Abstract
The Diary recorded by Lady Murasaki (c. 973–c. 1020), author of *The Tale of Genji*, is an intimate picture of her life as tutor and companion to the young Empress Shoshi. Told in a series of vignettes, it offers revealing glimpses of the Japanese imperial palace—the auspicious birth of a prince, rivalries between the Emperor's consorts, sharp criticism of Murasaki's fellow ladies-in-waiting and drunken courtiers, and telling remarks about the timid Empress and her powerful father, Michinaga. *The Diary* is also a work of great subtlety and intense personal reflection, as Murasaki makes penetrating insights into human psychology—her pragmatic observations always balanced by an exquisite and pensive melancholy.