Noh Pinetreematsudra00takeiala

7/28/2019 Noh Pinetreematsudra00takeiala

1/136


2/136


3/136


4/136


5/136

TAKEDA IZUMOTHE PINE-TREE(MATSU)

A Drama, adapted from the Japanese

WITH AN INTRODUCTORY CAUSERIE ON THEJAPANESE THEATRE

BYM. C. MARCUSJAPANESE DRAWINGS

REPRODUCED BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE ORIENTALSUB-DEPARTMENT OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

NEW YORKDUFFIELD & COMPANY1916


6/136


7/136

CONTENTS

CAUSERIE ON THE JAPANESE THEATRE :PAGE

Chapter I. SOME GLIMPSES OF OLD JAPANESELITERATURE n,, II. THE ELEMENTS OF JAPANESE DRAMA 29

III. EARLY TRAGEDY AND COMEDY ... 39,, IV. DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA ... 49

V. THE CLASSICAL PERIOD. TAKEDAIZUMO AND HIS " PlNE TREE " ... 57

,, VI. THEATRICAL CUSTOMS 71

PAGETHE PINE-TREE 85


8/136


9/136

THE PINE-TREE(MATSU)


10/136

THE CHICHESTEK PRESS,30 & 31, FURNIVAL STREET, HOI.BORN,

LONDON, B.C.


11/136

All rights reserved, especially that of translation intoforeign languages, including the Scandinavian, that oftheatrical performance and of kinematographic adaptation.

First published January 1916.


12/136


13/136

CAUSERIEON THE JAPANESE THEATRE


14/136


15/136

I.

SOME GLIMPSES OF OLDJAPANESE LITERATURE.

'HE literature of a nation isat once the result and themirror of its national

character. There is perhaps moretruth in this than in BUFFON'S " Lestyle, cest I'homme." The Far-Eastern insular empire has formany a century enjoyed a civilisa-tion which, with respect to thematerial as well as the ideal side,has reached a very high standard.The most delicate flower of Japanesecivilisation is an extraordinary, loftysense of honour, which amongother things gives us the explana-tion of that curious custom of


16/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFsuicide called " Harakiri" But onthe other hand there exists a vastamount of low, Oriental sensuality,a continual incitement to lust andcruelty. All these qualities, goodand bad, will be found in theJapanese literature. Again, trulyartistic as they are, they seem neverto have sought to overstep thelimits of pure decorative art, andjust as in their paintings they havealways been content to treat thehuman figure in a purely conven-tional manner, without any lightand shade, so is their literaturegenerally somewhat misty andlacking perspective.

Considering the uncommon talentof the Japanese as a nation, and con-sidering the extensive differenceswhich separate them from theirMongol neighbours, the Chinese, it ismost remarkable that they should


17/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.their written characters and evensome of their literary forms. Morethan that, they kept the ideographicChinese writing even after they hadinvented their own phonetic alpha-bet, consisting of 48 letters, whichthey write and pronounce in twodifferent fashions the katukana(the square hand) and the firagana(the running hand) which hasseveral varying styles. There aretwo distinct Japanese languages,the spoken and the written. In thelatter one notices a great differencein the inflexions, which are innearly all cases totally unlike thoseused in the colloquial language.Further, in writing, the Japanesehave kept a large amount of oldexpressions and words fallen indisuse in conversation. Finally, inwriting, they mix the Chineseideographic characters with the


18/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFletters. All this may give an ideahow intensely difficult it is to readand write Japanese. Like theChinese, the Japanese do not usenib and writing ink, but brush andIndian ink. The lines of writing areperpendicular and read downwards(for they say : " Writing showsman's thoughts and man standsupright"). The columns begin tothe extreme right of the reader,and thus a Japanese book startswhere our volumes end.

Love is supposed to have inspiredthe first ode composed in Japan,the Emperor Jimmu having beenmoved to song on meeting themaiden Isuzu. It is said that atthis time namely, in the 7thcentury B.C. there lived also a poetcalled SosANO-ONO-MiKOTO. Butthere is for


19/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.ancient Japanese chronology. Thereason for such doubt is the extra-ordinary longevity assigned by thechronology to the first Mikados.The Emperor Jimmu ascended thethrone in 660 B.C. Of his firstfourteen successors eleven are saidto have lived considerably overone hundred years. One of them,Keiko, reached the age of onehundred and forty-three years,while his predecessor, Suinin,attained an age of but two yearsless. These exaggerations whichonly ceased after the year 399 A.D.make it rather difficult to assigncorrect dates to early historicalevents. However this is of noconsequence. The one thing whichmatters is that while Jimmu wasMikado the poet SOSANO-ONO-MIKOTO invented the national metrecalled uta. It consists of thirty-one


20/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFarranged as a distich, but writtenin five lines containing 5, 7, 5, 7,and 7 syllables respectively. Thebreak is placed after the third line.The meaning of each such distichis continuous, though the last twolines must either be an antithesisto what has gone before, or avaried expression of the identicalmeaning. The first half alwaysprepares the reader for the secondone. Thus the following lamentof a mother on the loss of herchild :

5 Why has the harsh wind7 Carried away the blossoms5 With his savage breath7 And left untouched, uninjured7 The leaves oj the worn out

tree ?

Lyrical poetry soon became a


21/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.teristic of the position of woman inJapanese society that we find manyladies among the crowd of poets,ancient and modern. At thebeginning of the third centurySOTO-ORI-IME, the Mikado Inkyo'sEmpress, was a celebrated poetess.The most popular form of poetrywas and remained the lyric in theuta form. There are serious andjesting lyrics, erotic, didactic, andsatiric, full of quaint modes ofthought and turns of expression.Yet it seems rather impossible totranslate them into a foreignlanguage, for there is no hope ofrendering all the allusions containedin the original. LEON DE ROSNY,in his Anthologie Japonaise, has,however, succeeded in imitatingthe delicacy of some of the eroticlyrics. The Japanese possessseveral collections of these national


22/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFtions dating from the third centuryis called " Man-jo-shiu" whichmeans " the collection of onethousand leaves." But the mostpopular is the " Hyak-niu-ishiu " or" collection of the hundred poets,"which appeared much later andcontains several pieces written byEmperors. This anthology is to befound in the Mikado's palace aswell as in the beggar's hut, it existsin the cheapest editions and in themost magnificent, and everybodyknows the lyrics it contains. Thereexists a metric English translationof the " Hyak-niu-ishiu" by J. V.DICKINS.

In the earliest times there wasbut one seat of learning and litera-ture in Japan : Kyoto, the capitalof sensuous delight, Kyoto, wherethe Mikado resided. The noblescomposing his court enjoyed gene-


23/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.devote their time to poetry, whichthey held in highest honour, and tothe writing of diaries. Thesediaries form the first historicalworks of the Japanese. A numberstill exist and offer a fascinatinginsight into the life at Kyoto indays of yore. Again, it is to benoted that many of the bestwritings were done by women.The first work treating ofJapanese history seems to have beenwritten in 620 A.D., with the EmpressSUIKO (593-628) as editress, butit has not been preserved. Thesame fate occurred to the next workwhich appeared sixty years later.But at the same time the MikadoTemmu (673-686) ordered that allthe then existing records should becompiled and carefully examinedto remove all possible mistakes.One of the noblemen of the court,


24/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFwriters affirm that HIYEDA-NO-AREwas a woman) was entrusted withthe editorship. Soon, however,Temmu died, and it was only in 711during the reign of the EmpressGremm'o (708-715) that the workwas finished and appeared under thetitle " Kojiki" which means " recordof ancient things."Only nine years later another

similar work appeared under theauspices of Gemnio's successor, theEmpress Genshd (715-723). Itsname was " Nihongi" ("TheJapanese Record"), and it seemsat first to have completely super-seded the former work " Kojiki."This is easy to understand. The"Kojiki

" was pure Japanese, andhad the object of preserving trueancient Japanese spirit ; while the" Nihongi " showed many tracesof Chinese influence and was inaccordance with Chinese ideas. It


25/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.should be noted that a part of thelearned and of the ladies of thecourt began at that time to devotetheir studies to the cultivation ofthe Chinese language. But morethan a thousand years later the" Kojiki " came back to honours.Under the title " Kojikiden " andaccompanied by a most elaboratecommentary it was republishedby the great historian MOTOORINORINAGA. He worked at it for32 years, from 1764 to 1796. Theprinting of the great work tookabout as long, from 1789 to 1822.MOTOORI himself did not see theprinting finished, for he died in 1801.

For many centuries the writingof poetry and of historical recordswent on separately, side by side.Finally, at the end of the twelfthcentury, both were united in agreat epic. However, if I call the


26/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFmust not be thought that it can inany way be compared to the pro-ducts of real epic poetry, as forinstance the Homeric works. It ismuch more in the style of ourmediaeval rhymed chronicles. Thetitle indicates this. It is calledFeike monogatari, which means a"history of the Feike dynasty."Its author's name was IKINAGA,and the work numbers twelvevolumes. It is said that it waspopularised by some blind rhap-sodists called seobuts.The first brilliant period of

Japanese literature seems to haveoccurred in the ninth and tenthcenturies ; and not of literatureonly, but of art in general. Itwas the time when the beautifulOnono Komachi, the JapaneseNinon de Lenclos, assembled in hersalon,

if I may say so, all the wits


27/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.time when HADA KAWAKATSU, theJapanese Wagner, wrote his 33musical dramas (although somewriters place him in the sixthcentury, asserting that his" operatic " works were alreadycompleted in 586), the time whenthe first erotic novels were pro-duced ; the time when ABIWABANO NARIHIRA, a dazzling lady-killer, wrote his enchanting lyrics.NARIHIRA was indeed a great

poet, and although a thousand yearshave gone by, he still lives in thememory of the Japanese, playingsomewhat the part of our DonJuan. His was the most fasci-nating beauty, and the pretty,gentle ladies of Kyoto simply diedfor his love.

It is by the way rather amusingfor us occidental people to see anexample of the taste of these


28/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFnesses of this Japanese Apollocredited with so many tears ofbeautiful women. OGATA KORIN,who shares with HISHIKAWAMORONOBU the reputation of thegreatest Japanese artist, has paintedNARIHIRA'S features on a goodmany of his pictures. Of course,these NARiHiRA-images are not tobe taken as real likenesses, forKORIN (1657-1716) lived duringthe second classical period, theGENROKHu-era. But feeling acertain affinity with the noblemanof the ninth century he wantedto give a decorative representationof NARIHIRA'S characteristicfeatures. He shows the poet withshaved eyebrows, with ratherextraordinary eyes and lips, withenormous cheeks and a bull's neck.Such was the typical beauty of thisimmortal man, whose prominent


29/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.innumerable woodcuts, on parasols,on shawls, on teapots, etc.

Not only have his work and hisportrait come down to us, but thepoet of the old, perfumed court hashimself been the hero of one of thefinest products of Japanese litera-ture. An anonymous poet, soonafter NARIHIRA'S death, collectedall the many stories about his loveadventures, and wove them into acharming garland of novels andstories called he Monogatari,which means " stories from Ise."The second period of brilliancy

in Japanese art and literature, the(jrENROKHU-era, took place in thethirty years between 1680 and1710. It was a time whichstrangely reminds us of our ownrococo period, a time of lavishextravagance. After centuries ofcivil wars and bloody feuds, Japan


30/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFlong and happy peace, which hadbegun in 1603 when the Tokugawadynasty came to the office ofshogun.The shogun (the full title Sei-i-

tai-shogun means "barbarian sub-jugating commander in chief ")was an hereditary chancellor ofthe Empire, prime minister andgeneralissimo, who held the realpower, the shogunate having beencreated in 1192 by the EmperorTakahira. After being successivelyin the hands of the Minamoto andthe Hojo family, the supremacyfell in 1603 into the hands of theTokugawa dynasty by the appoint-ment of lyeyasu, the most con-summate politician and general inJapanese history. He put an endto the scenes of bloodshed andanarchy from which the wholecountry had suffered terribly for


31/136

OLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.the power of the noblemen wasbroken. lyeyasu began the work,his son Hidetada and his grandsonlyemitsu completed it. From thistime the nobles sought to satisfytheir ambition in fields other thanmilitary. Trade and manufacturereceived thus a great impetus, andthe same may be said of art andliterature.

Simplicity of life disappeared,and sybaritism prevailed. Peopleremained for hours in the tea-housestalking of frivolous, nay, of lasci-vious things. In literature romanti-cism was at first most appreciated.But soon the piquancy which wassought for in life began to show itselfin literature. At least one name mustbe mentioned : SAIKAKU, who wrotethe most wonderful satirical novels,and whose work may best be com-pared to that of the Neronian


32/136

SOME GLIMPSES OFOLD JAPANESE LITERATURE.

remarkable that, while Petroniuslived in Marseilles which wasalready then a centre of trade,SAIKAKU resided in Osaka whichplayed a similar part. And likePetronius, SAIKAKU spent his daysin sleep and his nights in pleasure.Like Petronius he became equallyfamous as an accomplished volup-tuary and as a successful writer.Like Petronius the form of work heintroduced in the literature of hiscountry was the novel, based on theevery day experience of contem-porary life. For that second eraof brilliancy in literature SAIKAKUplayed the same part of "arbiterelegantiae " as NARIHIRA had playedin the first. In both these poetshumour was combined with the raregift of conceiving and representinghuman character.


33/136

II.

THE ELEMENTS OFJAPANESE DRAMA.

|P to this very day manyJapanese nobles feel acertain repulsion for the

theatre. And certainly the dramadoes not hold the position it enjoysin Europe. This may also accountfor the fact that no great classicplaywright such as Moliere orShakespeare was ever known inJapan. Still, theatre-going is afavourite amusement, especiallyamong the lower classes in thelarge towns ; while persons of rankprefer to engage actors and have


34/136

THE ELEMENTShome. The Mikado has a courttheatre. Generally speaking, it isnot fashionable nowadays to go to apublic theatre, nor has it ever beenfashionable except in the GTENROKHU-era, when noblemen not only visitedthe theatres, but even seem to havetaken part in the performances ofthe musical dramas called no, whichmostly treat of patriotic legends.

The elements of the Japanesedrama are music, song and dance,besides legendary or historicalnarrative and pantomime. Allthese elements are purely native.But apart from these elements thetheatre is clearly to be regarded asa Chinese importation. Nor has itattempted to emancipate itself fromthe conventional Chinese types.Yet there is one difference between


35/136

OF JAPANESE DRAMA.Chinese drama can never claimto be regarded as really poetic,not even in its diction, although itsphraseology is full of metaphoricalniceties and abounds in poeticornament ; while the Japanesedrama, like the Indian, is full oftrue poetry. There exists a drama" Iki - utsushi Asagao - nikki "(" Asagao's true history "), a post-humous work of the poet YAMAVAKAKASHI, edited by SUISHO ENSHUJIN, which is in parts as muchbathed in poetry as Kalidasa's" Urvasi" and the maiden Miyukiis as tender and charming a creatureas her celebrated Indian sisterSakuntala. What does this prove ?That Chinese influence may havegiven new notions to the Japanese,who are indeed the most adaptablerace on earth, but that it has beenunable to modify deeply the normal


36/136

THE ELEMENTSI have stated music and dance to

be elements of the Japanese theatre.I am not sure whether music is anadequate word. The Japanese seemsto me to have no tune at all. Thereare scales, but the intervals areshocking to our ears. This is themajor scale :

Kiu, sho, kaku, tchi, yu.C, D, F, G, A.

and this the minor scale :Kiu, hensho, kaku, tchi, henyu.C, Dflat, F, G, Aflat.

This alone would suffice to give tothe melodic phrase a weird, strangecolour. But there is somethingelse, I cannot say what, whichrenders their musical languageunintelligible to our ears. Theyhave in all their art a certain likingfor the vague, the undetermined,the ambiguous. In music theyattain it by finishing generally on


37/136

OF JAPANESE DRAMA.we do. A child striking only theblack keys of a piano, and that ina highly unmusical fashion, wouldgive us something resemblingJapanese music. It is for ourears an altogether discordant andunpleasant thing. This music, withits slow movements, is at the sametime primitive and refined, it nevertries to please the ear, but strivesto rouse emotions and to expresspowerfully the dramatic sentiment.The koto is an instrument con-

sisting of an oblong box over whichthirteen (in former times six) silkstrings are stretched. It is playedwith ivory finger tips and forms thefundamental part of the Japaneseorchestra. The kotos are, with thefouyes (flutes), the only instru-ments of Japanese origin. All theothers have been imported fromChina. There is the shamicenn, a


38/136

THE ELEMENTSa long neck, a very popular instru-ment, the strings of which arestruck by an ivory or bamboo quill ;the biwa, a guitar with four strings ;the djin-daiko, a drum, used in battlemusic ; bells and big drums. Alto-gether there exist two kinds offlageolet, a vertical harp and a hori-zontal one, two kinds of guitar, acymbal, a species of harmonica, anoboe, a species of pandean pipe,several kinds of flute, and fivekinds of drum. A Japanese bandis sometimes composed of a greatnumber of musicians. As early asin the year 453 A.D. there was at theburial of the Emperor Ingyo anorchestra of 80 musicians playinga dirge.The second element of the

Japanese theatre is dance. In oldtimes dance seems to have been areligious ceremony, as we may still


39/136

OF JAPANESE DRAMA.We know that once a year virginsdanced before the shrine of TenshoDaijin (the Sun-goddess) in orderto lure her from her sacred place.Even this first and oldest dancecontains a dramatic idea, an embryoof a dramatic action ; while thehayatomai (warrior dance) wassomewhat in the style of a diver-tissement. At the same time thereappeared also dances symbolising,as in all countries, the relations ofthe sexes.

Singing, dancing, and composingwent on hand in hand. Every newachievement in the one art addedsomething to the other twoespecially as imperial progresses,public feasts, religious ceremonies,and private entertainments were alloccasions for playing instrumentsand dancing. Some of these olddances are still executed in our


40/136

THE ELEMENTStamabatu performed by tiny littlegirls, six to eight years old, whichforms one of the most charmingsights one can imagine. Theywore rich satin robes with longsleeves, and broad belts embroideredwith gold and claret colour designs.They had high coiffures with silverpins and tortoiseshell ornaments,and purple socks. While dancingthey played small drums withgilt frame and a silken cord, andthe drumsticks were lacquered.

Dancing was not' only confinedto women and girls, there werealso men, and even old men, whoused to perform dances. One, forinstance, was usually executed byold merchants. The principaloccasion for all such kinds ofenjoyment were the matsuri, annualfestivities held in honour of thebirthday of some god, each town


41/136

OF JAPANESE DRAMA.These public entertainments seemto have begun as far back as650 B.C. One dance, the kagura, akind of hieratic pantomime, accom-panied by a slow weird music,deserves special mention, becauseit is one step nearer to the drama,and because stages were first builtfor its performance.Not all these dances were of anoble character ; some, called rika,

were accompanied by rather vulgarstreet-songs ; others, the zokuyo bypopular ballads. Of these popularamusements the most favourite wasthe sarugaku or monkey mime, thename of which sufficiently describesits nature. Its rival was thedengaku or bucolic mime, for theperformance of which masks wereworn, and which was at one timegreatly encouraged by the legis-lators. The dengaku then assumed


42/136

THE ELEMENTSOF JAPANESE DRAMA.of costume not previously knownnor imagined. Nevertheless, thesarugaku superseded the dengaku,and by degrees became the no.Curiously, and although having itsorigin in the popular monkeymime, the no is the aristocraticform of the oldest drama.


43/136

III.

EARLY TRAGEDY ANDCOMEDY.

HAVE said that the dances- jwere always accompanied

by song. At first thesesongs were purely lyric or descrip-tive. But gradually they becamerecitatives having generally a sacredor legendary text. On one side ofthe platform sat a singer, whoaccompanied himself on the shami-cenn and who narrated some well-known marvellous or romantic storyfrOm the early times. Soon, when


44/136

EARLY TRAGEDYin direct narrative, it became thecustom for one of the dancers todeliver it. And dialogue being thethe next step, the drama wascreated. Such drama was called no.Its subjects were always noble andavoided the " vulgar acts of life."Therefore actors must not makelove in public, nor eat or drink,nor sleep, nor die. However, onlynatural death was considered a" vulgar act," but not a murder, anexecution, or, above all, a harakiri.One of the favourite themes of

the no was what I should like tocall the Japanese Philemon andBaucis. The recitative singer hada fine part, describing the beautiesof the landscape where the oldcouple lived and telling of theirfeelings. The old people also hadnice things to say : " Do youremember this ? " or : " At such

"


45/136

AND COMEDY.also

generallya part for a benevo-

lent spirit ; while the Chorusappeared then as herons with hand-some feathers, or as silvery salmons,or preferably as flowers. This lattercostume was at all times muchpatronised, and in the seventh cen-tury flower festivals were much infashion. At these utagaki, as theywere called, one could see girlsrepresenting peach-blossom, plum-blossom, apple-blossom, iris, lotus,dancing through the streets, whileother maidens dressed simply inblue silk robes with red girdles sanggraceful stanzas to the sound of theshamicenn.The monologue was banned from

the no except in the first scene of theplay. After the reciter had givenin an introductory stanza a shortdescription of where the actionwas to take place (for there was


46/136

EARLY TRAGEDYcharacter used to enter with thewords : " My name is so and so,my father has this occupation, mybrother that, and such are thecircumstances which obliged me tocome here." The exposition beingthus terminated, the action went on,frequently interrupted by remarksof the reciter, as for instance :"Look, look at him . . . Scornfills his noble heart . . . Now

he touches the handle of his sword. . . He will draw it, he will killhis enemy . . . But no ! Hemasters his wrath and he goes out,banging the door." In one word :the reciter explains things whichwe are used, in occidental theatres,to see performed except in opera,where sometimes our chorusassumes a part resembling that ofthe Japanese reciter. But one willalready have noticed that there is


47/136

AND COMEDY.opera and Japanese drama withthat one difference, however, thatthe Japanese actor is an admirableperformer, while our operaticsinger . . . but it is not on theoccidental theatre that I write.The old form of the no stillsurvives, and in our own day theyare performed at the matsuri. Butof course tradition which haspreserved the old plays has alsosomewhat altered them. Duty inall these dramas plays a great part,and the stoicism of the samurai(military men) has often beenchosen as a tragic subject.

Yoshimaza, the most extravagantman ever born in Japan, celebratedfor his hobbies (the tea cult, theincense cult, the landscape-gardencult, the art cult), was also a mostremarkable patron of the drama,and a dramatic author, SCAMI, was


48/136


49/136

AND COMEDY.one is asleep, the two others shavehis head. Of course, when hewakes again, he quarrels. So hehas to return home. But he willrevenge himself. He goes to theother pilgrims' wives, and tellsthem that their husbands have metwith an accident and are dead.Thereupon the two women, as asign of mourning, shave theirheads. When the two men comehome from their pilgrimage thethird one awaits them and tellsthem the same story : The wiveshave met with a fatal accident ;and he shows them their hair toprove it. And the two men in theirturn shave their heads as a sign ofmourning. Now the rascal who hasmade all this shaving mischiefdiscloses his fraud and produceshis own wife, the only one of thelot who has any hair on her head.But when he wants to it and


50/136

EARLY TRAGEDYtouches her beautiful coiffure, itremains in his hand : she is bald.. . . Curtain.

2. The other kyogen which Imay tell is the story of a samurai(military man), who is endowedwith a pretty and very coquettishwife. They have a manservant,who falls in love with the lady.But she is cruel, for there is anotherwooer. One day the samuraireceives an order to go to war. Agreat parting scene ensues betweenhusband and wife. In reality sheis glad, because she foresees a fewhappy days with her lover, but forher husband she pretends greatsorrow. As the tears will notcome naturally, she dips her fingersfrom time to time into a basin ofwater and places a few drops onher cheeks. This the manservantespies. Approaching the lady, he

into her ear : " be


51/136

AND COMEDY.sensible, or I will teach you alesson ! " She only sneers at him.So while she turns her back hepours some ink into the basin.And when she next marks her tearsthev are black. Tableau. Curtain.


52/136


53/136

IV.

DEVELOPMENT OF THEDRAMA.

ftROM the no there branchedjlpfll off in the seventeenth cen-&>

tury a more lyrical formof drama, called the djiururi. Butthis was soon superseded by a newsystem, the kabuki, or psycho-logical drama, the evolution ofwhich continues up to our time.It is this form, performed originallyin the shibai (lawns) which interestsus most.

In 1575 a celebrated andbeautiful dancer called O-KouMivisited Kyoto. Although she was

49


54/136

DEVELOPMENTnot

leading preciselya virtuous life

her fame was so great that she wasadmitted to the Imperial palace.Virtue, by the way, has neverplayed a very important part inJapan with women who had otheraccomplishments to be proud of.The beautiful Aki, who became themistress of the Emperor Ichigo,had hair that exceeded her statureby ten feet. Tamabushi, themistress of the Emperor Uda, wasa clever dancer, and the sixcelebrated demi-mondaines Sei,Murasaki, Daino-Sanussi, Koshi-kibu, Izumi, and Udaisho wereall brilliant writers. As forO-KouMi, she was exquisitelyrefined in all her ways, her mannerswere restful yet winsome, her con-versation was a piquant mixture offeminine inconsequence and spark-ling repartee. Already as an


55/136

OF THE DRAMA.known how to fascinate everybodyby the gentle rhythmical grace ofher movements and her demurelooks. When she arrived at Kyoto,the whole town soon talked of theinexhaustible list of her accom-plishments, of her art, and of hercostumes which were chef cCceuvresof decorative skill. No wonderthat manv men fell in love with./her. Amongst them was NAGOYASANZAEMON, the superintendent ofthe court festivities. It seemsthat it was she who had theidea of opening a popular theatre,of which SANZAEMON was to bethe manager and she the star.The performances took place onsome grassy land, and to this daythe name of shibai is given to theJapanese theatre, although as earlyas 1624 SAKUWAKA KANZABURO hadbuilt the first regular theatre in


56/136

DEVELOPMENTcalled performances (ki) of song(ka) and dance (bu\ and thus thedenomination kabuki was formed.The success was prodigious.Unfortunately, very soon numerousftlies de joie took to the profession.By and by actors came to be con-sidered as outcasts, and it becameso difficult for them to securepermission to play in the publicgardens and squares that they hadto be satisfied with the beds of therivers, when in summer they weredried up ; whence the name kawar-a-monOj river-bed folk, which fora long time designated actors.Finally, in 1643, a law was madeby which it was forbidden towomen to take part in theatricalperformances. It was thereforevery fortunate that Japanesecostume made it possible for mento play women's parts without


57/136

OF THE DRAMA.

adays this edict is no longerenforced, but the custom stillprevails. It is unusual to see anactress in Japan, although I mustadd that there exists in Tokyo atheatre where all parts are playedby women. The interdict of 1643proved, however, to be an oppor-tunity for the actor and skilledmusician GENZAEMON, who madea great reputation by playingfemale parts.The law of 1643 was not the

only instance of trouble arisingbetween the legislators and thetheatre. At one time it becameexceedingly fashionable to deliverin private circles the recitativescalled naga-uta, which are con-sidered as one of the chiefornaments of Japanese drama.Young girls, especially merchants'daughters, began to sing them to


58/136

DEVELOPMENTby and by, gave interesting matterto the chronique scandaleuse. Soin 1805 these "at homes," andparticularly the singing of therecitatives, were forbidden to theyoung ladies who, by acting thus,had " reduced themselves to thelevel of rogues and vagabonds."

Another time, when the Toku-gawa legislators were greatlyconcerned about the immoralityof the theatre, they promulgateda law that no theatre was to bemore than two storeys high.There had been built first at Osakaand Kyoto, and then at Yeddo,theatres three storeys high, withrooms in the top storey fordebauches of various kinds, andwith secret passages leading fromthere to the manager's office. Itwas said that ladies, experiencingduring the performances a sudden


59/136

OF THE DRAMA.used, at the end of the play, to goto the manager and to make termswith him for the cession of thecontemplated actor for an hour orso, the manager and his employeesharing the profits thus realised.This scandalous state of things wasabolished and henceforth theatreshad but two storeys, and the j/ose,plain,

comfortless music halls, onlyone.


60/136


61/136

V.THE CLASSICAL PERIOD.-TAKEDA IZUMO AND HIS

" PINE-TREE."

||prfj|8HE Japanese consider asJWJww their greatest playwright

TSIKAMATSU MONZAEMON(16.53-1734) who wrote not lessthan 74 historic dramas and 37drames de mceurs. He has beencalled the Japanese Sophocles andthe Japanese Shakespeare. Thereis always something vexatious incomparisons of this kind, althoughsuch title might perhaps not beintended as anything more than asynonym for poetic pre-eminence.But I have already given thereasons why there never was areally great popular dramatic

57


62/136

THE CLASSICAL PERIOD.author in Japan. Indeed, there isnothing to be found in TSIKAMATSUMONZAEMON like the ever -freshblossoms from the inexhaustiblegarden of a Sophocles or aShakespeare. However, one maysay that the skilful construction ofTSIKAMATSU'S plays recalls that ofSophocles, and that the secret ofthis skill depends largely on theprofound way in which he conceivesthe central situation in each of hisfables. Again, to have understoodhow nearly burlesque and tragedyare related, and to have interwovenhis dramas with clowneries, mightbe called Shakespearean. But theabsolute finish, the superlativedegree of harmony which we findin Sophocles and Shakespeare willbe sought for in vain in the greatJapanese. And this judgmentholds also good for his numeroussuccessors. They are all exceed-

58


63/136

THE CLASSICAL PERIOD.ingly clever, they know how tounfold their plots by subtle grada-tions, and how to carry the heareronward, steadily and swiftly, andhow to give a feeling of impendingcatastrophe, but their work is neverso completely alive as that ofSophocles or Shakespeare, neversuch an organic whole. Amongstthese contemporaries and succes-sors of TSIKAMATSU we may nameTAKEMOTO TSIKONGO who wrote90 plays, and NAMIKI SOSUKE (whodied in 1745) author of the cele-brated drama " Itchinotani futabagunki " (Reminiscences of the firstcampaign of two young men at theassault of Itchinotani). This bril-liant piece of work was completedby his five disciples ASSADA ITCHIO,NAMIOKA KEIJI, NAMIKI CIOZA,MAMBA SANSO, and TAJOTUKEGENROKHU ; it was published in1752, seven years after the

59


64/136

THE CLASSICAL PERIOD.master's death. 1 must also nameTSIKAMATSU HAIGKI, the author ofthe drama " Uta-dai-mon " (1780)and TAKEDA IZUMO, this last authorbeing probably the one whose artappeals most to occidental feeling.TAKEDA IZUMO was born in 1688.

In 1713, when he was 25, heopened, together with his friendTSIKAMATSU MONZAEMON, a marion-ette theatre which became famousvery quickly for the quality of theplays performed there and for themagnificence of the costumes,which were imitated in all theatres.I have already mentioned at thebeginning of this chapter the highesteem in which the Japanese holdTSIKAMATSU That he was a verytalented and able man is furtherproved by his renowned historicalnovel " A vassal's loyalty," whichis not only famous in Japan, buthas also been translated into

60


65/136

THE CLASSICAL PERIOD.European languages. But it seemsto me that the dramatic genius ofthe partnership was TAKEDA IZUMO.One of their most illustriousmarionette plays was " Kokusen-ya,the Pirate king " ; and the successof this was perhaps surpassed bythe play " The vendetta of the47 ronin" which was first per-formed in 1748, fourteen yearsafter TSIKAMATSU'S death.*

But in the meantime TAKEDAIZUMO had also written plays forthe ordinary theatre, and of these

* TSIKAMATSU MONZAEMON had producedin 1706 a tragedy called "Goban Taiheiki,"based on the story of the 47 ronin. Shortlybefore his death he proposed to TAKEDAIZUMO to write a play on the same subjectfor the marionette theatre, and they sketchedit together. On this plan it was written byTAKEDA IZUMO, together with MIYOSHISHOEAKU and NAMIKI SENKYU. It is knownunder the title " Chushingura, " or "Theloyal retainers of Akao." There exists anincomplete English translation in prose byJukishi Inonye.

61


66/136

TAKEDA IZUMOthe historical tragedy " Sugawaradenjon tenarai kagami

"(a rather,

fantastical title that means " Mirrorof calligraphy after the chancellorSugawara's tradition ") is not onlythe most celebrated, but probablythe most extolled of all Japanesedramas. It was written by TAKEDAIZUMO together with his threefriends MIYOSHI SHOEAKU (1693-1773 ?), NAMIKI SENEYU (1693-1749), and KOIZUMO, and firstperformed in 1746, ten years beforeTAKEDA IZUMO'S death.

Japanese plays have generallyfrom twelve to twenty acts, andtheir performance takes a wholeday, from the hour of the hare tothe hour of the monkey, viz. :from 6 o'clock in the morning to6 o'clock in the evening. Such isalso the length of the "Sugawara"tragedy. But it is not alwaysperformed in full. Generally one

62


67/136

AND HIS "PINE-TREE."single act of this play is given.This act, which was written byTAKEDA IZUMO alone, the mostluminous part of the whole, iscalled " Matsu" " The pine-tree."*One thing is certain namely,

that the "Pine-tree" well presentednever fails to make a deep impres-sion, even on Europeans who bychance are present at a per-formance. True, the act of selfsacrifice is so exaggerated that itmay offend our more delicatefeelings ; but the action is sotragic, the characters are so heroic,that we cannot but admire.The author seems to have drawn

from two sources. In the year459 A.D. the Emperor Seineiascended the throne. He perpe-trated a wholesale murder of hisown brothers, their children, and

* Also known under the title " Terakoya,"" The Village School."63 B


68/136

TAKEDA IZUMOother members of the Imperialfamily. The whole Imperial linewould have become extinct had nota child been secreted and reducedto the position of a serf in orderto escape the quest of the officialassassins.

This seems to have been theoriginal story which inspired thepoet. But, firstly, he could notpossibly put an Emperor himselfon the stage. For in these daysthe divinity that hedged a Mikadowas such that no common eye everbeheld him, especially not on thestage of a theatre. And, secondly,the Emperors were nearly mythicalbeings who mostly had no authorityat all. The chancellors were thereal regents, and it was to thechancellors that vassals were loyalor faithless. The author hadtherefore to look for a chancellorto whom the anecdote of the saved

64


69/136

AND HIS "PINE-TREE."child could apply. And his choicefell on the story of the chancellorSugawara. Sugawara - no - Michi-zane belonged to an ancient familyof professional litterateurs. Hehad a high reputation as a calli-graphist and scholar, and lived in atime when it was possible tobecome a prime minister by writingnicely a stanza on a theme given bythe Mikado ; and this is exactlyhow Sugawara succeeded. Hewas, however, not fitted to copewith the immense difficulties ofstatesmanship. Besides, he had tostruggle against a complicatedsituation. On the one hand therewas the Emperor Uda who,although he had abdicated, stilltried to take a prominent part inthe administration ; on the otherhand, Sugawara had to suffer fromthe jealousy of the Fujiwara repre-sentative Takihira, a highly-gifted

65


70/136

TAKEDA IZUMObut impetuous and arrogant youngnobleman. Sugawara-no-Michizane,accused of conspiring to obtain thethrone for his grandson (anImperial prince having married hisdaughter), was banished to Dazaifu.His family and friends were allkilled or reduced to serfdom, andhe died in the following year (903).After his death all sort of mishapsbefell his adversaries, and the super-stition considered this ill-luck as amanifestation of his revengefulspirit. Finally, he was placed amongthe gods, and he became Tenjin, thegod of calligraphy.In the play, Sugawara-no-Michi-zane had among his servants afarmer named Shiratayu, whomhis master treated with greatbenevolence. Sugawara-no-Michi-zane possessed three trees of whichhe was particularly fond, a plum-tree (ume), a cherry-tree (sakura)

66


71/136

AND HIS "PINE-TREE."and a pine-tree (matsu). Of thesetrees the farmer Shiratayu had totake care.One day Shiratayu became father

of triplets, and the chancellor con-sented to be their godfather. Henamed them after his favouritetrees : Umeo, Sakuramaru, andMatsuo.When the three boys were grown

up the first two took service withtheir godfather, who, after sometime, made them samurai (militarymen) while the third one, Matsuo,was placed with the chancellor'smighty adversary, the FirjiwaraTokihira, who in the play is alsocalled Shihei.Now follows the political struggle

between Saguwara - no - Michizaneand Tokihira, leading to the whole-sale murder of the chancellor'sfollowers and his own banishment.But Ganzo, a former vassal and

67


72/136

TAKEDA IZUMOsamurai in his service, decides thathe will save Shusai, his master'syoungest son. He retires with himto Seryo, a small village, passingoff the boy as his own son. Havinglearned from the chancellor theart of calligraphy, Ganzo opens aschool in the village, where theaction continues.Of Sugawara - no - Michizane's

three godsons Umeo followed himinto banishment, Sakumaru waskilled in defending his master'scause, while Matsuo remained inhis adversary's service. The fallenchancellor suffered greatly fromMatsuo's behaviour and expressedhis sorrow in the celebrated verses :" The plum - tree follows me

through the air,Withered and dried is the

cherry-tree.Should then the pine-tree so

lofty and fairAlone be heartless and

faithless to me ? "68


73/136

AND HIS "PINE-TREE."the hint in these verses being clearenough. But the " pine-tree " wasnot " faithless," and the subsequentscenes show how Matsuo remainedloyal.The choice of the theme is

characteristic, for against a back-ground of truly Japanese treacheryand cruelty we see an act ofuncompromising fidelity to thecause of the liege-lord no less trulyJapanese, a fidelity that grudges nosacrifice, however immense, how-ever bitter it may be.


74/136


75/136

VI.THEATRICAL CUSTOMS.

the second part of this-a

little volume the reader willfind an adaptation of the" Pine-tree " a free adaptation,

let it be well understood, not atranslation. Some of the scenicindications will not he found at allin the original, others only asrecitatives called ji or chobo, whileI have omitted some other recita-tives which I thought useless.These recitatives, which give to theJapanese plays a character partlyepic, partly dramatic, are sounusual for Europeans that theireffect would have been absolutelydisturbing. As the " Pine-tree " is

71


76/136

THEATRICAL

presented here I think it might beperformed before an occidentalpublic. In view of such an even-tuality, I have written the names asphonetically as possible (forinstance : Tokeeheera, Shoozigh), inorder to avoid a different pronun-ciation by each of the actors, suchas we sometimes hear on our ownstage in other foreign plays.

I am sure that, should somemanager try and present the" Pine-tree," he will not fail ingreatly impressing the public. InJapan it is always successful, butfew

things performedon a stage

can be compared to what the" Pine-tree " was with ICHIKAWADANJURO, Japan's greatest actor, asMatsuo, and with ONOJE KIKUBOGO,who was second only to DANJURO,as Ganzo. Like all Japanese actors,they were not so remarkable fortheir elocution as for their attitudes

72


77/136

CUSTOMS.and movements. To give animpressive picture of real life is theaim of the Japanese actor. Thegreat art consists to talk not somuch with the tongue as with thebody, and to show by the expres-sion of the face not only simplepassion, but also the subtle shadesof sentiment. It is obvious thatsuch a way of acting leads easily tomelodramatic exaggerations ; it isalso very tiring for the performers,and this may be considered as onemore reason why women generallydo not act.With the Japanese the art ofmaking up is not at all to be com-

pared to the methods of our Westernactors. Here, again, one finds muchexaggeration, and a story is told ofthe actor YAMANAKA HEIKURO, whohad made himself a head of a devilso hideous, that when his wife sawhim she died of fright on the spot.

73


78/136

THEATRICALThe characters which one finds

in nearly all Japanese dramas arethe Aragotoshi (a hard man), theDjitsugotoshi (a faithful, loyalman), the Wagotoshi (a youngand pleasant man), and theDjitsuakushi (a bad cruel man).The profession of an actor is

even nowadays not considered asa high one, although one wouldno longer think of treating themas " rogues and vagabonds." Onthe average, they are not well paid.Still there are exceptions. Whena play is staged it runs at least for23 consecutive

days.For such

a term a first-class man like ICHI-KAWA DANJURO would earn about2,500 yen (250), and his annualincome may be estimated at 15,000yen (1,500). But it must not beforgotten that out of this sum hemust provide his own costumes,and costumes are no trifle in Japan,

74


79/136

CUSTOMS.as they must not only be made tosuit the part, but also the characterof the part.For the last ten years or so,

Japan has been under the influenceof a fashion that had given aparticular stamp to the countryalready two hundred years ago. Inthe windows of the silk merchantsone can see many a kimono and obi(sash) made of a material of suchan extraordinary pattern and ofsuch bold colours that they attractthe eyes of the passer-by, irrespec-tive of age or sex. Purple and red,apricot and peach, turquoise blueand malachite green are unitedthere into a strange and wonderfulbouquet, which has the particu-larity of never looking vulgar,never being as shrill as the so-called" real Japanese " costumes one seesin our European shops, and whichthe poorest girl in Tokyo would

75


80/136

THEATRICALnot dare to wear. For Japanesecoloration remains artistic evenwhen it comes near the limits ofthe permissible.

I think the secret consists inchoosing one fundamental tonewhich alone might be very shrill,and to subdue it by some othersofter colour ; the obi, the widesash, is there to obtain this result.There are obis so beautiful that ourWestern ladies cannot imaginetheir value. And it happens thata Japanese beauty spends for onesingle obi more than a smartParisienne for her whole toiletteduring a year.One of the favourite patterns for

the obi is a simple chessboard designmade in black and gold, or blue andgold, or red and gold, and so on.But if you chance to look closely atit you will find, on costly obis,a different design in each of the

76


81/136

CUSTOMS.

squares birds or flowers, executedwith the most wonderful delicacy.Other kimonos and obis have verybig designs, we see enormouswheels, large pine-branches, fishesin a cascade, bushes and deer, oreven a complete miniature garden,embroidered with incomparable art.Now what makes these dressesso exceedingly costly, is the factthat there are generally not twoalike, and that many of them havebeen sketched by great painters.In the Imperial museum at Tokyosome priceless garments, calledkosode, painted by KORIN himself,are preserved.

Needless to say that on the stageonly imitations of these preciousgarments are worn, but even suchimitations are sometimes veryexpensive. And there are not onlythe dresses, but the hairpins andcombs, the little purses, the ribbons

77


82/136

THEATRICALof the geta (shoes with heels), thetabi (socks with a separate greattoe). These tabi are very importantin Japanese costume, and are madeof heavy silk. They have alsorather often the chessboard designwith small ornaments, and areusually either red and yellow, orblue and yellow.Now, if the costumes are always

beautiful and sometimes of anextravagant richness, the samecannot be said of the scenery,which is always meagre andexiguous. The design is rough,primitive, and without any know-ledge of the laws of perspective.Indeed, one may well not call ita scenery at all, the design being,with very few exceptions, purelyornamental. On the other hand,the front of the theatre is generallypainted with much skill and fancy.There are many little things

78


83/136

CUSTOMS.which surprise the European visitor.To begin with, the surroundingsof the theatre. I have alreadymentioned the length of the per-formances. And although thereexists now a theatre where onlyhalf-day performances (shintomi-zd)are given, food and refreshmentsmust be provided for the audience.Therefore, one generally findsaround a theatre a little city oftea-houses and restaurants. Thecurtain does not rise, as in Europe,but is pulled sideways, and one caneasily see the attendants who areentrusted with this work. Theorchestra (hayashi) is hiddenbehind the scenery, while in a sortof proscenium box the reciter sits,together with a shamicenn player,both being concealed behind acurtain of thin bamboo. There isno applause by clapping hands asin our theatres, but the public

79 F


84/136

THEATRICALstimulates the actors by exclama-tions, in a way that may be com-pared to the encouraging andcheering of the dancers in Spain.From the " Green Room " a bridgeleads to the platform. This bridgeis called " Flowerpath." The" Green Room " is closed by adrapery, which the actors of smallparts must lift for themselves.When the performers have someimportance and reputation theyhave an attendant for the purposeof lifting this drapery. But thefirst actors, as well of nogu (drama)as of kyogen (comedy), have thetitle taiya, which confers the rightto two assistants to hold up thecurtain of the " Green Room " fortheir entries and exits.

Besides of the " Flowerpath "there is also an underground waypermitting the actors to enterthrough the auditorium, which for

80


85/136

CUSTOMS.this purpose is joined with the plat-form by a bridge. I may hereremark that Max Reinhardt, whenperforming " La belle Helene " inMunich and Berlin, " borrowed "this idea from the Japanese, andmade the dramatis personce enterthrough the auditorium, and, exactlyas in Japan, they began talkingwhile still walking through therows of the public. Needless tosay, that the German Press foundReinhardt' s " originality " simplykolossal. 000

In concluding this very incom-plete sketch, I wish to say that ifthe Japanese theatre has not sharedthe general progress, and hasremained somewhat stationary formore than two hundred years, itis none the less very interesting.Although it may not in its longhistory have remained absolutely


86/136

THEATRICAL CUSTOMS.free from foreign, mainly Chinese,influences, it is a national art whichhas always kept the marks of itsorigin, and is in no way unworthyof the splendid nation which everyday we learn to appreciate morehighly.


87/136

THE PINE-TREE(MATSU)

A DRAMABY

TAKEDA IZUMO


88/136


89/136

THE PINE-TREE.MATSUO, a vassal of the Fujiwara chancellorTokeeheera (Shihei).MISTRESS CHEEYO, his wife.KOTARO, their son (eight years).KWAN SHOOZIGH, son of the former chancellor

Saguwara-no-Michizane (eight years).KWAN SHOOZIGH'S MOTHER, the former chancellor'swife.

GANZO, a vassal and pupil of the former chan-cellor, now master of a village school.MISTRESS TONARMEE, his wife.

GEMBAH, Tokeeheera's chamberlain.SANZOOKEE, Matsuo's servant-man.SILLY, a boy of 15,CHOMA, a boy of 8,EWAMA, a boy of 10, \ GANZO'S pupils.TOKUZAN, a boy of 8,THREE OTHER BOYS,SOME SOLDIERS, under Gembah's command.SOME PEASANTS.The action takes place in the year 902, in the little village Seryo,

in the class room of Ganzo's house and in the courtyard,which one can see when the principal door is opened.

85


90/136

THE PINE-TREE.(SHOOZIGH, SILLY, and other pupils are all sitting on the floor,

having each one a small desk on which is placed ascribbling book and, to the right, a box with Indian ink,to the left, a little box with books. With their writingbrushes they are busy doing some exercises in Japaneseletters. They often interrupt their work and are rathernoisy. Most of them have their fingers stained with ink,some even their faces.)

SILLY.I think it is too stupid ! The master isn't at

home, and we are sitting here and studying !(Raising a sheet of paper) Look ! Look ! I havepainted a bonze with a bald head !

(They all laugh, most of them get up, there is greatnoise.)

SHOOZIGH(without interrupting his work).

Silly, you ought to do something better thanto paint such wicked images. You're the biggesthere, and unable to write the simplest letters.Fie ! What a shame !

SILLY.Oh, you are a wise one. Behold the wise one,

the cheeky wise one !86


91/136

FIRST BOY(hitting Silly with his ruler).

You are not to insult him, Silly !SILLY

(howling).Oh ! oh ! he wants to kill me ! (Takes his ink

and pours it over the first boy's head.)

SECOND BOY.Big fool ! The eldest of us, and starts crying

when one touches him !THIRD BOY.

We'll give him a good thrashing, the boaster.(They attack Silly with their rulers and a great, noisy battle

ensues.)

(Mistress Tonarmee comes from an adjoining room.)MISTRESS TONARMEE.

Aye ! You naughty boys ! You are fightingagain ? Won't you keep quiet ? Sit down, allof you ! Take your places, and work ! Themaster will soon be back. If you work well,he'll give you a half-holiday.

87


92/136

SOME OF THE BOYS.Oh, that's fine ! That's splendid ! We'llwork ! We'll work ! (They all settle down and begin

again to work, reading and writing. They are heardpronouncing the syllables they write down:) Ee-ro-ha-nee-ho-ha-to . . .

(Enter MISTRESS CHEEYO, leading her boy KOTAKO byher hand. SANZOOKEE follows them carrying a smalldesk, a box with books, and two parcels.)

SANZOOKEE(from outside, opening the door a little).

Holloa ! May we come in ?MISTRESS TONARMEE.

Please ! Please !MISTRESS CHEEYO

(entering with Kotaro).You are very kind. (Curtseys on both sides.) I

sent a messenger this morning to Mr. Ganzo, toask whether he could receive my little boy as apupil. Mr. Ganzo having consented verycourteously, I thought I had best bring the childat once. Here he is.

88


93/136

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Oh ! Is this your son ? He is welcome. A

pretty, gentle child.

MISTRESS CHEEYO.You are very gracious. I hope he will notprove a nuisance. We only came to stay in this

village a few days ago. We have taken lodgingsquite at the other end. I was much pleased tohear that you have a boy of the same age. Is heone of these ?

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Certainly. It is this one. (To Shoozigh) Come

here and greet this lady . . . (SHOOZIGH comes nearerand bows very low before Mistress Cheey5.) Y 6S, this isMr. Ganzo's son and heir.

MISTRESS CHEEYO(looking alternately at the faces of both boys as if to

compare them).What a beautiful, lovely child, MistressGanzo ! But I do not see your husband.Perhaps he is absent ?


94/136

MISTRESS TONARMEE.I regret to say he is. Early this morning

he was invited to call upon the mayor fora conference and a festive repast. It is rather along way, and it may still be some time ere hereturns. But if you wish to see him, I will atonce send somebody to fetch him.

MISTRESS CHEEYO.Oh, no, no ! Do not trouble yourself. I have

an errand in the next village, business of allsorts ; I will come back afterwards, and willthen certainly find Mr. Ganzo . . . Holloa,Sanzookee ! Give me these things. (SANZOOKEEgives her the two parcels. The first one is wrapped up ina white paper and adorned with a sign of remembrance.MISTRESS CHEEYO takes it and places it politely beforeMistress Tonarmee). Will you be good enough toaccept this as a small token of remembranceof this day ?

MISTRESS TONARMEE(with a deep curtsey).Oh ! This is really too good of you, really

too good . . .90


95/136

MISTRESS CHEEYO.Do not mention it. And the contents of thisbox (she gives Mistress Tonarmee the second parcel) are

for your boys, your pupils.MISTRESS TONARMEE.

My best thanks, my best thanks, you are reallytoo generous ! My husband will also be greatlyobliged. MISTRESS CHEEYO.And now I think I had better go. I entrustmy child to you. (To Kotaro) You will be good

and obedient, my dear. I only go to the nextvillage, I will soon be back.

KOTARO.Oh, mother, don't leave me alone ! Take me

with you ! (And as she is leaving he pulls her sleeve.)MISTRESS CHEEYO.What a little coward you are ! Are you not

ashamed, Kotaro ? (To Mistress Tonarmee.) You seehow spoilt he is. (Caressing him.) There's a goodboy, a nice boy. Remain here and be brave. Iwill soon be back. (Exit with Sanzookee. But whenleaving the room, and afterwards when she is already outside,she turns her head again and again, looking passionately and

91


96/136


97/136

MISTRESS TONARMEE(observes him. First she is astonished, but afterwards shebecomes anxious. She sits down facing her husband,and after a rather long silence she begins :)How pale you are, my lord, how much distressed !And secret words you murmur to yourself !Say, what has happened ? Say, why do you

glanceSo full of anger and anxietyAt these poor boys ? Oh, do not look so wrathful.Let me beseech you, Ganz5, my dear lord !See here, this boy. 'Tis the new pupil. AndMethinks, he is a nice and handsome child.

(To Kotaro.)Approach now, Kotar5, and greet your master.

KOTARO(makes a deep obeisance and cowers down).My lord, please take me. For I will with allMy heart be faithful, true, obedient.

GANZO(looking at him thoughtlessly).

'T is well. Return you to your place.(KATAEO gets up again. GANZO by chance notices his face.He seems astonished and throws several rapid glances at

the child. His aspect slowly becomes less dismal.)93


98/136

(Aside) I marvel !This is ... (Aloud) Ha Kotaro ! . . . You are . . .

in truth . . .Come here and look at me. (Aside) There is no

doubt . . .(Aloud)You are . . . You're a good boy, my Kotaro,

A pretty boy, a fair, well-mannered boy,Of goodly stock.(To Mistress Tonarmee) Do you not think SO ?

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Yes,And I am happy that he pleases you,For when you saw him, all the gloomy cloudsAt once fled from your face. Believe me : he

Will be a clever scholar. When his motherWho brought him here . . .GANZO(interrupting her).

His mother ? What ?His mother ?

Is she still here ?MISTRESS TONARMEE.

She left in a great hurry,Important business was expecting herIn the next village. But she will return . . .She'll not be long.

94


99/136

GANZO(constrained).Oh ... Is that so ? ...

Not long ? . . .Yes . . . Yes . . . What did I say ? ... My

mind is absent . . .I am engaged upon important things."Tis holiday this afternoon. The boysMay play now in the back room, as they like.But no mischief ! No noise ! I do not wishTo be disturbed, ye rascals ! Put your thingsAway first . . . neatly . . . decently . . . Now

go.'Tis holiday.(THE BOYS get up. There is a great noise. Having packed

their writing apparatus, they put their desks in a cornerof the room. Then they leave with cries of joy. GANZOlooks after them thoughtfully. MISTRESS TONARMEE,when they have left, shuts the door and comes back toher husband. She looks around as if to see whetherthej are unobserved and then sits down opposite him.)

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Why are you worried ? Say,

What has occurred ? When you arrived so paleand soDepressed, at once some secret apprehensionPervaded all my frame. And afterwards . . .

95 o


100/136

You seemed to muster all our boys. It wasForgive me it was strange and terrifying

(GANZO nods half absently.)And then quite suddenly 'twas odd I sawA flash that darted from your eyes. It wasAs soon as you had noticed the new boy.Ill luck, I am afraid, ill luck awaits us.

GANZO.Ill luck ? Yea verily because ... In shortWe are betrayed. Discovered is the secretThat here our young lord is concealed, that hereAs our own son we rear him. Tokeeheera,The chancellor, knows this full well and longsTo slay the last of Sugawara's offspringWhose vengeance would be feared should he

grow up.MISTRESS TONARMEE.

Oh, frightful news ! I feared it ! And, my lord,How did you learn that ?GANZO.At the mayor's party.

It was a trap. A trap to catch me ; toPrevent us from a timely flight. Gembah,

96


101/136

The chancellor's chamberlain approachedme. More thanA hundred men followed his steps. " Ganzo ! "

Cried he, " We know thy secret. Yes, we know it !That boy, whom wrongly as a son thou claimest,Surrender him to us. For 'tis young Shoozigh.Oh wicked, evil, vicious man ! How darest thouStill shield the enemies of Tokeeheera?The order hear that we now bring: WithinTwo hours thou wilt deliver us the headOf young Shoozigh. If not, we are to enterThy house, ourselves to fetch that urchin's head.And as for thee : the chancellor's wrath will findThee soon." Such were his words. How had I

likedAt once to give an answer to this scoundrel,An answer with the sword ! But they were many,And shrewdness seemed a better thing than force.Therefore, I swallowed my repugnance, seemingTo obey, but asked that they would grant me

time,So that I might achieve the deed. Beside himThere stood Matsuo, he, the only oneAt court, who knows Shoozigh. The chancellor,So that the head might be identified,Had summoned Matsuo. Oh shame, oh shame !

97


102/136

He, too, then, has forgotten our old lord,Forgotten gifts, support, and aid ; and nowBetrays his offspring. What disgrace ! So illIs he, so weak, his feeble limbs can scarceSupport him. But for crime and treacheryHe still has strength. Now listen well. We areSurrounded, and we cannot fly. I must,Must find a head resembling young Shoozigh's.For if I fail, he's lost. On my way home,I meditated : What, if in his placeOne of my pupils I should sacrifice?But how could anybody be deceivedBy such low features? Who could deem he sawThe visage of a noble, high-born child ?Thus, full of pain and anguish came I home,Despairing lest I should not save Shoozigh.And suddenly I saw that unknown boy.In truth, say, is he not like our young lord?'Tis Heaven, wife, sent us that child ! The gods,Who will deliver our young lord, have sentThis substitute, and sent him in the hourOf need. 'Tis the will of the gods, beyondAll doubt ! The boy must die. His evil spiritHas placed him in our hands. Yes, we will kill

him,And to the messenger we will deliver98


103/136

His head. Then let us flee, flee rapidlyWith our young lord. If we make haste, we canIn a few hours gain the frontier, and so reachKawachi, where we need not fear detection.

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Hour of despair ! Alas ! Oh, is it trueThat cruelly we must shed this guiltless

blood?'Tis true. We must. For nothing is as holyAs duty to one's lord. And if we hadTo sacrifice a world

well, 'twould be done.But will it be of use? Did you not sayYourself : Matsuo is to testifyIf truly 'tis the head. He knows the boy.His eye will never be deceived. 'Tis allIn vain. He will find out our stratagem.

GANZO.Well, if he does, 'twill be his doom ! I'll watchHis features, wife, my sword in hand. And ifIt must be, if it must, I'll throw him downWith one bold stroke ! Then like a tiger, castingMyself upon his men, I'll drive them forth.

Or . .Or I will die with my young lord, in order

99


104/136

That on his journey to the other worldHe may be followed by his faithful servant.However, there is little danger thatMatsuo will frustrate my sound design.The likeness of the boys is marvellous,And what dissimilarity there isIn life will surely disappear in death.But peril threatens from another side :The mother ! If she should return, ill-timed,Ask for her boy, raise an alarm, and hinderThe flight then if she comes then woe to her !She, too ! . . .

MISTRESS TONARMEE.She, too ? . . . Oh, word of dread and horror !

With all sorts of discourses will I tryAnd put her off, will, when she comes . . .

GANZO. No ! no !Already her mistrust may be aroused.For people talk and say that in the villagePeculiar things to-day will happen. Therefore,She wTill insist on seeing her son. It mustNot be ! Too weighty are the stakes ! I pray,Pray fervently she may not come. But if

100


105/136

She comes, she never, nevermore must leave us.To do some devil's deed we are appointed ;So let us devils be without a scruple.She dies ! must die ! The safety of our lordDemands it.

MISTRESS TONARMEE.Well, let us be devils, if

It can't be otherwise. (Crying) Oh, wretchedchild,

Ill-fated mother ! Why did she come to-dayEntrusting us with her beloved treasure ?And woe to us who undertook to beHis father, mother and who'll butcher him.Oh, day of grief and sorrow, mournful day !

(Q-EMBAH opens the door. MATSTJO is seen sitting in a litter.SOME PEASANTS push into the courtyard, pursuing bothknights with humble obeisances.)

SEVERAL PEASANTS.Oh, mighty lords, have pity ! Our children

are also within. Oh, mercy, mercy !101


106/136

FIRST PEASANT.My little boy is only just beginning to write.Oh, let him go free !

SECOND PEASANT.Lord, my grandson ! If by mistake you

should cut off his head, you couldn't put it onagain. Oh, let him go free, Sir knight !

THIRD PEASANT.For the love of heaven, be careful. My boy is

just the same age as the young lord. For thelove of heaven, let me go and fetch him.

MANY.Let us go in, dear Sir knights !

GEMBAH(brutally driving away the peasants who are crowding

about him).Cursed, burdensome mob! They all buzz

together like blow-flies. To hell with you!Nobody will harm your dirty, silly brats. Takethem away and hurry ! (He turns his back to themand laughs ironically.) To mistake idiotic peasantfaces for the features of a samurai! . . . ha, ha,ha, ha!

102


107/136

MATSUO(comes out of his litter, slowly approaches the door, leaningheavily on his long sword, using it as a support).

All the same, Gembah, be not too hasty ingiving them their liberty. I alone bear all theresponsibility, for I alone know the boy. Howeasily one of these peasants could have beenbrought into the plot and now pretend Shoozighto be his son ! (To the peasants) Be calm, you.Call your children by their names, I wish to seethem before giving them up to you.

ALL THE PEASANTS(shout names at the same time).

MATSUO.One after the other !

(He holds the handle of his sword with an iron grasp.And while GANZO and MISTRESS TONARMEE listen withanxiety from within to the names called out, the fathersand hoary headed grandfathers wait, full of concern,outside the door.)

FIRST PEASANT.Choma, Choma!

103


108/136

GANZO(standing near the door that leads to the backroom repeats

the names called out, shouting them into the back room).Choma, approach !

CHOMA(enters).Here am I.MATSUO

(gazing at him).This one has thoroughly smudged his face

with ink. But even if he were washed he wouldnever become clean. Let him go, it is not he.(THE FIRST PEASANT takes Choma's hand and leads him away.)

SECOND PEASANT.Is Ewama here ? Ewama!

EWAMA(arrives).MATSUO

(gazing at him).

A nice lad, with a round face like a freshpersimmon ! Away with him.(THE SECOND PEASANT takes him up "pick-a-back," and goes

away with him.)104


109/136

THIRD PEASANT.My darling, my dickie-bird, my pretty one !

SILLY(the fifteen-year old boor).

Here am I. (Seeing that Ewama is carried away onhis grandfather's back he cries :) Take me also pick-a-back, daddy dear, pick-a-back ! Pick-a-back !(He howls.)

THIRD PEASANT.Don't cry, dickie-birdie, don't cry.

GEMBAH(laughs sneeringly).

This boor with his horse-legs and his sparrow-voice hardly needs your decision, Matsuo ! Hewould be a nice prince ! Wouldn't he ? (Lookingafter him.) The old fool takes really his lankyidiot pick-a-back. Look at him slinking awaylike a cat that has stolen a piece of dry salmon !

FOURTH PEASANT.Tokuzan ! Tokuzan ! For the love of heaven,Sir knight, don't mix him up with the young lord

Shoozigh. Isn't he a beautiful boy, Sir knight ?(TOKUZAN is about to steal away, but MATSUO catches him.)

105


110/136

MATSUO.Stop, my boy, stop ! Is yours a guiltyconscience ? Let me look at you more carefully.

Your face has the shape of a melon, and yourcomplexion is quite white, oh ! (Looks again at him.)But you are dirty, you, you filthy urchin. Runaway as fast as you can. (Kicks him.)

GEMBAH(angrily).

Pooh, Ganzo, call up the last three of thesepeasant brats together. From what I have seenup to now, I would dare decide alone. It's turnipsthat grow on a turnip field.

as he has been told, calls the last three boys ;GEMBAH and MATSUO examine them rapidly andlet them go. The sliding door is closed. GEMBAHand MATSUO sit down opposite Ganzo.)

GEMBAH.Now then, Ganzo, do what you promised me.Before my very eyes, so you have sworn,You will behead the boy. Make haste, and thenDeliver me the head !

106


111/136

GANZO(calmly and self-assured).And do you think

That I can catch the chancellor's noble sonUnceremoniously by his young throatAnd wring his neck, and cut then off his head,As if he were a dog ? A little patience !Give me some time, Sir, to achieve it. (He gets upand is about to go into the back room).

MATSUO.Stop,

Ganzo, one instant ! (He stares at him.)"Pis in vain you tryTo cheat us. If you think that in this short

Delay you may remove your little lordThrough some back door, your cunning comes

too late.More than a hundred men surround your house,And not a rat could possibly escape.Nor think you that you can deceive me, ifBy chance you offer me another headBelieving all dissimilaritiesMight be by death effaced. But such a trick,My friend, could not mislead me. Very soonYou would repent. . . .

107


112/136

GANZO(scarcely able to restrain himself).

Keep for yourself your care,Tis stupid and superfluous. The realAuthentic head shall soon lie here before you,And ev'n your weak distorted eyes will notMistake it. GEMBAH

(impatiently).Spare yourself these words and go !

'Tis time for deeds now, not for empty talk.(He gives Ganzo a wooden box into which to put the

head. GANZO exit through the centre door.)

(There is a pause. MISTRESS TONARMEE sits, listeninguneasily, while MATSUO glances around inquisitively.After a while he counts the desks and book-boxes.)

MATSUO.How strange, how singular ! These little devilsWhich we let run were there not seven ? Now !There is one desk too many, I count eight !(To Mistress Tonarmee.)Tell me, to whom belongs this desk ? (ShowsKotaro's desk.)

108


113/136

MISTRESS TONARMEE(frightened and confused.)

This desk . . .To the new pupil . . .

MATSUO.What?

MISTRESS TONARMEEI'm tattling . . . No,

There's no new pupil, sir, no ! don't believe it.It is Kwan Shoozigh's desk, Kwan Shoozigh's,

really,Believe me . . .MATSUO(impatiently.)

Well, I do believe you. But,Why does not he make haste. My illness . . .I...

(Behind the scene a noiae like the falling of a body isheard ; MISTRESS TONARMEE starts wildly, MATSUOmakes only a scarcely noticeable movement.MISTRESS TONARMEE first moves as if to hurry intothe back room, but masters herself and remainsstanding full of anxiety).

109


114/136

GANZO(enters, holding in his hand the closed wooden box, and places

it quietly before Matsuo.)What you commanded is fulfilled. Here isKwan Shoozigh's head. Now examine it well,My noble lord Matsu5 ! Be severe !Make no mistake.(He sits down somewhat to one side, watching Matsuo sharply,

and holding the handle of his sword.)

MATSUO(to some of the soldiers which GEMBAH has meanwhile beckoned

into the room.)Look out, you men ! Go there !(pointing to Granzo.)

And watch this couple.(He draws the box as near as possible towards himself ;

keeping his eyes shut he pulls up the lid. Then,slowly, as if he were dreaming, he opens his eyes.He looks at the head for some time in deep silence,then he touches it with a slightly trembling hand.For the fraction of a second an expression of mentalpain, only suppressed with difficulty, passes over hisfeatures, but disappears immediately. The othersare filled with anxious expectation.)

110


115/136

MATSUO(after a pause, slowly, with stoical calm.)

Well, there is no doubt !This head is Kwan Shoozigh's . . . There is no

doubt !(He shuts the box, pressing upon the lid. GANZO

and MISTRESS TONARMEE sigh with relief, andquickly glance at each other.)

GEMBAH(gets up).

At last, at last ! You have behaved with courage,Ganzo, and have deserved some compensation.For having hidden Kwan Shoozigh instead ofDelivering him to us you should have died !But as you made amends, as you performedWith your own hand the execution youAre pardoned.

(To MATSUO.)Come, Matsuo, come, make haste,

We now will hurry to the court, and bringImmediately the happy news to Shihei.He waits with violent impatience thereAnd burns to hear our embassy's success.ill H


116/136

MATSUO.You're right, friend Gembah, bring him speedilyThese long expected news. Bring the head also.But I must be excused. I am unwellWorse is my malady than it appears,Indeed, much worse. Obtain for me permissionThat I may be dispensed from further service.GEMBAH.That shall be as it pleases you. Go home,And take care of yourself. As for your duty,'Tis done. Farewell !

MATSUO.My duty's done. Farewell !

(Q-BMBAH takes the box and exit with the soldiers, MATSUOfollows him, leaning wearily on his sword. He entershis litter and is carried away.)

(For a while GANZO and MISTRESS TONARMEB remainsitting, fixed in amazement, and look incredulouslyin the direction which the others have taken. ThenGANZO goes to the door and bolts it. Both sit downonce more, facing each other, and heave a sigh ofrelief. MISTRESS TONARMEE raises her clasped handsto heaven, and bows down to the floor several times,as if offering a prayer of ardent thanksgiving.)

112


117/136


118/136


119/136


120/136

MISTRESS TONARMEE(whispering, afraid).

Good heavens, Ganzo, it is the mother ! Weare lost ! What's to be done ? What shall wesay?

MISTRESS CHEEYO(outside).

Open ! Open ! (Knocks louder.)GANZO

(angrily, to Mistress Tonarmee).Silence, foolish woman ! Do you not hearme ? Keep quiet, we shall manage somehow or

other.(He pushes Mistress Tonarmee aside, opens the door and lets

in Mistress

MISTRESS CHEEYO(in visible alarm).

Ah ! Is it you, Master Takebe Ganzo ? Areyou the worthy master ? I brought you my boythis morning. Where is he ? I hope he is not anuisance ?

114


121/136

GANZO.He is not ! He is there in the backroom,playing with the other boys. Do you wish to see

him ? Will you take him home ?MISTRESS CHEEYO.

Yes, let me see him, I will take him away.GANZO

(getting up).Then come. Will you please enter this room . .(MISTRESS CHEEYO turns towards the backroom door ;GANZO, behind her, draws his sword and strikes at her,

but at this instant she turns round and cleverlyevades the blow. She runs among the desks, takesthat of her son, and wards off with it another blowfrom Ganzo.)

MISTRESS CHEEYO.Stop, stop !

GANZO(strikes once more).

To hell !(The stroke splits the desk into pieces, and from it falls

a white shroud, papers with prayers written on them,a burial flag, and other articles used at a burial).

115


122/136

GANZO("surprised).

The devil ! What is this ? (He drops his sword.)What does this mean ?MISTRESS CHEEYO

(on her knees, bursting into tears).Oh, sir, I beseech you. Did my son die the

death of sacrifice ? Sacrificed to his young lordKwan Shoozigh ? Or not ? Oh, I beg of you,tell me the truth !

GANZO(dumbfounded) .

How ? What ? The death of sacrifice ? Yourson sacrificed ? Did you then . . on purpose ? . .You could purposely ?

MISTRESS CHEEYO.Oh, my darling, my beloved child ! Sacrificed,

voluntarily sacrificed, so as to save his lord's life.What use would then be this shroud, theseprayers, this flag with the inscription on it :" Namu Amida Butsu " ?

116


123/136

GANZO.Woman, you horrify me. I cannot understand !Who are you ? Who is your husband ?

(Again there is a knock at the door. MATSTTO opens itfrom outside, enters, shuts the door behind him, andsits down gravely).MATSUO

(recites the verses written by the chancellor,Saguwara-no-Michizane).

" The plum-treefollows me through the air,Withered and dried is the cherry-tree.Should then the pine-tree so lofty and fairAlone be heartless and faithless to me?''.

Rejoice, beloved wife, our son has diedThe noble death of sacrifice for our dear lord !(MISTRESS CHEEYO throws herself on the floor crying loudly.)

MATSUO(much moved, turns towards her.)

O, my good wife, my perfect, faithful wife,Yea, weep a mother's tears . . . well may you

do so.(To Ganzo.)

You must forgive, Ganzo : The hearts of parentsClaim now their rights with overpowering force.

117


124/136

GANZO(between surprise and emotion.)

I cannot grasp it. Do I dream ? Or is thisReality ? Matsud, you, the vassalOf Tokeeheera, are you not our foe ?Have you not broken long ago the bondsWhich tied you formerly to Michizane's house ?Just now I heard you talk and . . . your own

son . . .And consciously your son I am amazed.

MATSUO.Well may you be surprised. Disastrous fate,Fate that misled me on a foreign path,Fate that enticed me to assist a lordWho rages ruthlessly against the menI loved and worshipped since my early youth,Against the lord and patron of my kindred,Against my father, woe ! against my brothers !Oh ! How I suffered to be parted fromAll I respected, to be called ungrateful,To know it was deserved, and all the sameNot to be able to do otherwise,Lest I should basely break my feudal oath.Such grief, affliction, sorrow must I bear

118


125/136


126/136

And rid me of the burden of my crimeAt last ? I knew, Ganzd, that you would tryTo baulk the murd'rers of your youthful lord.Yet what, what could vou do ! There was noit

timeFor flight. Deception was the only means.And then I saw, my hour had come. At onceI took the counsel of my own dear wife,My poor, courageous wife and sent to youMy son. I left it to the gods and youTo use him as his young lord's substitute.I came to settle the account. I sawThose desks, and saw that there was one too

many,And knew then that my little boy was here.I realised what fate awaited me. But . . .Ah me, was the fair pine-tree to be heartlessAnd faithless? Oh ! The words of our good

lord,Our gracious, unforgotten lord, the wordsHe aimed at me resounded in my ears.The whole world seemed to shout it in my face;Yea, thou art heartless thou art faithless. ThinkWhat I have suffered ! And had I not hadA son, prepared to sacrifice himself

120


127/136

For his own father's fault, I should have beenWith my whole house subjected to the scorn,The shame of all the world. My son ! My son !Thou saviour of our honour!

MISTRESS CHEEYO.Saviour of

Our honour . . . yes ! Let us repeat thesewords,A loving tribute to the blessed spiritOf that dear child ! Oh, may they rise toheaven,

And may they fill him with the purest joy !Alas ! When here I left him, when he wishedTo follow me, my heart became so sad,So grieved to leave him in the jaws of death!Let me embrace once more my darling child !Oh, put him in my arms for the last timeAnd let me for the last time fondle him !

(She throws herself to the ground, crying aloud.)

MISTRESS TONARMEE(approaches her full of pity).

Unhappy mother ! I can feel for youIn your affliction. I recall the wordsHe to his master said when first he saw him :

121


128/136

" My lord, please take me. For I will with allMy heart be faithful, true, obedient."Do I but think of it, an icy shudderPervades my frame ! and yet, no ties linked meTo him. What then must you, his mother, suffer ?

MATSUO.Oh, master this o'erwhelming sorrow, wife,And let us bear with courage what the godsHave ruled must be our most distressing fate.

(To Ganzo.)He knew, Ganzo, that he was going to meetHis death, when he was brought here by his

mother.For I had told him, and of his own free willHe came, a fragile child of scarce eight years,Yet fearless like a bold, undaunted hero.Tell me, how did he die ? Begged he for life ?

GANZO.He died a gallant death. No man could face itMore boldly than he did. I drew my swordAnd whispered in his ear that he must dieAt once and on the spot. He just smiled gentlyAnd calmly offered me his neck, awaitingThe stroke.

122


129/136

MATSUO.Oh brave, intrepid, faithful child !With such fidelity, with such devotionMy brother also died in days gone by

For his dear lord. They now will find each other,Will meet again, and in the other worldEnjoy a rich reward for their heroicSacrifice. (Sobbing.) Oh, pardon me, Ganzo, if IMy tears withhold not . . .

(He weeps, and they all weep with him.)

SHOOZIGH having heard the sobs in the next room,opens the door and enters.)

SHOOZIGH.Was it then for me,For me this deed of blood and crueltyWas done ? Had you but told me that these

soldiersWere seeking me, I never would have let himMake such a sacrifice. What misery !How deeply you have shamed me !

(He weeps and covers his face with his sleeve. They allsob. MATSUO silently gets up, goes to the door andbeckons to somebody outside.)

_

Documents

Noh Pinetreematsudra00takeiala