1:57:20
On the other hand,
1:57:23
I had not seen battle either
1:57:25
since the siege of Osaka Castle
16 years ago.
1:57:31
Taking his head
would have been difficult enough,
1:57:33
but taking only his topknot
proved more difficult still.
1:57:43
Whatever the differences in skill,
1:57:45
for a samurai to have
his topknot taken
1:57:49
is the same
as having his head stricken off.
1:57:52
It is an ineptitude, a disgrace,
1:57:54
that can scarcely be atoned for
even by death.
1:57:58
Yet these men claim illness
and shirk their duties
1:58:03
while waiting for their topknots
to grow back. Counselor!
1:58:11
This house boasts of its red armor
and martial valor,
1:58:14
but it seems that even
in the great House of Iyi,
1:58:17
samurai honor is nothing more
than a facade.
1:58:35
Maniac!
1:58:37
Cut him down!