A lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court of tenth century Japan, Murasaki Shikibu is best known as the author of ‘The Tale of Genji’, the greatest work of Japanese literature and the world’s oldest novel. Celebrated across the world as an enduring classic, it deals with universal human concerns with a timeless voice. It preserves a lost world of ultra-refined and elegant aristocrats, whose indispensable accomplishments were skill in poetry, music, calligraphy and courtship. The novel’s tone darkens as it progresses, revealing the author’s maturity and her developing Buddhist conviction of the world’s vanity. Delphi’s Eastern Treasures Series provides eReaders with rare and precious texts of Middle-Eastern and Asian literature, featuring prominent works of history, fiction, religion and philosophy, complemented with the original texts. This eBook presents Murasaki’s ‘The Tale of Genji’, with illustrations, rare translations, an informative introduction and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Murasaki’s life and work * Features ‘The Tale of Genji’, in both English translation and the original Japanese * Multiple English translations, including the complete Arthur Waley text * Detailed introduction to Murasaki * Excellent formatting of the texts * Includes the translators’ original hyperlinked footnotes * Features two bonus biographies — discover Murasaki’s intriguing world CONTENTS: The Translations Brief Introduction: Murasaki Shikibu and ‘The Tale of Genji’ Suematsu Kencho Translation, 1882 Arthur Waley Translation, 1925-1933 The Original Text Contents of the Japanese Text The Biographies Genji Monogatari (1899) by William George Aston Introduction to Murasaki Shikibu (1925) by Arthur Waley