--

Yoshiwara Dialect. Modern Japanese. English.

Nushi wa mada chaya Anata wa mada chaya Are you still in the ni iinsuka? ni i-nasaru ka? tea-house?

Kore wo o mi nanshi. Kore wo goran nasai. Please look at this.

Oide nasen ka e? Oide nasaimasen ka? Won't you go? Won't you come?

M? chitto shite M? chitto shite I will go m?rinsh?. mairimash?. a little later on.

Uso-uso shim? yo. Sawaij? ikenai. Don't be excited.

Sonnara o Sonnara o tanomi Well then I will tano-m?-shinsu. m?-shimasu. leave the matter in your hands.

Sore wa tareshi mo Sore wa dare demo That is the case with s? de ozansu. s? de gozaimasu. everybody.

S? oss?su ga. S? osshaimasu ga.... You say so but....

Kurashinsu zo e. Uchimasu yo! I'll strike you!

O busharezansu na. Baka ni suruna. Don't try and make a fool of me.

Hagurakasu. Age-ashi wo toru. To catch a person tripping.

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