The sacred tree
The sacred tree by Murasaki Shikibu is available here as the complete text, split into 845 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The sacred tree by Murasaki Shikibu. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #67111.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The sacred tree
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 839 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of The sacred tree by Murasaki Shikibu carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #67111, divided into 10 chapters and 845 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Where can I read The sacred tree in full?
The complete text of The sacred tree is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #67111 and divided into 845 sections.
This page carries the whole of The sacred tree by Murasaki Shikibu, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #67111, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 4221 sentences across 10 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is The sacred tree divided for reading?
The sacred tree is presented in 10 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The sacred tree as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 845 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The sections are gathered into 10 chapters.
Can I hear The sacred tree read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The sacred tree can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The sacred tree can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading The sacred tree
Common questions about reading The sacred tree by Murasaki Shikibu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The sacred tree?
Yes. All 4221 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The sacred tree is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #67111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The sacred tree take to read?
About 351 minutes of reading across 845 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The sacred tree section by section
How to work through The sacred tree section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The sacred tree to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The sacred tree
Words and structures a reader meets early in The sacred tree, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Translated
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The sacred tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Japanese
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The sacred tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Arthur
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The sacred tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Waley
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The sacred tree; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.