The Noh Plays of Japan (16 page)

†
I have omitted the line "Though this be not the river of Tamashima," a reference to the Empress Jingo, who caught an
ayu
at Tamashima when on her way to fight the Coreans.

‡
A name for Hades.

*
Good deeds were recorded in a golden book, evil deeds in an iron one.

†
He vowed that he would come as a ship to those drowning in the Sea of Delusion.

‡
Here follow the twelve concluding lines, too full of Buddhist technicalities to interest a general reader.

*
A twelfth-century folk-song
(Ryojin Hissho,
p. 101), speaks of "The Way of Love which knows no castes of 'high' and 'low.'"

*
A story from
Huai-nan Tz
Å«
.
What looks like disaster turns out to be good fortune and
vice versa.
The horse broke away and was lost. A revolution occurred during which the Government seized all horses. When the revolution was over the man of Sai's horse was rediscovered. If he had not lost it the Government would have taken it.

†
This simile, which passed into a proverb in China and Japan, occurs first in
Chuang Tz
Å«
,
chap. xxii.

*
Compare the "possession" in
Sotoba Komachi.

*
Adapted from a poem in the
Gosenshu.

*
Adapted from a poem in the
Kokinshu.

*
The names of two of the Cold Hells in the Buddhist Inferno.

†
There is a legend that the fish who succeed in leaping a certain waterfall turn into dragons. So the Gardener's attempt to raise himself to the level of the Princess has changed him into an evil demon.

*
Genji Monogatari
(Romance of Genji), chap, iii., Hakubunkwan Edition, p. 87.

*
By Baron Suyematsu in 1881.

*
A
miko
or witch called Teruhi is the subject of the play
Sanja Takusen.

*
Rokuj
ō
has left the “Burning House,” i.e. her material body. The “Three Coaches” are those of the famous “Burning House” parable in the Hokkeky
ō
. Some children were in a burning house. Intent on their play, they could not be induced to leave the building; till their father lured them out by the promise that they would find those little toy coaches awaiting them. So Buddha, by partial truth, lures men from the “burning house” of their material lives. Owing to the episode at the Kamo Festival, Rokuj
ō
is obsessed by the idea of “carriages,” “wheels,” and the like.

†
One day Rokuj
ō
saw a coach from which all badges and distinctive decorations had been purposely stripped (hence, in a sense, a “broken coach”) standing before Y
Å«
gao's door. She found out that it was Genji's.

*
Rokuj
ō
went secretly to the Kamo Festival in a closed carriage.

†
Words from an old dance-song or “saibara.”

‡
"That am a ghost," but also "that have lost my beauty."

Alluding to Aoi's pregnancy.

A Sanskrit name for the "world of appearances."

*
I.e. at the Palace.

†
It was the custom for wives who had been put away to ambush the new wife and strike her "to clear their hate."

*
From the Suträlankära Shästra (Cat. No. 1182).

†
Rokuj
ō
's.

‡
Aoi.

I.e. recover.

*
The hero of the “Finding of Ukifune,” a later episode in the Genji Monogatari.

*
Founder of the sect of the ascetics called Yamabushi Mountaineers.

†
Mount Omine, near Yoshino, ritual ascents of which were made by Yamabushi.

‡
Known as the Lesser Spell of Fudo. The longer one which follows is the Middle Spell. They consist of corrupt Sanskrit mixed with meaningless magic syllables.

*
From the Buddhist Sutra known in Japan as the Hannya Kyo. It was supposed to have a particular influence over female demons, who are also called "Hannyas."

N
OTE ON
K
ANTAN

A
YOUNG
man, going into the world to make his fortune, stops at an inn on the road and there meets with a sage, who lends him a pillow. While the inn-servant is heating up the millet, the young man dozes on the pillow and dreams that he enters public life, is promoted, degraded, recalled to office, endures the hardship of distant campaigns, is accused of treason, condemned to death, saved at the last moment, and finally dies at a great old age. Awaking from his dream, the young man discovers that the millet is not yet cooked. In a moment's sleep he has lived through the vicissitudes of a long public career. Convinced that in the great world "honor is soon followed by disgrace, and promotion by calumny," he turns back again towards the village from which he came.

Such, in outline, is the most usual version of the story of Ro-sei's dream at Kantan. The earliest form in which we know it is the "Pillow Tale" of the Chinese writer Li Pi, who lived from 722 to 789
A.D.

It is interesting to see how Seami deals with a subject which seems at first sight so impossible to shape into a Noh play. The "sage" is eliminated, and in the dream Rosei immediately becomes Emperor of Central China. This affords an excuse for the Court dances which form the central "ballet" of the piece. In the second half, as in
Hagoromo
and other plays, the words are merely an accompaniment to the dancing.

Chamberlain's version loses by the fact that it is made from the ordinary printed text which omits the prologue and all the speeches of the hostess.

The play is usually attributed to Seami, but it is not mentioned in his
Works,
nor in the list of plays by him drawn up by his great-grandson in 1524.

It is discussed at considerable length in the
Later Kwadensho,
which was printed
c.
1600. TNo pen could write its wohe writer of that book must therefore have regarded the play as a work of Seami's period. It should be mentioned that the geography of the play is absurd. Though both his starting-point and goal lie in the south-western province of Ssechuan, he passes through Hantan,
*
which lay in the northern province of Chih-li.

PERSONS

HOSTESS

I who now stand before you am a woman of the village of Kan-tan in China. A long while ago I gave lodging to one who practiced the arts of wizardry; and as payment he left here a famous pillow, called the Pillow of Kantan. He who sleeps on this pillow sees in a moment's dream the past or future spread out before him, and so awakes illumined. If it should chance that any worshipful travelers arrive today, pray send for me.

(She takes the pillow and lays it on the covered "dais" which represents at first the bed and afterwards the palace.)

ROSEI
(enters)

Lost on the journey of life, shall I learn at last

That I trod but a path of dreams?

My name is Rosei, and I have come from the land of Shoku. Though born to man's estate, I have not sought Buddha's way, but have drifted from dusk to dawn and dawn to dusk.

They tell me that on the Hill of the Flying Sheep in the land of So
*
there lives a mighty sage; and now I am hastening to visit him that he may tell by what rule I should conduct my life.

(Song of Travel.)

Deep hid behind the alleys of the sky

Lie the far lands where I was wont to dwell.

Over the hills I trail

A tattered cloak; over the hills again:

Fen-duskand mountain-dusk and village-dusk

Closed many times about me, till today

At the village of Kantan,

Strange to me save in name, my journey ends.

I have traveled so fast that I am already come to the village of Kantan. Though the sun is still high, I will lodge here tonight(Knocking.) May I come in?

HOSTESS

Who is it?

ROSEI

I am a traveler; pray give me lodging for the night.

HOSTESS

Yes, I can give you lodging; pray come this way...You seem to be traveling all alone. Tell me where you have come from and where you are going.

ROSEI

I come from the land of Shoku. They tell me that on the Hill of the Flying Sheep there lives a sage; and I am visiting him that he may tell me by what rule I should conduct my life.

HOSTESS

It is a long way to the Hill of the Flying Sheep. Listen! A wizard once lodged here and gave us a marvellous pillow called the Pillow of Kantan: he who sleeps on it sees all his future in a moment's dream.

ROSEI

Where is this pillow?

HOSTESS

It is on the bed.

ROSEI

I will go and sleep upon it.

HOSTESS

And I meanwhile will heat you some millet at the fire.

ROSEI
(going to the bed)

So this is the pillow, the Pillow of Kantan that I have heard such strange tales of? Heaven has guided me to it, that I who came out to learn the secret of life may taste the world in a dream.

As one whose course swift summer-rain has stayed,

Unthrifty of the noon he turned aside

To seek a wayside dream;

Upon the borrowed Pillow of Kantan

He laid his head and slept.

(While
ROSEI
is still chanting these words, the
ENVOY
enters, followed by two
ATTENDANTS
who carry a litter. The
ENVOY
raps on the post of the bed.)

ENVOY

Rosei, Rosei! I must speak with you.

(
ROSEI,
who has been lying with his fan over his face, rises when the
ENVOY
begins to speak.)

ROSEI

But who are you?

ENVOY

I am come as a messenger to tell you that the Emperor of the Land of So
*
resigns his throne and commands that Rosei shall reign in his stead.

ROSEI

Unthinkable! I a king? But for what reason am I assigned this task?

ENVOY

I cannot venture to determine. Doubtless there were found in your Majesty's countenance auspicious tokens, signs that you must rule the land. Let us lose no time; pray deign to enter this palanquin.

ROSEI
(looking at the palanquin in astonishment)

What thing is this?

A litter spangled with a dew of shining stones?

I am not wont to ride. Such splendor! Oh, little thought I

When first my weary feet trod unfamiliar roads

In kingly state to be borne to my journey's end.

Is it to Heaven I ride?

CHORUS

In jeweled palanquin

On the Way of Wisdom you are borne; here shall you learn

That the flower of glory fades like a moment's dream.

See, you are become a cloud-man of the sky.
*

The palaces of ancient kings

Rise up before you, Ab
ō
's Hall, the Dragon's Tower;
^†

High over the tall clouds their moonlit gables gleam.

The light wells and wells like a rising tide.
^‡

Oh splendid vision! A courtyard strewn

With golden and silver sand;

And they that at the four sides

Pass through the jeweled door are canopied

With a crown of woven light.

In the Cities of Heaven, in the home of Gods, I had thought,

Shine such still beams on walls of stone;

Never on palace reared by hands of men.

Treasures, a thousand kinds, ten thousand kinds,

Tribute to tribute joined, a myriad vassal-kings

Cast down before the Throne.

Flags of a thousand lords, ten thousand lords

Shine many-colored in the sky,

And the noise of their wind-flapping

Rolls round the echoing earth.

ROSEI

And in the east

CHORUS

Over a silver hill of thirty cubits height A golden sun-wheel rose.

ROSEI

And in the west

Over a golden hill of thirty cubits height

A silver moon-wheel rose,

To prove his words who sang

"In the Palace of Long Life
*

The Springs and Autumns cease.

Before the Gate of Endless Youth
^†

The days and months pass slow."
^‡

COURTIER

I would address your Majesty. Your Majesty has reigned for fifty years. Deign but to drink this drink and you shall live a thousand years. See! I bring you the nectar and the grail.

ROSEI

The nectar?

COURTIER

It is the wine that Immortals drink.

ROSEI

The grail?

COURTIER

It is the cup from which they drink.

ROSEI

The magic wine! A thousand generations shall pass

COURTIER

Or ever the springtime of your glory fade.

ROSEI

I bountiful...

COURTIER

Your people prosperous.

CHORUS

Forever and ever

The land secure;

The flower of glory waxing;

The "herb of increase," joy-increasing

Into the cup we pour.

See! from hand to hand it goes.

"I will drink," he cries.

ROSEI

Go circling, magic cup,

CHORUS

Circling from hand to hand;
*

As at the Feast of Floating Cups
^†

Hands thrust from damask sleeves detain

The goblet whirling in the eager stream;

Now launched, now landed!
^‡

Oh merry flashing light, that shall endure

Long as the Silver Chalice§ circles space.

BOY DANCER

The white chrysanthem-dew,

CHORUS

"The dew of the flowers dripping day by day

In how many thousand years

Will it have grown into a pool?"
*

It shall not fail, it shall not fail,

The fountain of our Immortality;

He draws, and yet it wells;

He drinks, and to his taste it is as sweet

As the Gods' deathless food.

His heart grows airy; day and night

In unimagined revel, incomparable pride and glory

Eternally shall pass.

(End of the
BOY DANCER'S
dance.
ROSEI,
who has been watching this dance, now springs up in ecstasy to dance the Gaku or Court Dance.)

ROSEI

The spring-time of my glory fades not...

CHORUS

Many times shall you behold

The pale moon of dawn...

ROSEI

This is the moon-men's dance;